Witness a no-show for a second day in case against cops implicated in murder

Queen's Counsel Peter Champagnie said he was going to file an application for the immediate release of the third policeman implicated in the July 16 murder of tiler Phillip Wallace in Red Hills, St Andrew in relation to an alleged bribery deal gone bad.

He was to face an identification parade today but for the second day in a row, the witness did not turn up.

Champagnie expressed disappointment at the fact that the policeman is giving his full cooperation but is being inconvenienced, as he remains in custody.

“In respect of the no-show of the witness for the identification parade without any specific date for reschedule of it, my client understandably is deeply disturbed,” Champagnie told The Gleaner.

“This cannot be just in circumstances where a suspected person voluntarily returns to the island, surrenders himself into custody and evinced an intention to give full cooperation to the investigation. In these circumstances I shall be pressing for the court's intervention.”

The policeman, who left the island shortly after the incident, returned on Monday and was taken into custody.

Two other cops have also been taken into custody in connection with the murder.

It is being alleged that the policemen requested $100,000 from Wallace to drop a case against him.

A report was made to the Constant Spring Police Station and a corruption probe was launched into the cops.

- Barbara Gayle

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