Former U.D.P. Minister is a No-Show

Kareem Musa

Elvin Penner was a no-show this morning and his decision to absent himself did not please the Court. An order has been issued that he is to present himself at the next session for a full hearing of the appeal.

Kareem Musa, Attorney for COLA

“Mr. Penner is no different from any ordinary Belizean. He is a defendant in a criminal trial properly brought by Mr. Brackett and Mr. McLaren so he is not exempt from appearing in front of the Supreme Court and I believe the judge was right in pointing that out to the attorney for Mr. Penner that it’s absolutely necessary for him to be here. This is a case that involves him as the defendant so he has to be here.”

Geovannie Brackett

Geovanni Brackett, President, COLA

“I think it’s unacceptable, to use the words of the Chief Justice, and so he shouldn’t be treated any differently, but we have agreed and we are going to be here on the twenty-seventh of the month, but we are hoping for the Belizean people to get justice, and this is the first time we’ve had an admission by a member of parliament who has committed himself, hence the reason he has run from the media consistently, and so we’re hoping that we will be able to get the Commissioner to admit his evidence.”

So as we said, that case was adjourned to February twenty-seventh.