Attorney Norman Rodriquez Accuses Police of Mishandling Client

Attorney Norman Rodriquez is tonight speaking out against the Belize Police Department for allegedly infringing on the rights of his client. According to Rodriquez, his client, Louis Martinez, has been in police custody for the past ninety-six hours. Furthermore, Rodriquez claims that Martinez was abruptly transferred from the Raccoon Street Police Station, after officers at the location became aware that he was on his way to consult with his client. We caught up with Rodriquez on Raccoon Street late this evening where he told us more.

Norman Rodriquez

Norman Rodriquez, Attorney-at-Law

“His name is Louis Edwardo Martinez. He is twenty-two years old. He is a Belizean by naturalization. And, my instructions are, supported by the acknowledgement forms, the rights in custody form, is that he was detained first on Friday and he was released I think like seven thirty. They say released but the court will have to determine what is released, because he was allowed to walk up the street and there was a police mobile waiting for him and he was taken back into the police station at precinct three, that is queen street, then he was brought over here to Raccoon Street where he has been detained up to now. Now, I have no issue with the police detaining someone for forty eight hours. I always explain to my clients that the police has a right to do that, they a e within the law. But I call here about an hour ago and I was informed that he was here. I was informed he wanted to be interview by immigration but I don’t know why. I informed the officer in charge that I will be coming down here immediately. And when I came it showered in the diary that he was released. But, upon query by one of the officers who came to assist me, he found out that he was taken my Detective Constable Guitterez. This is the same persons who detained him on Friday and whose custody he was released on Sunday. But the person who currently has him detained is PC Aranda. So, I don’t understand what Detective Constable Guitterez is doing. However, I have no concern about that. By their own rules which they operate the man is allowed to call somebody if he is going to be removed from any point he being detained. And, even more so the fact that they know he has an attorney representing him they should have allowed him to call him if they are going to move him. They spirited him away knowing that I was coming down to take his instructions and advice him.”