The policeman charged with the robbery of a Seprod delivery truck carrying cooking oil said to have valued millions of dollars was denied bail by the presiding judge in the St Catherine Parish Court on Monday, January 9, 2023.
The accused policeman, Detective Corporal Maurice Whittingham, 35, and his co-accused, 34-year-old construction worker Michael Daley, were arrested and charged with robbery with aggravation and kidnapping after they were found in possession of a Seprod delivery truck laden with cooking oil.
Whittingham’s attorney based his bail application on a health reason. He submitted that the accused suffered from diabetes and required proper treatment and monitoring. Notwithstanding, Parish Judge Nicole Kellier ordered that the accused remain in custody until February 7, when he returns to court for another bailing.
She cited the seriousness of the crime as one of her reasons for denying Detective Corporal Mullings bail.
It is alleged that on Saturday, December 17, 2022, Whittingham and Daley, reportedly dressed in police paraphernalia, stopped a delivery truck along the Spanish Town Bypass in St Catherine. The truck, owned by Seprod Limited, was laden with cooking oil valued at more than $3 million. It is alleged that Whittingham approached the truck driver, asked about his data entry record, and took him to a Honda motor car. The truck and the sidemen were then driven to an unknown location. The truck was later located in the community of Thetford, near Old Harbour.
A subsequent report was made, and an investigation was launched, resulting in Whittingham and Daley’s arrests. Further research led to them being charged.