A former commanding officer of the Royal Bermuda Regiment was charged with corruption today.

Lieutenant-Colonel David Curley, 53, appeared in Magistrates’ Court with Gareath Adderley, the former Commissioner of St John Ambulance, and Christopher Clarke, 58, a former police inspector, who were also charged with corruption.

Justin Williams, a lawyer, was also named in four related charges, which included corruption and possession of firearms components.

Yanique Gardener Brown, for the Crown, told the court that Mr Williams, who is overseas, had not yet been served with the indictment.

None of the defendants were required to enter a plea as the case must be heard in the Supreme Court.

Colonel Curley, from Hamilton Parish, is alleged to have asked for a nomination for the Queen’s Certificate and Badge of Honour so that he could arrange to have Mr Williams appointed as legal adviser to the RBR.

The court heard that Mr Williams was alleged to have procured a Medal of the Order of St John for Colonel Curley in 2015 in exchange for a firearm.

Mr Williams was also alleged, with Mr Clarke and Mr Adderley, to have offered a bribe to Michael Mello in exchange for compounding an offence.

Mr Williams was also charged with possession of firearm components without a valid licence between April 2017 and November 2019, as well as an allegation that he failed to secure a shotgun kept at his Pembroke home between August 2018 and November 2019.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe released the three defendants on $5,000 bail.

They are expected to appear again at the April arraignments session in Supreme Court.

Colonel Curley was appointed commanding officer of the RBR in 2016 and was replaced by Lieutenant-Colonel Ben Beasley last October.

Mr Adderley, 66, was Commissioner of St John Ambulance, a charity, from 2015 until earlier this year.

Mr Williams flew to the United States last year for “professional development reasons”.

The list of charges were:

Colonel Curley – on January 20, 2016, being employed in the public service in the Royal Bermuda Regiment, and being charged with the performance of duties by virtue of such employment, corruptly asked for a nomination for the Queen’s Badge of Honour Medal on account of something to be done afterwards by himself in the discharge of his duties, namely arranging for Justin Williams to be appointed as Legal adviser to the Royal Bermuda Regiment.

Mr Williams – between July 15, 2015, and November 20, 2015, corruptly procured for Colonel Curley, a person who was employed in the public service, the Medal of the Order of St John on account of something to be done afterwards by Colonel Curley in the discharge of his duties with the Royal Bermuda Regiment, namely providing Mr Williams with firearms.

Mr Williams – between April 5, 2017, and November 9, 2019, did have possession of a firearm, namely component parts of prohibited weapons, without holding a valid license for that purpose.

Mr Williams – on an unknown date between August 1, 2018 and November 9, 2019, left a firearm, namely a Holland & Holland double barrelled shotgun, improperly secured at his home in Point Shares Road, Pembroke.

Mr Williams, Mr Clarke and Mr Adderley – between July 1, 2016, and May 17, 2017, did counsel or procure Michael Mello to agree to receive money for himself upon agreement or understanding that Mr Mello would compound an offence.

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