Three officers assigned to the Southern Division Task Force, and a fourth to Project 250, also known as the Bicycle Unit, have appeared before a Port-of-Spain magistrate, charged with stealing money from a robber and beating a prisoner yesterday. The officers all together have close to 75 years’ service. The charges reportedly stemmed from a robbery at Club Avenue 5, Duncan Village, San Fernando, on August 21, when police responded to a report about an armed robbery in progress. The officers are Cpl Deopersad Jankienanan, 51, of Khanai Road, North Barrackpore; Cpl Kishan Harrysingh, 44; PC Anslem Drakes, 38, of Bonanza Street, Princes Town; and PC Reagan Ramanan, 27, of Buen Intento Road, Princes Town.

The lawmen stood before 4A Court magistrate Gail Gonzales when the indictable charges were read to them. According to the charges, it is alleged that the officers misbehaved by failing without reasonable cause or lawful excuse to hand over to the investigator of a robbery at Club Avenue situated at Duncan Village, San Fernando, an undetermined sum of money which was part of the money taken and recovered. It is also alleged that two of the officers unlawfully beat prisoner Mark Austin while in police custody. Harrysingh, Drakes and Jankienanan were also slapped with charges of misbehaviour in public office by stealing an undetermined sum of cash from the casino. Jankienanan also faces an additional charge of beating Austin. Ramanan also faces a charge of beating Austin while in police custody.

Harrysingh and Jankienanan were represented by attorney Chateram Sinanan, while Kevin Ratiram appeared on behalf of Ramanan. Drakes was unrepresented. The lawyers have requested full disclosure, including a video surveillance tape which recorded activities at the casino. Magistrate Gonzales remanded the officers on $150,OOO bail each which was fixed for them by Justice of the Peace Ackbar Khan last Friday. She ordered them to surrender their passports. The charges were laid by Sgt Kirk Thomas of the Anti Corruption Investigation Bureau. The matter was adjourned to next Tuesday and transferred to the San Fernando Magistrates’ Court.