By Indarjit Seuraj Sunday, August 30 2009

Charges of misbehaviour in public office have been slapped on four police officers following the alleged theft of close to $100,000 from a casino in south Trinidad.

Police Corporals Deopersad Jankienanan and Keshan Harrysingh, together with Constable Anslem Drakes were each granted $150,000 with a surety, by Justice of the Peace Ackbar Khan, late Friday.

Khan had signed the warrant of arrest for the officers at about 6 pm that day.

And yesterday, the misbehaviour in public office charge was laid against Constable Regan Ramanan, who was also granted $150,000 bail.

Jankienanan, Harrysingh and Drakes are charged with misbehaviour in public office by allegedly stealing between $75,000 and $100,000 recovered from a robbery at Club Avenue 5, Duncan Village, San Fernando. Ramanan, meantime, is charged alongside Jankienanan, with misbehaviour in public office by assaulting a prisoner in custody.

The charges, which were laid by Anti-Corruption Investigation Bureau (ACIB) Sgt Kirt Thomas, stem from a robbery at the casino on August 21. Southern Division officers had responded to the distress call and apprehended two suspects.

Investigations culminated on Friday, with Acting Director of Public Prosecutions Carla Brown-Antoine giving instructions to investigators at the ACIB to charge the officers.

ACIB detectives had used video surveillance footage from the casino, to assist in their investigations.

The accused, who are assigned to the San Fernando Divisional Task Force, based at the San Fernando Police Station, were then taken to the Belmont Police Station where the warrants for their arrests were signed and executed by Khan. Khan ordered that the men surrender their passports to the ACIB, and further ordered that they not communicate with the witnesses in the matter.

They will go before a Port-of-Spain Magistrate on Tuesday, to answer the charges.

The incident comes amid recent growing concerns over the integrity of the Police Service, following the discovery of a cache of firearms, ammunition and narcotics at the St Joseph Police Station on August 8, this year.

The discovery of the items forced the shuffle of 38 officers who were transferred out of the St Joseph Station.

That same week, Criminal Investigations Unit officers raided the home of a senior officer where exhibits to court matters were found.

Despite the growing criticism, however, no one has been charged in either of the discoveries.