TWO police officers—a corporal and a constable—were yesterday placed on bail when they appeared in the Port of Spain Magistrates' Court, charged with perverting the course of public justice.

Corporal Junior Bernard, 44, and WPC Nikita Johnson, 30, who were both last attached to the Valencia Police Station, appeared before Magistrate Cheron Raphael in the Third Court yesterday afternoon.

They are jointly charged with perverting the course of public justice on various days between March 27, 2005, and May 12, 2012, by being in possession of fraudulent search warrants.

Bernard faces two additional charges of misbehaviour in public office by uttering fraudulent search warrants with intent to deceive.

Those offences are alleged to have taken place on February 2 at the Valencia Police Post, and on March 28 at Plantation Road, Valencia.

Neither of the officers was called upon to plead to the indictable charges.

Defence attorney Israel Khan, SC, who represented the officers, told the court Bernard had been a police officer for the past 20 years, while Johnson had been in the service for two years.

He said neither of them was considered to be a flight risk and they were willing to surrender their passports, should bail be granted.

On the charge of perverting the course of public justice, both officers were granted bail with a surety in the sum of $75,000. On each of the other two charges, Bernard was granted bail in sum of $50,000.

They are both also required to report to the Sangre Grande Police Station every Monday.

The matters were transferred to the Port of Spain First Court and will continue on August 24.