St James driver fined $75,000 after $10,000 found in insurance papers at traffic stop

MONTEGO BAY, St James — A motorist from St James who reportedly placed $10,000 among his vehicle documents during a roadside check has been ordered to pay $75,000 in fines after a bribery case reached the parish court.

Eric Buchanan faced Judge Natiesha Fairclough-Hylton in the St James Parish Court last Wednesday. The court heard that officers on mobile patrol had observed him breaching a one-way traffic sign and pulled him over to inspect his driver’s licence and other papers.

Checks showed Buchanan lacked a valid insurance certificate and a current certificate of fitness for the vehicle. Police told him to return with the required documentation.

When he later handed in paperwork, an officer is said to have found two $5,000 banknotes folded inside the insurance cover note. Buchanan is alleged to have told the officer, “Officer, yuh done see wha a gwaan? Tek this and gwaan officer, yuh done see wha a gwaan.” He was arrested on the spot and charged.

The date of the traffic stop was not stated in court.

Under questioning from Justice Fairclough-Hylton, Buchanan said he never meant to bribe anyone and that the situation was a misunderstanding. He called handing over the money a “gesture” and offered an account that shifted at points: rain was falling, he thought the officer was guiding him as he left a car park, and he was thanking the policeman for that help.

The judge rejected that version of events.

Justice Fairclough-Hylton sentenced Buchanan to pay $30,000 or serve 30 days for bribery, $20,000 or 10 days for driving without insurance, $17,000 or 10 days for having no valid certificate of fitness, and $8,000 or 10 days for disobeying the one-way sign.