Persons Detained and Released Without Charges May Sue Police
Bradley says that his client and another Coast Guard officer who was similarly detained are considering legal action against the Police. That’s because they were allegedly held long past the forty-eight hours, and were released only after they threatened to sue – released without any charge or any indication from the Police that they would be charged.
Dickie Bradley, Attorney
Dickie Bradley
“Listen when one of the persons were originally detained at the Police Station in the district, and later hours thereafter transferred first to Belmopan and then to Belize City, that that noh count…ih only count when he reached Belize City so he is not going to be released until the late afternoon of the 21st. They were really angry and couldn’t believe that and in fact were calling and checking with Benque and Cayo and were informed that in their records in the Police Station that when such and such a person was detained he was detained on the instructions of CIB. They called the name of the person. He was detained on the instructions of that person and he was subsequently as part of the request for the detention sent to Belize City Police Station to the CIB. But CIB is telling the family dat noh count. We wah start to count from when he came to Queen Street, which means if you calculate it forty-eight hours is in the afternoon of the 21st. Man that would make anybody angry…especially the Coast Guard who has to sit out the whole Independence weekend away from his family. What for? There is not an iota of evidence at this stage to the best of my knowledge as to what has happened. Until there is some evidence that the Police can say the boat has bullet-holes…we’ve found a body, it is shot or stabbed or chopped or there is physical evidence of a person being whatever it is…then you can say there is a thing but to say oh well the Coast Guard was out patrolling so they’re responsible is kinda jumping too far.”
According to Bradley, while it is legal to bring in persons for questioning, it is illegal to detain and lockdown any person without laying charges.
