By Barbara Gayle, Staff ReporterTHE ST. Catherine businessman who stood surety for an absconded murder accused, was on Friday given a 50 per cent reduction in the $3-million bond the court had ordered him to pay.
Lester Barcoo, 64, of Spanish Town, appeared in the Home Circuit Court with a manager's cheque for $500,000 which was paid to court.
He produced documents in court indicating that he was attempting to raise the rest by selling a property at 75 Young Street, Spanish Town for $1.7 million.
He said the sale would not be completed until three months time.
Mr. Justice Donald McIntosh in cutting the bond in half, told Barcoo that if he did not pay the $1-million balance, he would be jailed for three years.
Barcoo was on bail when he attended court on Friday. His bail was revoked then reinstated under a new bond, which means that he has to find new sureties to bail him.
After Andre 'Swallie' Hinds, of Metcalfe Road, Kingston 13, absconded bail in September 2003, Barcoo was summoned to court in October.
He told the court that two men had pressured him to bail Hinds who was unknown to him before then.
Barcoo had used his land title to bail Hinds who was offered $3 million bail in August last year, with a surety.
Attorney-at-law George Soutar, who represented Barcoo when he appeared in court on February 9, had told the court that Barcoo had only $500,000 then. Mr. Soutar had asked the judge to make an order for Barcoo to pay a part of the bond.
