Treasury Employee David Enriquez Granted Supreme Court Bail

David Enriquez

Enriquez had been on remand for the bold Treasury theft since last week, but this afternoon he was granted bail by Supreme Court Judge Troadio Gonzalez after the prosecution registered no objection but left it to the discretion of the Court. Another man who was charged for handling stolen goods, Francis Palacio, also received bail today. Palacio, we are told, is suspected of being involved in the half-a-million dollar Treasury scam, since he controls one of the accounts to which monies were deposited, allegedly by Enriquez. That account is the Seine Bight Community Training Program. Police say in January just over two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars was deposited there, and then withdrawn. This afternoon Palacio’s attorney, Dickie Bradley, spoke to News Five outside the Supreme Court.

Dickie Bradley

Dickie Bradley, Attorney for Francis Palacio

“Francis Palacio was denied bail in the Dangriga Court and Francis Palacio is alleged to have handled a quantity of money which for some reason is in a bank account for an organization for which he among others are responsible for that account. So what has happened…being a person of good character, having a very good job, never before arrested, never had any conviction, a special application was made to the Supreme Court asking if they would be kind enough to consider hearing his application within a shorter period than the normal period that is allowed for others that do not fall within those requirements. So this afternoon, which is the last day of the week, the Supreme Court has been kind enough to have a bail hearing.  I heard Mr. Enriquez’s lawyer explaining to the judge in Court the quantum of the charge against him. My client, Francis Palacio, has not been charged for the theft of any money. Monies from wherever went into an account in Seine Bight Village in the Stann Creek District. He is not charged for stealing that money. He is charged for handling that money because it is in an account for which he and others are responsible for a project. So it’s a totally different matter and I could not say to you…I don’t know what the details are of Mr. Enriquez’s allegations against him.”

Another man arrested in connection with the missing Treasury monies, Hassan Palacio, was granted bail in the Independence Court. David Enriquez was granted bail in the sum of forty-thousand dollars and two sureties of twenty thousand each. Palacio was granted bail in the sum of four thousand dollars.