Dr. Jephthah Ford, a well-known Jamaican medical practitioner will re-appear in court on August 22 for sentencing. He was found guilty on Thursday of attempting to pervert the course of justice in a case dating back to 2014.
Dr, accused of bribery
Justice Simone Wolfe Reece who handed down the verdict in a Corporate Area court said she did not believe Ford’s defense. The doctor was charged in 2014 following allegations he attempted to bribe a member of the Revenue Protection Division (RPD) to release two Surinamese men who were arrested by the agency.
The men, Roshen Daniels and Murvin Reingould were held after police intercepted a motor vehicle on April 7, 2014 and found US$533,886.
Daniels and Reingould were later taken to their apartment where the police seized an additional US$3,000, as well as a quantity of Surinamese dollars.
The two were subsequently charged with possession of criminal property and conspiracy to possess criminal property, but were freed of the charges when they appeared in court.
But the court heard that while the men were in custody, Ford contacted the main witness, Sergeant Franklyn McLaren and requested a meeting to discuss the case.
Officer wore cover camera
The officer, who was wearing a covert video and audio camera, met with the doctor, who he said asked for the case against the men to be dismissed and the confiscated funds returned in exchange for 25 per cent of the money, but later agreed to be given 40 per cent of the sum. The tape recordings were played at the trial.
Trying to entrap corrupt cops
But Ford, who did not challenge the recordings, testified that seemed like a bribe was really him trying to entrap corrupt cops who had arrested the Surinamese nationals. He also said he had uncovered a plot by the cops to kill the foreigners while they were in custody. But the judge said that she believed the police officer’s version of the evidence and found him to be a credible witness.
She said also that while citizens have a right to ensure that justice is done, there is a right way to achieve justice.
“We can’t tolerate people taking things into their own hands,” she said.
