Coye will be arrested for theft in Putt-Putt scam

The scandals that have swirled around officials of the former P.U.P. government have centered largely around the millions of dollars in public funds spent on the private debt of Universal Health Services. At various times it was strongly rumored that former prime minister Said Musa and Home Affairs Minister Ralph Fonseca were about to be arrested for their role in the affair. But tonight it is not Said or Ralph losing sleep; it is former Caribbean Shores Representative Joe Coye. Police have notified Coye of a warrant for his arrest and he is to turn himself in by nine-thirty Friday morning. The intended charge is said to be Theft, arising from the sale of the Putt-Putt land on the barracks by government to Alfred Shakron. Although the choice parcel is believed to be worth as much as a million dollars, Shakron bought it from Belmopan for less than twenty thousand. But the alleged crime is not related to the bogus valuation; instead reports to News Five indicate that the complaint originates with Shakron. He alleges that in addition to the chump change he paid government, he also gave Coye a whopping five hundred seventy five thousand dollars. When the new government, smelling a rat, put a caution on Shakron’s title and announced its intention to reverse the sale, Shakron asked Coye for his money back … but Coye allegedly returned only three hundred thousand. Hence the charge of Theft. When we spoke to Coye just before news time, he declined comment, saying the matter has been placed in the hands of his lawyers.