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Sep 29, 2022

Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck to Represent GOB in P.C. Trapp Civil Suit

P.C. Trapp

The Government of Belize has retained the services of Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck in a civil case being brought against the Commissioner of Police, the Attorney General, and the Belize Police Department by Police Constable Alicia Trapp. As we have reported, attorney Orson “OJ” Elrington sued all three parties on behalf of his client, after she was disciplined by the department for violating their social media policy. The matter is yet to be taken before the court, but Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa says, it is better to have the matter tried by the best attorneys. He explained further.


Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“It is very normal for the government to retain private counsel, especially in cases of this nature which has widespread implications and consequences for the future as well. As you know, police officers are bound by very strict regulations, very strict rules and if there is a particular breach, whether it is social media policy or behavior by a particular officer in a political manner, those are matters where it is best to have that tried by the best attorneys. So, yes Mr. Marshalleck has been obtained by the government to represent and that is primarily to ensure that moving forward we do have the principles and judgment in place that basically reinforces what the law says. We have to understand that we live in a very political nation where things get very tribal, things can get very offensive and particular offices should not get involved in politics. That is the equivalent of me saying, me when I become minister I should terminate all U.D.P. police officers, because they are so against the P.U.P. people. We don’t want to go down that rabbit hole. That is a very slippery slope of having police officers become political. We don’t want that to happen. But at the same time, you are right, they must have that freedom of expression to go out and vote and support their party of choice, but, not to be offensive, not to be political, and not to be breaching policies of the department.”


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