A policeman is now awaiting sentencing after he was found guilty of breaching the Corruption Prevention Act.

The policeman, Constable Donald Condappa, attached to the Port Maria police station was convicted in the Port Maria Resident Magistrate's Court yesterday. He is to be sentenced on February 5.

The facts of the case are that, some time last year, Condappa accepted money from a man whom he had arrested for unlawful wounding, to drop the charges against him. The man in turn reported the matter to the Bureau of Special Investigation and Condappa was arrested.

Clamp down on corrupt practices

This latest conviction comes in the wake of a renewed move by the police to clamp down on the corrupt practices of their colleagues following the confession of a rogue cop in The Sunday Gleaner last month.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), has since then chided his actions and has vowed to take further action against such practices.

Recently, Police Commissioner Lucius Thomas reminded members of the JCF that the police would not be tolerating corruption, and urged law-abiding officers to break the silence on their corrupt colleagues. He also urged private citizens not to encourage corruption by giving into or bribing the police.

Over 90 corrupt cops have been caught by the police since the inception of the Professional Standards Branch in July 2005. The unit is led by Assistant Commissioner of Police Novelette Grant.