Arthur Hall, Senior Staff Reporter

Ten more members of the police force have been fired by acting Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington as he continues to wield the strap against corrupt cops.

The latest list, published yesterday in the Jamaica Constabulary Force Orders, includes a cop who "borrowed" and spent money he collected at a money-transfer company on behalf of a prisoner.

In addition, Ellington has demoted two cops for conduct not becoming a member of the force.

The measures come days after Superintendent Harry 'Bungles' Daley was found guilty of corruption charges, and three other members of the force were retired in the public interest.

In the latest development, Ellington sent home eight constables and two corporals, while demoting a corporal to the rank of constable, and stripping a woman sergeant of her stripes, reducing her to the rank of corporal.

The names of the 12 have been withheld by The Gleaner because they have the right of appeal.

Marked money

Among those dismissed by Ellington is a corporal who was allegedly found in Spanish Town, St Catherine, with a quantity of money which had been marked for use in a sting operation.

Another corporal was sent home for his alleged role in the disappearance of more than 11 kilograms of cocaine, which was being used as an exhibit in a case.

A constable, based in Montego Bay, St James, was dismissed after he allegedly accepted $8,000 to drop the charges against a man who had been held with three pounds of ganja.

It is further alleged that the constable returned the money to the man after being accused in the presence of a senior member of the force.

Another constable was fired after he allegedly discharged his gun in a careless manner, resulting in the shooting of a man in Black River, St Elizabeth.

The woman sergeant was demoted after she allegedly collected $35,200 and three executed warrants from a junior member of the force but was unable to say what had happened to them.

Another constable was dismissed after he admitted he had collected US$2,000 for a prisoner but "borrowed" the money to conduct personal business.

Cleaning house

Ellington, who has been acting as commissioner for the past month, has carried on the work of predecessors Lucius Thomas and Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin in attempting to rid the force of corrupt cops.

He is receiving public backing from the Jamaica Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file members of the force.

In the latest Force Orders, Raymond Wilson, chairman of the federation, declared that his organisation would be taking a more frontal approach to indiscipline and corruption.

"The federation has a zero-tolerance approach to indiscipline and corruption and we will not relent. Good men and women of this force, let us, with a harmonious voice, denounce corruption!" Wilson declared.

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com