Gun Case Against Allyson Major Dismissed

Anthony Sylvestre

A Belize City man who was locked down for thirty-eight days on firearms offences was in the Supreme Court today after he sued the government for wrongful imprisonment. The case dates back to April eighteenth, 2012, when Police raided a home on Peter Seco Street and found two shotguns and ammunition. Allyson Major was not present at the time of the search, but was also located, arrested and charged. He had to secure an attorney and petition the Supreme Court for bail after thirty-eight days. The case was subsequently thrown out because there was no evidence against Major, and he promptly filed suit. Anthony Sylvestre, representing Major, explained the case today.

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney of Allyson Major

“Grandmothers, children, fathers, mothers, daughters are carted off to prison for no reason but the fact that they may have some association with a particular premises through no fault of their own. In the case of Mr. Major it becomes even more absurd. He was arrested and charged on the eighteenth of April, 2012, for being in possession of a firearm and ammunition when a day earlier persons who were in fact found at the premises were arrested and charged, and one of them pleaded guilty for the offence. Mr. Major was arrested after the fact, after someone was already taken to Court and pleaded guilty. He was arrested on the basis that he was said to have had a relationship with someone who lives at the house…on that basis alone. So that the case is a very important case because it highlights a continuing injustice that is meted out to ordinary Belizeans of all social status, all ethnicity, indeed in all districts.”