Senior police in court perverting the course of justice

AN acting Superintendent of Police yesterday appeared before a Couva magistrate charged with perverting the course justice.

Simon Gill, who has over 30 years service, retained the $200,000 bail which was granted at the police station shortly after he was charged. Gill appeared before magistrate Christine Charles. The charge was that he unlawfully released a police constable without prosecution for the offense of negligence in breach of the Firearms Act in February.

The charge of perverting the course of justice was laid indictably and Gill was not called upon to plead. The charge as read out in court stated that on February 16, PC Randy Khamchan and his cousin Kevin Roopchan were at a club in central Trinidad.

Police found a man in possession of a Police Service-issued Sig Sauer pistol while not being a member of the TTPS and also not the holder of a firearms user's licence. Two men were arrested but they were later released from police custody without charge.

The matter was investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau and arrests and charges were subsequently laid.

Prosecutor Sgt Lincoln Bonnett told the magistrate he had no objection to bail as Gill had no pending matters or previous convictions. The matter was adjourned to July 10.