A man who attempted to bribe a Policeman with $10,000 to drop a drug investigation has been handed a suspended sentence and a $5,000 fine.

William Benjamin, a 44-year-old Health Department worker, handed over an envelope full of cash to Detective Sergeant Kevin Christopher to try to get him to drop charges against his friend Kenneth Thompson, 50.

He did not realise that the officer had informed his superiors of the bribery attempt and Police were monitoring him.

Having been caught red-handed during a sting as he handed the cash to the detective, Benjamin later admitted that he'd been trying to get him to drop the investigation.

The defendant, from Cobb's Hill Road, Warwick, yesterday pleaded guilty to corruptly offering the officer cash. Sentencing him to a two-year prison sentence, suspended for two years, plus the fine, Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner said: "This is indeed a serious and insidious matter and strikes at the heart of the administration of justice."

Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Michael McColm told the court that Police executed a search warrant on Thompson's home on November 17 last year and a case is pending before the courts as a result.

Mr. McColm said that between February 23 and 28 this year, the Police officer received a number of calls from Benjamin requesting a meeting. At that meeting, Benjamin told the officer that Thompson was a good friend and Thompson wanted to pay $50,000 to the officer in order for all charges emanating from the search to be discontinued.

Mr. McColm said the officer immediately informed his senior officers in the Police service of what had taken place. A "covert operation" was mounted as a result, with the officer re-contacting Benjamin and arranging further meetings with him. On April 28, he met with Benjamin in a Police vehicle.

"Benjamin placed an envelope between the front seats and asked the officer if he was alright. Then he got out of the vehicle," explained Mr. McColm. The envelope was found to contain $10,000 in cash.

Search warrants were executed at both Thompson and Benjamin's homes on September 15 and the men were arrested.

Benjamin was interviewed by the Police twice. He declined to answer questions on the first occasion but during the second interview on September 16 he said that Thompson had requested him to contact the officer and confirmed that he had handed an envelope over containing $10,000.

The Police officer was not named by Mr. McColm during the summary of evidence yesterday. However, he was identified during a previous hearing as Detective Sergeant Kevin Christopher and referred to as "Christopher" by Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner during yesterday's proceedings.

Both men were brought to court on September 18 and charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice by corruptly procuring a member of the Police service to dispose of an investigation under the Misuse of Drugs Act and corruptly offering to give a member of the Bermuda Police Service a sum of money on account of an act or omission to be done on the part of the Police officer.

Benjamin pleaded not guilty yesterday to the first charge and guilty to the second. The prosecution accepted his pleas and offered no evidence on the first charge.

Thompson, of School Crescent Lane, Sandys, stands accused of the same charges but opted to have his matter dealt with by the Supreme Court. He has not yet been required to enter pleas.

The maximum sentence for the charge that Benjamin admitted is three years in prison. However, Mr. McColm told the Magistrate that due to the co-operation Benjamin has shown, the prosecution was not seeking a prison sentence.

The court heard that he has previous convictions for drug possession, exporting foreign currency, assault, receiving stolen goods and handling cocaine with intent to supply, although the last crime dates back to 1996.

Defence lawyer Llewellyn Peniston cited mitigating factors including the help Benjamin has already given to the Police, and the fact that he's willing to assist further if necessary.

He described Benjamin's actions as "an act of misguided loyalty to a friend in circumstances where there was no material benefit, financial or otherwise, to the defendant", and urged the Magistrate to consider the fact that the defendant has a young family.

He added that he has been "gainfully employed for the past nine years in a very responsible Government position" and his employers are willing to assist him in keeping his job.

Sentencing Benjamin, Mr. Warner commented: "The defendant appears to be a middleman who, it is submitted, has not gained from the transaction. But society needs to be protected from this kind of behaviour as it can undermine the justice system."