Honest guard finds half a million dollars

Two weeks ago, Ricardo Williams, a construction worker, lost his wallet at the Hi-Pro Ace Supercentre in Twickenham Park, St Catherine.

He had US$3,500 (approximately J$542,600) in that wallet that his boss had given him to deposit.

The 47-year-old construction worker said that instead of going straight to the bank, he went to the hardware to do his personal business. While there, he realised that his wallet was missing. Williams said that a flurry of emotions overtook him as he wondered what he would tell his boss about the missing money.

"I was so worried, I was nervous; all shake me a shake 'cause weh me a guh tell mi boss right now. Is send him send me to the bank and me a use fi him time, and a try use one stone kill two bird."

"I was searching for my wallet and realised I couldn't find it. I rushed back to the car and still couldn't find it. Mi certain seh me did have the wallet with me, so me a search and a bend down a look when a security guard approach me," Williams said.

The security guard, Ricardo Banton, who had spotted the wallet on the ground from his post at the entrance of the building, had quickly retrieved it and returned to wait for someone to come along.

"I checked the wallet and I noticed it was some US dollars in there, but I didn't check exactly how much cash. I was brought up in a Christian home. I was brought up where my grandmother always told me that honesty is the best policy," the 35-year-old Banton told THE STAR.

The security guard said he was never tempted to keep the wallet or the cash that was inside.

"To me, the best way was to just return it, and I know that God will bless me. And if he doh bless me, he will bless my children or my grandchildren. My blessing, it come from God. Finding something and I see someone looking or it, my duty is to return it because it is not mine," Banton said.