The Tribune

By FARRAH JOHNSON

fjohnson@tribunemedia.net

TWO men were fined a collective $1,500 in Magistrate's Court yesterday after they admitted to attempting to bribe two police officers to avoid being charged for operating a restaurant past the allotted time.

Dennis Palomino, 51, and Michael Woodside, 34, appeared before Deputy Chief Magistrate Andrew Forbes each charged with one count of bribery. Woodside is accused of trying to offer two police officers $40 cash to avoid being arrested after the officers approached him at Tropicana Bar & Restaurant on July 5. Palomino was also accused of attempting to offer the officers $200 to get Woodside released after he was taken into custody that same night.

Both men pleaded guilty to the charge and Palomino was fined $1,000 or eight months at the Bahamas Department of Correctional Services. Woodside, who was also charged with violating the emergency orders for restaurant and food vendors, was fined $500 or six months in prison for bribery. He denied the second charge and the matter was adjourned to December 14 for trial. Woodside was granted $2,000 bail in the interim.

Prosecutor Kendrick Bauld said around 8.18pm on the night in question, two officers, acting on information, proceeded to Tropicana Restaurant & Bar. There, the officers approached the establishment's manager, Woodside, and informed him that he was in violation of the emergency orders. Sgt McKenzie said it was at that time that Woodside attempted to give the officers $40. He was subsequently arrested for bribery. Sgt McKenzie said when Palomino, the owner of the restaurant, arrived at the station that night, he handed the officers $200 in an attempt to get Woodside released. He was also arrested and charged with bribery. The money from both men was marked and handed to the Financial Crimes Unit.

During the hearing, both men were represented by attorney Roger Gomez. He told the magistrate that Woodside was closing up the establishment when he was approached by the officers who accused him of violating the emergency orders. He also said the last set of patrons had left at 7.30pm and Woodside was only there cleaning. Still, Mr Gomez admitted that Woodside did give the police $40 in an attempt to bribe them.

He also said the officers "pulled a trick" on Palomino by telling him that they were offended that Woodside would only offer them $40. Mr Gomez said when Palomino came to the station that night, the officers took him to the back to negotiate and he agreed to pay $200. He said that was when the officers arrested Palomino for bribery as well. Insisting that Palomino only offered the $200 because the officers "enticed him to bring more money," Mr Gomez said it was unfortunate that the country did not have a law for entrapment. Nevertheless, he admitted that Palomino should not have accepted the officers' invitation in the first place and noted that both of his clients were remorseful for their actions.