Police in Manchester have reportedly failed to return a truck they seized in March, despite being given a court order to do so from June.

Up to yesterday, more than six months later, 30-year-old Hardley Miller, a driver from Greater Portmore, St Catherine, who makes his living by using the truck, had still not got back his vehicle.

But to add insult to injury, the truck has been removed from where it was being held and he has not been told where it is now located.

go back to court

"When I went to the station with the release form the judge di police seh to me that mi must move from yah so and go back to the court with that because dat nuh mean anything and the second time I went back for the truck I was told that it was given to someone else," Miller told THE WEEKEND STAR. "A nuff months and days pass and mi nuh hold nuh money because a mi truck mi use to do my work."

Documents showed to THE WEEKEND STAR revealed that on June 2, Resident Magistrate of Manchester, Oswald Burchenson, made an order that the truck be returned to Miller. Since then Miller said no police personnel from the Mandeville Police Station can tell him why it has not been returned or where it is.

Miller went as far as to make a report to the Police Complaints Division last August, and is still waiting for action to be taken. The Police Safety and Security branch has also caught wind of the matter and is trying to bring about a solution.

The policeman at the centre of the puzzle hung up the phone when THE WEEKEND STAR called and asked him about the truck.

However, when contacted Assistant Commissioner Kingsley Robinson, head of the Area Three police, under which Manchester falls, said: "I have already advised Miller that he should go to the Inspectorate of Constabulary, and I have established contact for him there, for there to be an independent investigation into the matter."

ACP Robinson said from his understanding, it is not that the truck cannot be found but that the original owner had presented documents and it was released to him. He said if it is that the truck was ordered by a judge to be released to Miller and that was not done there is a "course for that."