Police Charged for Extortion

Chester Williams

And while that police officer in the south was caught facilitating a border jumper, in the north an officer was charged with extortion. On Saturday, the officer was posted at the checkpoint in Towerhill in Orange Walk when a U.S. national drove to the checkpoint. According to the U.S. citizen, he was told that driving to a checkpoint without a face mask was an offence which carried a fine of five thousand dollars. The U.S. national alleges that he was told by the officer that something can be arranged and the officer took three hundred dollars in exchange for allowing the individual to leave. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that the officer has been criminally charged and will be charged internally.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“One of the officers at the checkpoint told him that it was an offence to approach a checkpoint not wearing a mask. The officer took him out of the vehicle and carried him to the back of the vehicle where the officer told him that the penalty for such an offence is five hundred dollars but they can work out something so as not to be charge. The person alleged that he offered the police officer fifty dollars and the police officer declined the fifty. And he subsequently offered three hundred and that was accepted by the police officer who then allowed the man to leave. The police officer in question is in custody at this time and he will be charge for the crime of extortion. He will also be charge internally by the Professional Standard Branch in respect to that matter.”