Two cops charged with perverting justice over missing ammunition

Two Arima policemen have been charged with perverting the course of justice and are expected to appear before an Arima magistrate on Monday to answer the charge.

A police media release on Monday reported that PCs Keron George and Hendron Kellon Moses were jointly charged with acts tending to pervert the course of public justice and larceny. Moses was charged with an additional act tending to pervert the course of public justice, namely submitting a false report.

Both men were charged and arrested on Friday after investigators from the Professional Standards Bureau (PSB) received advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

George was granted station bail in the sum of $150,000 and Moses was granted $60,000 bail.

The charges arose from an incident on February 21, when both men and a third officer left the Arima police station on patrol.

George was issued a Galil rifle with 35 rounds of ammunition and a Sig Sauer pistol with two magazines and 30 rounds of ammunition.

While on patrol on Sorzano Street, George reportedly told Moses and the other officer that one of the magazines had malfunctioned and all 15 rounds of ammunition were lost.

The next morning, George and Moses returned to the police station and reported that the ammunition was lost in bushes along the Old Brazil Road, Arima, while chasing they were suspects.

Acting Insp Joseph began a probe and requested reports from all three officers on patrol that night.

In his report, George allegedly submitted a handwritten report saying he had lost the magazine while chasing suspects.

The Northern Division Task Force began searching along the Old Brazil Road with Moses and a metal detector but found nothing.

On further enquiries, the third officer told investigators there was no chase, and the loss of ammunition was due to a magazine malfunction on Sorzano Street.

Insp Joseph contacted the PSB and made a report.