William Mason’s Farm Manager also Faces Kidnapping Charges

Ryan Rhaburn

Canadian Lloyd Friesen, the Mennonite businessman who resided in Cayo until he and his wife were allegedly kidnapped by William Mason at gunpoint, is back in the country and has made another report to Police. They had allegedly made a report two months ago when they were tied up and taken to Mason’s Outback Ranch before being threatened, released, and extorted for twenty-five hundred dollars a week. Still, even if the Police didn’t act before, they did now, and today Ryan Rhaburn was brought to Belmopan Magistrate’s Court to be arraigned on two counts of kidnapping. Rhaburn was taken to Court in the morning and sent back by the Magistrate because Police did not provide the facts of the case, as strictly dictated by the Criminal Procedure Rules. They tried again this afternoon and succeeded after more than an hour of what seemed to be extreme disorganization and a complete lack of preparation. And exactly how it seemed to us observers outside, it was inside. Within a half hour Rhaburn walked out of Court a free man, his arraignment discontinued. Attorney Herbert Panton explained what happened.

Herbert Panton

Herbert Panton, Attorney for Ryan Rhaburn

“It is the same thing as was the previous case with the other five clients, and there is no need for Chester Williams to do any legal research on this one because it is the same thing. Whatever the facts are of the case, the Criminal Procedure Rules say that they ought to be presented to the defendant prior to the arraignment. On the facts presented, it must be established that there is a prima facie case – now we’re not dealing with evidence. Evidence comes at the time of PI and at the time of trial. But when reading the facts you must be able to surmise that Kidnapping, which is the charge here, actually occurred. And how does Kidnapping occur. It occurs when you hold someone against his or her will. The facts say that two Creole descent male persons held the Friesens at the residence at Intelco Hill. The moment they were held against their will, the kidnapping occurred. They said that they did not know the male persons, but if they saw them again they would be able to identify them. They did not mention Mr. Rhaburn’s name as to any of the two gentlemen at Intelco Hill. The facts further state that they were driven from Intelco Hill to some farm on the Western Highway. They had some kind of crocus sack over their heads, but through the little holes in the sack they were able to recognize Mr. Rhaburn. Now the kidnapping has already happened. So you recognize Mr. Rhaburn. How do you connect Mr. Rhaburn to the kidnapping? Mr. Rhaburn works at the farm. Mr. Rhaburn is a farm manager. Mr. Rhaburn may well have been tending the sheep, the pigs, the cow, the goats, whatever is on the farm. And then the charge states of kidnapping at mile thirty and thirty-one which would put it in the Belize Judicial District. But how could you kidnap at mile thirty and thirty-one if the Friesens say they were held against their will at Intelco Hill? All that needs to happen is for the Police to get their ducks in a row, put the facts together, put the charge together and come back and re-arrest my client and charge him.”