Customs: Bring in trucks by Monday or else!

The back and forth between the Government of Belize and the businessmen accused of buying stolen cars continued today with the Customs Department issuing an ultimatum: Bring in the trucks by Monday or else. According to legal advisor to the Belize Customs Department, Gian Ghandi, two letters were sent out today, one to Jose Shoman regarding his 2003 Hummer and the second to Luke Espat in reference to his 2003 Cadillac Escalade. In essence, Ghandi says the letters state that according to the U.S. Embassy, the SUVs are stolen and asks both men to please bring in the trucks so that the matter can be further investigated. Furthermore, the men are being asked to hand over the vehicles by Monday at the latest. News 5 was made to understand that should the men decline to comply with the request, both SUVs would be seized. In an interview with Shoman on Thursday, the businessman said that should it be verified the H2 is in fact stolen, he would demand a refund of the duties and other monies paid for the truck. But Ghandi says the duty, and only the duty, some sixty-eight thousand dollars, would be returned to Shoman. According to the legal advisor, once the Customs Department recovers the two vehicles, the U.S. has sixty days to conduct their investigations before any plans are considered to have the trucks returned to the United States.