Denny Grijalva, wife and 2 employees taken to court for Noh Mul
In early May, just prior to the village council elections, the historic Mayan monument, Noh Mul was grazed to the ground for road fill. But it was not until today that following up on directives from the Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal that four persons were arraigned in court. Denny Grijalva and his wife, Maria, the owners of DeMar’s Stone Company which destroyed the ancient monument along with two of their employees were rounded up and whisked to the Corozal Magistrate’s Court since there was no magistrate in Orange Walk. While the Grijalvas were not held personally liable, both were charged for the outrageous destruction of cultural heritage. Mike Rudon was in Corozal all day and has the story.
Mike Rudon, Reporting
At two this afternoon owner of DeMar’s Stone Company Denny Grijalva, his wife Maria, foreman of the company Javier Nunez and excavator operator Emil Cruz were escorted to the Corozal Magistrate Court. Their entourage included high powered former U.D.P. politician, Miguel Urbina, and Grijalva’s political manager, Jaime Burns.
This was the group’s second appearance in court today. This morning proceedings had to be halted after none of the four was able to produce a proper address in Orange Walk Town. They claimed that the Orange Walk Town Council had not assigned numbers to the houses, so Magistrate Clive Lino ordered them to produce parcel numbers, and the session was adjourned to give them time to do so.
Grijalva and his wife, representing DeMar’s Stone Company, and excavator driver Emil Cruz were charged for willfully damaging an ancient monument and removing earth from an ancient monument, while foreman Javier Nunez was charged for causing the destruction of an ancient monument. All four pleaded not guilty and were offered bail in the sum of five thousand dollars plus a surety in the same amount, and that’s when their entourage peeled off to deal with those bail matters.
With that done at about three forty-five the four were free to go, and of course the media was anxious to speak to the man of the hour, Denny Grijalva, who has not given even one television interview since the destruction of the site in early May.
Denny Grijalva
Denny Grijalva, Charged for Willfully Damaging an Ancient Monument
“As you know, I am a man of integrity and I believe in the process of the law and that is what happened today here. So we are proud that we started the process and we will keep you guys informed as the case advances.”
Mike Rudon
“In your press release, you indicated that your company is responsible for what happened at Noh Mul. Is that still your position?”
Denny Grijalva
“Let’s wait…let’s wait until the case done and then we can disclose everything.”
Mike Rudon
“I just found it strange that in that release that you are saying yes the company is responsible for what happened, but today you all pleaded not guilty. I found that strange. Could you explain why that happened?”
Denny Grijalva
“Well as I said I can’t comment on that because the case noh started yet. Today dehn just give us the charges. They charged the company and the other guys.”
Mike Rudon
“Was your company responsible for what happened at Noh Mul?”
Denny Grijalva
“Well I don’t know, we will see when the case done; we will find out. I am just like you….anxious to see the end of the case.”
Mike Rudon
“I don’t understand what you mean by you are just like us. Was that your equipment at Noh Mul? The trucks, the excavators?
Denny Grijalva
“No more comments.”
Guided by anxious hand gestures from his political advisor and manager Jaime Burns, Grijalva then departed the scene after a long day of legal proceedings. All four – Grijalva, his wife Maria, Nunez and Cruz are to appear in the Orange Walk Magistrate Court on August twentieth. Mike Rudon for News Five.
Grijalva’s political manager, Jaime Burns, told News Five today that they have been the ones behind the investigating officer to try to get this matter speedily taken to court and resolved. That’s ironic, since a very credible source close to the investigation has maintained that the reason for the delay in laying charges is because the drivers and equipment operators named in the incident have refused to talk to the Police or assist in the investigation, allegedly under instructions from Grijalva. Also ironic is that despite Grijalva acknowledging that his company is responsible for the destruction of the monument via press release, he and the others charged with him today all pleaded not guilty.
“As you know, I am a man of integrity and I believe in the process of the law” is what Denny said! Really? Is sugar bitter? Is water dry? Those things do not go together so is the statement made by Denny. And he aspires to be a political rep? OW people if you all vote him in you all are a bunch of fools and deserve anything you get! Drop that zero now!
“As you know, I am a man of integrity”
Is this guy an idiot?
“As you know” is his basis of proof?
Having a lawyer makes sense.
Having a “UDP political manager” smells out of the box.
Get a constitutional amendment passed to get you bona fide integrity locked in.
Then I will know this joke has legs.
Belize is poor because of poor leadership.
Could be rich, but corruption kills all.
This is just a farse of a political show these people should be locked up fu thief destruction of Mayan artifacts defacing the Mayan culture for greed and laziness were is the justice system these people in the udp gov. Steel murder rape kill babies destroy our national heritage and then they put on a farse at the court what a disgrace this pm and gov. Are no justice my country has turned into a place of shame
I hope he is Jailed, if not at minimum charged with atleast a couple million dollars for the distruction he caused. He isnt even a Belizean born, he doesn’t care he just sees Belize as his get rich goat he started his gravel company from the 10% people give at his hipocritic “Pastor” postion. How can a church person join politics… that just shows he is just money hungrey. Best thing they take away his nationality, and his company too just like government did with BTL!!! Where is Barrow on this???
Going to court means nothing. Let us wait and see what the real outcome will be. So don’t hold your breath you could turn blue and die before justice is served. This destruction of the Noh Mul is only one small way in which these self serving politicians are robbing the country and destroying it in the process.
We are leaving nothing for our children’s future, everyone is just living for the now, stockpiling all they can put their hands on. I want to tell them they will die and leave all these things they so greedily accumulate. All these politicians will have a bad name going into the history books.
Willfully Damaging an Ancient Monument should be life in prison.
Why you ask?
Because you have robbed generations of Belizeans from making a living from the gift that the Mayans gave us with these ruins.
Lock him up and throw away the key.
Whilst you arresting them go arrest Ian Vega for the murder of Luis Polanco! We never forget
I figure that by the time the government, the oil companies, drug dealers and everone else get done destroying Belize one piece at a time nothing will be left for who will come behind us. Now who the heck from the area did not know what was there?
This used to be a big preacher a very good man from God. But sad to say looks like becouse of the money and becouse of believing more in Dean Barrow than in God he has gone down but it has to jappen God said that Pride goeth before distruction and a hotty spirit before a fall. Hope that this man repents and ask God and The peaple of Belize for forgiveness.