Dr. Jephthah Ford offered bail

Well known medical practitioner Dr. Jephthah Ford, who is accused of attempting to bribe a policeman in a multi-million dollar Proceeds of Crime investigation, has been released on bond.

Ford was offered bail in the sum of J$1 million when he appeared in court on Thursday.

The former politician was charged late Wednesday with attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice, following an investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had ruled that Ford be charged after video and audio evidence were submitted by the ACB of the alleged bribery plot.

In court on Thursday, DPP Paula Llewellyn outlined that on April 7, members of the Financial Crime Division, intercepted a Hiace Mini-bus with two Surinamese nationals along Half-Way-Tree Road in St Andrew.

 The cops searched the vehicle and seized over 500-thousand US dollars and J$1.3 mllion.

The men were later taken to their apartment where the cops seized an additional US$ 3, 000 .

However, the men, Roshen Daniels and Murvin Reingould, told the cops that they were only following instructions to collect the money from an unknown individual.

 According to the police, while the men were in custody, the investigator received a telephone call from Ford, who told him that he wanted a meeting to discuss the case.

The investigator who became suspicious, filed a report with the Anti-Corruption Branch, which set up a sting operation.

The policeman was fitted with a device which recorded the meeting with Ford at his medical practice .

During the meeting, its alleged that Ford offered the policeman 25 percent of the money and requested that the Surinamese nationals be released

The device recorded the meeting and the material was handed over to the DPP.However,  Ford has denied the allegations.   The two Surinamese who appeared in court last week, were freed by Senior magistrate Judith Pusey due to lack of evidence.

Ford is to return to court on May 9.