The video and audio recordings of Police Superintendent Harry Daley allegedly accepting protection money before being held in a sting operation on July 31 last year were played in court yesterday.

The other recordings, allegedly showing when Daley was held by the police in the sting operation, are expected to be shown sometime this week.

After Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Dirk Harrison applied for the video recordings to be tendered in evidence, defence lawyers objected. They said the proper foundation had not been laid.

Senior Resident Magistrate Judith Pusey overruled the objection and the recordings were admitted in evidence.

Daley is accused of collecting $65,000 in extortion money from the complainant between May 2007 and July 2008.

He was allegedly held during a sting operation on Arnold Road, Kingston, on July 31 last year, collecting $15,000 in marked $1,000 notes from businessman Tafari Clarke.

Several audio recordings were played in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court. One allegedly involved a meeting between Daley and Clarke at a bar in Spanish Town. Clarke was allegedly heard telling Daley that a man called Terry was harassing him and Daley allegedly said, "A mi run Spanish Town, 'im will get gunshot".

face in video

In one of the recordings, Daley and Clarke were seen in a meeting at the waterfront, downtown Kingston. Clarke was allegedly heard telling Daley that he only had $15,000 and he owed him $5,000. Daley's face was seen on the video and Daley allegedly said, "You short me this month."

The Crown is alleging that it was after the meeting on the waterfront that Daley was held in the sting operation on Arnold Road.

Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Valerie Neita-Robertson, Clarke admitted that he had been sentenced in England to five years' imprisonment for drug offences. He said he spent three and a half years behind bars and was deported to Jamaica. He said while in prison, he sought asylum in England and wrote to Deputy Commissioner of Police Mark Shields, seeking his help in the asylum application.

Clarke said he complained to Shields about Daley collecting protection money from him for a plaza in Ewarton, St Catherine. He said Shields passed on the matter to Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Felice.

After Clarke made the complaint, Daley was placed under surveillance by the Anti-corruption Branch.

Clarke will be further cross-examined today.

Daley is being tried for breaching the Corruption Prevention Act.