Attorney General comments on casino shoot-out
Casino owner John Hardie Jr., and Belizeans Martin Miller, David Gomez and Curlin Thompson begin tonight a second week of imprisonment at the Centro de Redeaptacion Social in Chetumal, Quintana Roo. The four are facing charges of attempted murder of Mexican National Edwin Jesús Navarro Meneses for a shooting that occurred on Belizean territory near the Corozal border with Quintana Roo, last Sunday July thirteenth. While their fate is in the hands of the Mexican Judiciary, Attorney General, Wilfred Sedi Elrington, says his ministry is following the case very closely.
Wilfred Sedi Elrington, Attorney General
“They had been charged with two offences; one was Attempted Murder and the other one was Entering into Mexican Territory with Firearms. That charge of entering into the territory wit the firearms had been dismissed sometime over the weekend apparently, by the Mexican court, allegedly because they had actually checked in the weapons when they went across to Mexico.”
Jose Sanchez
“With the Attempted Murder charges, can a government charge someone for a crime or something that is alleged to be a crime in another country?”
Wilfred Elrington
“Well, the suggestion is that the Mexicans have in fact charged them. So the question is not so much “can”, it’s whether it can be done lawfully. Obviously, their legal department and their people who are responsible for criminal prosecution believe that they have the legitimate authority to do that. I do know that certainly the case of the United States, they have routinely prosecuted people who are alleged to have committed offences in other countries, but which they believe impacts their country. That is a concept of the law extending outside of their immediate borders to other countries and that seems to be accepted in law, certainly in some jurisdictions. So it’s very likely the Mexicans are taking the same position.”
Jose Sanchez
“The Mexicans involved in this incident, no charges have been brought against them. What’s your comment on that?”
Wilfred Elrington
“Charges will only be brought against them depending on whether the powers that be are of the view that they are guilty of some criminal offence or they are involved in it. But not knowing the details, I wouldn’t be able to comment on what the position is in respect of that.”
Jose Sanchez
“Being that the Mexicans are charging the Belizeans and we’re not doing anything concerning the Mexicans involved, some people would think that you know maybe the Mexicans are innocent. Don’t you think?”
Wilfred Elrington
“Well, people think all kinds of things but I am sure that in time we will find out what the facts are and based on those facts we will know what should have beendone and what should be done. The Mexicans have very good laws and they are very good at enforcing their laws. They don’t play when it comes to enforcing their laws and it doesn’t matter who is involved; whether the citizens are Belizeans or American or the like, they are going to do what is necessary to enforce their laws and I don’t know if in fact, they are doing what they should be doing. We’re watching it very closely. Whenever our citizens are involved in any problem abroad we take a very keen interest and do all in our power to act as quickly as possible to look after their interest and that is being done.”
The shootout continues to receive much press coverage in Chetumal and on the Belize side representatives of the Las Vegas Casino where the incident occurred are tight lipped and would only say that they are not yet ready to comment publicly about the case.
