BVI : Customs officer Jamal Forde has been accused of removing a document from the Road Town Police station that was to be used in a judicial proceeding against men facing drug-related charges.
The defendant appeared in the Magistrate’s Court on August 20 in uniform to answer to the charge of removing evidence.
In outlining the allegations, Senior Crown Counsel Tiffany Scatliffe told the court that the case against Forde was borne from another matter that is before the court. She stated that that on May 18 at the Baugher’s Bay area, durin a joint operation between Her Majesty’s Customs and the Royal Virgin Islands Police, a white go-fast boat was intercepted coming from the USVI. Ffour individuals were arrested for numerous offences including smuggling, importation of a control drug and possession of a control drug.
During the operation, customs seized the go-fast boat and a document called a Marine Control Document. It was also stated that the confiscated document was to be used by the customs and police as evidence in the trial against those four individuals. It was noted that the defendant was one of the custom’s Officers dealing with the matter.
The senior Crown counsel told the court that sometime between May 18 and 19, 2012 the Marine Control Document was missing and extensive searches were done between the police and customs to locate the document, but to no avail.
“The next time the Marine Control Document was seen was at the court on May 21 when the defence counsel representing the four persons produced the same document,” she stated.
As a result, the police immediately launched an investigation. It was discovered, from the use of CCTV camera footage, that the defendant removed the document from a file believed to be the original case file that was in the police control room. As a result the police conducted investigations and took statements from the Counsel who produced the document in court.
The defence counsel stated that he had received the document from Forde and two other Customs officers. The investigation later revealed that the same go-fast boat that was intercepted belonged to the defendant Forde. It was also discovered through investigations that Forde is a known close friend and former employee of one of the individuals arrested on May 18.
On July 25, police went to the residence of the defendant at Greenland with a search warrant. However, nothing pertaining to the warrant was found. An interview was conducted on the same date during which Forde told the police that he went to the Road Town Police Station to visit his friend who is one of the persons arrested on May 18.
He admitted that he removed the charge sheet for that individual off the file, and explained to the police that probably the Marine Control Document may have been between the documents, but he said that he could not remember. He also told the police that he took the charge sheet to the lawyer because he felt responsible for that individual he went to visit.
Separate interviews were conducted with the two other customs officer who were alleged by the defence attorney. However, both officers told the police that at no time they went to that defence counsel with the defendant Forde. It was stated that the defendant has been a customs officer for six years.
Before giving her bail decision, Magistrate Tamia Richards stated that based on the nature of the charges, she does not want Forde to come back to court wearing Her Majesty’s uniform, as it was not appropriate.
The defendant was ordered to report to the East End Police Station four days a week, and was placed on $65,000 bail. He is to return to court on October 16.
