WESTERN BUREAU:
TWO MONTEGO Bay-based policemen who are on charges of breaches of the Corruption Prevention Act, were told that their case will be heard again on August 20 when they appeared in the Montego Bay RM court yesterday.
The case against Sheldon Channer and Mark Cranston was called off after several witnesses did not show up in court. The court was also informed that only one of the two complainants was present since the other one was abroad and would not be available until August.
"At this stage we are unable to proceed," Clerk of Courts Sharon Barnes, who represents the prosecution, informed the court.
The prosecution is alleging that on May 7 the complainant was taking his wife, who was returning home in the United States, to the Sangster Inter-national Airport when the policemen stopped the car on the Lilliput main road. When they found out the car was not licensed or insured the policemen allegedly ordered the motorist to pay them $15,000.
It was mentioned in court that the complainant was directed to two different ATMs, one in Ironshore, Montego Bay and the other at the Sangster Inter-national Airport, but none of them was working at the time.
It is also alleged that on the day in question the two policemen held on to the woman's ticket, passport and car documents, calling the couple several times during the day to arrange to have the money dropped off the next day at the airport's roundabout.
The court heard that a report was made to the police and the two policemen were later
arrested.
When the two appeared in court on May 14, attorney at law Clive Mullings, who is representing Cranston and who spoke on behalf of Channer told the court that the two men 'do not accept the allegations' as there are no evidence of money being passed. He told the court that because there was no independent evidence, the Crown would be relying on the direct evidence of the complainant.
