Hanover cops convicted of corruption fined $500,000

Hanover constables Shemroy Hewitt and Andre Drummond, both 31, were on Monday each fined $500,000 on corruption charges in the Lucea Parish Court.

They were charged following an incident in January 2017 when they stopped a car in which a wanted murderer was a passenger.

The cops were found guilty on July 31 of soliciting and accepting $150,000 from a driver to avoid laying lottery scamming charges as well as to release the wanted man who was in his company.

The policemen were remanded pending the sentencing on August 31.

After reviewing social enquiry reports and hearing mitigation pleas from their attorney, Martyn Thomas, both cops were fined $250,000 on each charge or 21 months imprisonment.

They were ordered to submit their fingerprints.

Evidence was led in court that Hewitt and Drummond took the wanted man and the driver of the car into their police vehicle and while on the drive to Lucea, bartered with the men for a sum to be paid for their release.

The driver, who is a chef from Norwood, St James, was taken to a bank and directed to make a withdrawal. 

He withdrew $150,000 which was then handed to Hewitt who left in the police vehicle with Drummond.

A third constable Conrad Clarke was also charged but he was found not guilty as the court found that there was no evidence that he, at any time, participated in the offence, other than being with the others when the car was stopped at the vehicular checkpoint.

Follow The Gleaner on Twitter and Instagram @JamaicaGleaner and on Facebook @GleanerJamaica. Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169 or email us @onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com or editors@gleanerjm.com.