New D.P.P. to be named

Reliable reports reaching News Five are that Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie will get the green light from Belmopan to be the new Ombudsman. McKenzie is expected to replace former Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez, whose contract expired prior to the February elections. McKenzie, a trained attorney, rose through the ranks of the judiciary and was named Chief Magistrate two years ago. She is expected to demit office before she reaches government’s mandatory retirement age of fifty-five next year. It is not known who will succeed her as the new Chief Magistrate, but what is known is that the staff at the Magistrate Court is stretched thin with the volume of cases at hand. When contacted by News Five McKenzie said she could not officially confirm the appointment. The office of the Ombudsman is charged with dealing with complaints of human rights abuses in an impartial and independent manner.