Couple accuses area representative of ordering detention
Turning to domestic politics, remember Juan Coy? He was the Minister of State from the south who was stripped of his portfolio in March because of allegations that he instructed the Punta Gorda Belize Defense Force Camp to allow one of his supporters to enter the country with contraband drinks, including beer from neighboring Guatemala. Not much has been heard of Coy since then; that is until today when a husband and wife called this station with an allegation of political victimization. The couple from the Mafredi Village says that they are supporters of the opposition party. Fifty-five year old Juana Williams and husband, fifty-seven year old Roy Williams claim that on Monday after socializing with a friend at a bar in Columbia Village, they headed home. But shortly after, three police officers came to their home and took them to the P.G. police station. They further claimed that the order for their detention allegedly came from Juan Coy, the Toledo West Area Representative. According to Juana, who has a broken leg and is not in good health, she was detained for an hour while her husband was being processed for almost four hours. Juana said earlier today that they still don’t know the motive for their detention.
Via Phone: Juana Williams, Claims Political Victimization
“Yesterday morning we went to Colombia Village where we normally buy our groceries and on the way back, my husband stopped at a friend. He has a beer parlor so he stopped in and got a couple beers. They were having their own discussion, not for too long, maybe about ten minutes. Then he said okay we’ll we’re going home now and we came home. About half an hour after we got home, three policemen came to our house and said the inspector sent us for you ordered by Juan Coy. For what? They cannot tell us for what, the inspector wants to speak to you. Okay, so me and husband went and when we got there they said we are under arrest. If they cannot tell us anything as to why Juan Coy told the inspector. If he told the inspector I want you to kill Roy and Juana the inspector will do that? I mean come on. Then now they let us out and the inspector called me and say I want to see you tomorrow morning. I tell ah for what? Ih seh I just want to speak to me tomorrow morning. I said you didn’t want to talk to me, you locked me up so what do you want with me now.”
Duane Moody
“But why is it that Juan Coy would order police to lock you up and does he have the authority to do that?”
Via Phone: Juana Williams
“I guess this is victimization. It is political because we are blue and we will stay blue. We will never be red.”
We want to emphasize that these are allegations because we could not reach Coy today. However, the police department in Punta Gorda did confirm that the Williams were at the station.
