Cop on bail for washroom robbery

A 46-year-old Special Reserve Police who allegedly stole $1,600 from a patron in the washroom of a bar in Princes Town in 2017 has appeared before a magistrate charged with misbehaviour in public office.

The man, who has ten years’ service, appeared yesterday before Rae Roopchand in the Rio Claro Magistrate’s Court and was not called upon to plea. Police from the Professional Standards Bureau arrested him on Thursday morning at his home at Lothians Road, Princes Town, and Cpl Ian Mitchell later charged him. By evening he appeared before a justice of the peace who granted him $100,000 surety bail.

Yesterday, the magistrate upheld the bail and adjourned the case to November 22.

Defence attorney Petronilla Basdeo represented the accused policeman and requested disclosure. Prosecutor Sgt Gary Santlal gave her a copy of the summary of the alleged offence and promised to give further disclosure on the adjourned date.

The charge alleged that between 12 am and 1 am on November 18, 2017, the accused policeman and another man approached Kendell Primus at Troy City Restaurant and Lounge at St Croix Road, Princes Town. Primus was playing roulette games.

They took the victim to the washroom where they searched him. The prosecution is contending that they robbed him of $1,600 and accused him of tampering with the roulette machine. It is alleged they ordered him to leave but kept the cash.

The policeman was at the time posted at the Court and Process Unit at the Princes Town Magistrates’ Court. Since September, he has been on injury leave.

Ag ACP Totaram Dookhie, Sgt Rollucks and Cpls Mitchell and Joefield conducted investigations and earlier in the week Director of Public Prosecutions Roger Gaspard gave instructions to charge the accused.