Christian Ebanks Acquitted of Firearm Offence…

Christian Ebanks

Belize City businessman Christian Ebanks remains a free man tonight, following the dismissal of a single charge of unlawful possession of a firearm.  The charge was brought against the forty-year-old naturalized Belizean in mid-May 2014, when personnel from the Gang Suppression Unit ransacked his former residence on Teacher Street and found an unlicensed nine millimeter pistol.  The concealed weapon was discovered inside a stove and Ebanks was immediately taken into custody.  His arrest became sensational when police presumed that Ebanks was also wanted in his home country of Ecuador for the murder of Alejandro Martin Teofilo in 2011.  Since reportedly fleeing to Belize, Ebanks had also been using the name Floyd Wendel Ebanks Jurado.  When authorities confirmed that he was indeed the same person, an attempt was made to have him extradited to Ecuador to face charges there.  That however, would subsequently be avoided when it was established that there isn’t an extradition treaty between the two countries.  While Ebanks has since been offered and granted bail for the firearm offence, he reappeared before Magistrate Dale Cayetano today in the presence of Senior Counsel Ellis Arnold.  After providing the court with a brief testimony of what transpired prior to the GSU raid, Magistrate Cayetano dismissed the case on the grounds that there was a lack of evidence linking Ebanks to the handgun.

Christian Ebanks, Acquitted of Firearm Offense

“There was a dismissal this afternoon.  I feel justice was served in the matter.  After everything that was said, everything that transpired for all this time I’m really happy with this system, I’m really happy with how everything has played out.  Unfortunately for myself I have been going through this for the last year but thank God that everything is done now and I think it’s well said.”

Isani Cayetano
“It seems as though you were dragged through the mud, if I may, with regards to a personal issue that ended up involving the police and a weapon which you did not have license for.  In terms of what this has caused you either in damages or the reputation that has suffered as a consequence of this episode.  Share with us what that has been like.”

Christian Ebanks

“It’s been extremely tough.  The last year has been somewhat of a whirlwind for me.  The good thing about it is that we live in a forgiving country.  Belize is understanding, especially when things play out in the media and the final result goes to the masses so that they can see exactly what happened.  The police did their job, they investigated [and] there were some avenues, there were some aspects of it that weren’t covered and that came out in court today and even one of the officers that testified said, you know bwai, that he felt that something was amiss with the whole situation.  So at the end of the day feeling that, having the court hear that from the officer who arrested me himself, I mean, you know, it just goes to show you that not everything is as it seems and that you have to have both sides of the story and now it’s clear.  So I’m free now.”