Labourer given bail for trying to bribe cop

WESTERN BUREAU:

A St James man, who reportedly tried to bribe a policeman so that he would not to be ticketed for a traffic violation, was offered bail when he appeared in the St James Parish Court yesterday.

Ricoy McGhie, a 19-year-old labourer of Lottery district in the parish, is charged with breaches of the Corruption (Prevention) Act.

In making a bail application in court, McGhie's attorney, Stacy-Ann Williams, argued that the defendant was not a flight risk and had no previous convictions.

Parish judge Sandria Wong-Small subsequently offered bail to McGhie in the sum of $500,000 with three sureties and ordered him to surrender his fingerprints to the police. He is to return to court on June 30 when the matter will be mentioned.

Allegations are that on May 21, a police team was conducting a spot check along the roadway when McGhie, who was driving a motor car, was signalled to stop. He was subsequently informed by one of the officers that he would be ticketed for not wearing his seat belt and for driving with expired documents.

It is further alleged that McGhie took $5,000 out of his pocket and offered it to the officer, who then called his supervisor. McGhie reportedly told the supervisor, "Me a good boy, officer. Mek di policeman take di thing and let me go."

McGhie was subsequently arrested and charged.