Police inspector denies accusation of rape

An accusation of rape, which by definition involves the emotional issues of sex and violence, is always a difficult matter to deal with publicly. But a rape case coming to light this week has two additional complicated strikes against it, in that the alleged perpetrator is a police officer and so is his alleged victim. Today, having been named in several media accounts, inspector Eli Salazar, acting head of C.I.B. in Belize City, went public to deny the charges which are said to revolve around an incident which occurred while Salazar and a female colleague were investigating a high profile murder case on the Placencia Peninsula in July. According to Salazar, this case is much bigger than “he said, she said”.

A.I.P. Eli Salazar, Head, C.I.B.

“The whole matter arose out of an incident of ill-discipline that I found when I took over the branch and because I tried to correct that, that is the reason why I am in this right now.

I just want to let the public know that I am totally innocent of the entire allegation and I have no doubt that when the results come back from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions that my name will be cleared of this allegation and by all means I will continue to work as hard as I was working before the allegation and maybe even harder.”

When we spoke to D.P.P. Adolph Lucas today he said that he has made his decision on whether to prosecute Salazar and relayed it to the police high command. While rumors abound as to what that decision is, we prefer to wait until Monday for an official release and a word with Commissioner Ornel Brooks. Meanwhile Salazar told us that he is on leave until November tenth.