By Glenroy Sinclair and Nagra Plunkett, Staff ReportersTHE JAMAICA Constabulary's Internal Affairs Division is investigating allegations against 11 police personnel who are accused of corruption.
"One has already been charged and we are expecting five others to be charged soon," Supt. Lloyd Haley, head of the Internal Affairs Division of the Jamaica Constabulary's Office of Profes-sional Responsibility, told The Gleaner yesterday.
According to police records, since the start of 2003, nine police personnel who were accused of involvement in corruption, have been charged. The police say that based on investigations last year, six members of the police force were sent on leave by Police Commissioner Francis Forbes.
Several complaints of corruption have been filed against other police personnel, but lack of co-operation by witnesses had prevented action being taken against them, Supt. Haley said.
Some cases are awaiting the ruling of Kent Pantry, Q.C., Director of Public Prosecutions.
In the last three weeks four police constables from the St. Ann Division, the Motorised Patrol Division and St. Catherine North were accused in separate incidents of soliciting money from motorists in payment for not ticketing them.
And the police say that on Sunday night, a corporal and a constable from the St. James Police Division were detained in Negril, Westmoreland.
The two were held after policemen from the Westmore-land Division responded to reports that five gunmen were at a house in the area, police sources told The Gleaner. According to the sources, the police went to the scene and two civilians were found sitting in a white Nissan Sunny car outside the house.
Two policemen were found in the house and after investigations by the Westmoreland police, they were detained.
The two civilians were later pointed out as two of six men who held up the occupant of the house at gunpoint on Friday and stole a large amount of cash and a cellular phone.
The detained policemen were taken to the Bethel Town police station lock-up where they are in custody. Statements collected by the police who investigated are to be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for him to decide whether the two policemen should be charged.
"The Bureau of Special Investigation has been called in to investigate because we want clarity and transparency," Asst. Commissioner Linton Latty, who is in charge of Police Area One, with headquarters in Montego Bay, said yesterday.
