Police say no evidence to charged woman accused of hiring hit men
Shortly after Varela’s sister made the allegations, Superintendent Aaron Guzman, the officer commanding Cayo Police, responded with the police side of the story. Guzman says there simply was not enough evidence to charge the accused woman within the forty-eight hours that she was detained.
Voice of: Supt. Aaron Guzman, Officer Commanding Cayo Police
“A person was detained for questioning; that person was a female. The alleged shooter as the information we have is a male. So, from an investigative point, you have to understand that if the witness is saying that it’s a male, how is it that the police detained a female? I’m just trying to put things in perspective. However, we do believe that there is some connection. Now what we believe and the evidence that we have are two different things. So if police believe that a female was involved, then they go about and interview that female. If it is that the evidence that we have gathered so far is not enough for a charge to be laid, then we have to release that person because that person has her constitutional rights and we have to be careful that it is not violated. It’s not that the police is being paid off or has been paid off, it is that every person in Belize has his or her constitutional rights and the police must follow the constitution. 0.39.47 So if and when a crime or an offense occurs, the police can put questions to anyone. The police may detain someone for questioning but there’s a time frame. So if a person is detained or when a person is detained, that person within twenty-four hours, that person must be told what he or she is detained for and charges must be laid if charges will be laid within forty-eight hours. So if it is that the suggestion is that that person was released for any other reason, it is not so. That person was detained Friday night and because at this stage we do not have evidence to lay any charge that person had to be release.”
As for the claims that Varela’s previous reports fell on deaf ears, Guzman says he is aware of one past complaint that was followed through. He is asking for the family’s cooperation and assured them that he would be following up with Belmopan police to sure that the investigation is being carried out correctly. Following those comments this morning, police issued a release this afternoon saying that a man from the Salvapan Area has been detained.
The Police force in our country need to get special training when it comes to investigating crime. They need to be sent overseas to take these courses. Too many criminals get away in Belize because of insufficient evidence. Well the way i c it it is not insufficient evidence. It’s the lack of knowledge and training in the police force. They don’t know how to go about using the evidence they have. SO AM ASKING THE PM TO TRY AND SEE HOW HE CAN HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TAKE THESE SPECIAL FORENSICS COURSES.
Our police have some tools, like getting a judge to permit them to listen in on phone calls, conduct a search, especially of computer records, etc.
Not all crimes are solved quickly and easily, but I hope this one is solved, and ALL responsible die in prison. It appears to have been an attempted assassination, so the most extreme punishment is warranted.
The police let the accused person tell their own story. Instead of the police ask the questions, they just let these people ramble and we know Belize people can ramble, and you cannot follow what they are saying. If the police were trained in the art of how to question suspects there would be more arrests not to mention convictions.
I agree let us get our detectives and officers some solid training. Iam sure the American Ambassador could arrange for some training to take place, so Mr useless PM ask for some help for our police.
I don’t be;oeve that the PM and Saldivar knows where to start to begin to take charge, they are clueless as to how to change the direction the country is going.
If what this woman says is true, why has she targeted for death three times? There;s much more to this story.
POLICE DUN COLLECT A DE DRINK DA DIS MURDARA BAR SOME EVEN DE SLEEP WITH DIS LADY,BIG SET UP AN EVERY BODY WEH LIVE DA BACK A SPANISH TOWN NOW DAT. DA JUST A MATTA A TIME FU MEK SHE STRIKE AGAIN USING WAH NEX TACTIC DA NO DE FIRST TIME SHE DO DIS TO SHE POLICE HAVE DE RECORDS OR DE USE IT FU TOILET PAPA MEK DE CHECK INA DE SEPTIC.DEAN BAROW NEAD FI CLEAN UP E SELF DEN CLEAN UP DE BAD BWY POLICE DEM DA NO ALL A DEM BUT MOST A DEM.RITE NOW DEH DE PIK UP ANYBODY FU FRAME INNOCENT PEOPLE DE GO DA JAIL .