Jephthah Ford found guilty of corruption charges

Well-known medical doctor Jephthah Ford has been found guilty of corruption charges.

The verdict was handed down in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court a short time ago by Parish Judge Simone Wolfe Reece.

He is to return to court on August 22 when a date will be set for sentencing.

Ford was convicted on two counts of attempting to pervert the course of justice following an incident in 2014 in which two Surinamese men were held with US$533,886 or J$55 million, during a police operation along Half-Way Tree Road, in St Andrew.

The trial, which began in 2016, featuring testimony from Police Sergeant Franklyn McLaren that he secretly made a recording of Ford offering him millions of dollars to end the investigation against the two men and release the cash.

Wolfe Reece, in announcing her verdict, said citizens have a right to ensure that justice is done, "but there is a right way to do it".

"We can't tolerate people taking things into their own hands," she admonished.