Santorino Sotz Says Police Are Corrupt

Santorino Sotz

Police Constables Hallet King and Leonard Nunez were the two officers charged for the vicious killing of eighteen year old Baptist High School student Hilberto Sotz inside the police station on Caye Caulker. They were arraigned for the murder one day later in Belize City on June ninth, 2015, but ten months later on April fifteenth, 2016 the duo saw the charge downgraded to manslaughter during a preliminary inquiry. King and Nunez were subsequently released on bail of two thousand dollars each. Those developments prompted Santorino Sotz, the father of the slain youth, to rush to Belize City. Today he met with the Director of Public Prosecutions because he felt the system has betrayed him.

Santorino Sotz, Father of Hilberto Sotz

“It’s not the D.P.P., but it is the police department alluding corruption in the department because they are backing their own police officers. When they push the letter, they come and try and pretend that they don’t do nothing, like they are not criminals. So we discussed everything and the lady has apologized to me because she should have get to me before the Friday to discuss with me what will happen and what will take place. But due to that she had a lot of work the whole time; she couldn’t get in touch with me. So she apologized and we discuss about the law and everything and I satisfied with it and I have no wrong with the D.P.P.  The only thing weh I find out and understand ina the meeting is the police department allowing the criminal activity ina the police department. And it is not just the sergeant; it is the big headquarters. The department shouldn’t have to wait until the jury [decision] reached at the Supreme Court. Those two officers supposed to already get fired and the lady Miss Ramos should get detained along with the two officers because she was there at the police station. My son already died in their hand so they are responsible for that. So they need to do something about that. And next thing, my lawyer asks me the other day if the police department come already and try to negotiate anything for compensation for my son. But I cannot tell lie; it is true, I noh see none of them coming to me to try and make negotiation. I don’t know what the police department is doing. Miss Phillips told me; the other day like three weeks in Caye Caulker doing a meeting and saying that she has zero tolerance concerning the corruption in the police department. But the way I find out what was discussed today, they are the ones allowing corruption because if they don’t do justice that means to say they are allowing corruption in the department.”