By Roy Sanford, Staff ReporterWESTERN BUREAU:
A MAN who is facing the Montego Bay Resident Magistrate's Court on charges of impersonating a police officer had his bail increased to $150,000 after Senior Resident Magistrate for St. James, Valrie Stephens, ruled yesterday that his alleged crime was "a very serious matter."
Samuel Cunningham was originally on $50,000 bail but when he appeared in court yesterday, Ms. Stephens told him that it was too low, despite pleas from his lawyer, Charles Sinclair, that Cunningham was a "well-known man."
"To be impersonating a police officer is very serious," she said.
According to court documents, Cunningham was arrested on October 2, 2003 during a routine police operation in Whitehouse, St. James. It is alleged that when the police ordered him to stop his vehicle, he drove some distance away before coming to a halt. When he was approached, he got out of the car with what was reported to be a firearm. He reportedly identified himself as a police officer but when he was asked for his identification card, he said it was in the car.
EX-POLICE OFFICER
Other policemen on the scene reportedly identified Cunningham as an ex-police officer and the car was searched. An invalid identification book, two traffic codebooks, one machete, and several 9 mm spent shells were reportedly found.
A search of Cunningham's home in West Gates Hill in Montego Bay revealed one 9 mm cartridge, several Winchester cartridges, police uniforms and documents containing police and court reports. He was subsequently arrested and charged.
As a condition of his new bail offer Cunningham is expected to report to the Freeport Police Station every Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
He is also expected to hand over all travel documents to the police and is to return to court on October 23.
