Alleged plotters of Shoman family murder kept on remand

The case of three men and three minors accused in the sensational case of businessman Jose Shoman and his family came up briefly in court today. The incident goes back to the night of December thirteenth, 2008 when the six allegedly concocted a plot to rob and murder the Shoman family at their residence on the Northern Highway. The six are facing charges of Conspiracy to Commit Murder and have been behind bars since their arrest on December fifteenth. Today they were sent back to prison when they appeared before Magistrate Edd Usher. Attorney Dickie Bradley, who has spoken on the group’s behalf was at court again when they were denied bail.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney
“An official from the embassy has been in contact with me in order to see what is the procedure for them to be held. It is my understanding, Marion, that among the persons who are charged with the numerous offences, is at least one Belizean. He had spoken to me while he was in court awaiting a trial. It is also my understanding that this matter is almost now that these people have been charged. The law in this country is that for certain offences, magistrates cannot grant bail for a period of three months. After the three months has lapsed, the magistrate has the authority to grant bail. We must look at the Constitution of Belize, section five, which requires that their liberty is paramount and sacrosanct. So to me now that you are accosting me and asking me what is the position, it is unfair for persons to be locked up for six months on allegations that they have committed offences when in fact no trial has taken.”

Marion Ali
“But isn’t—the charges which they face, aren’t the offences sever enough to require them to be locked up? I mean the Shoman family, they also have a right to peace of mind and they don’t feel safe. These people have worked with them, they know their home and their compound intimately, so if they were plotting to harm them then they would know how to access the Shoman compound.”

Dickie Bradley
“Well, like myself, you are familiar with the streets anad you know that you put somebody in prison, that don’t make you safe. A person from prison can get his friend to come and do you something. That don’t make—you can’t lock up people because ‘oh I feel like dehn wah do me something if dehn deh out yah’.”

Marion Ali
“But the offences are not severe enough you think?”

Dickie Bradley
“I am saying the law in this country is that murder, attempted murder and all other offences, after three months a persons liberty is to be restored unless there are over-riding considerations. In this situation, you can review the circumstances and say well, some of them are foreigners. If we grant them bail, once they come out of the prison they will be gone, we will never be able to try them. What about the Belizean who is here? What about the person who does not have documents to show that he is a citizen, but has ties in the country; have a family, have children in the country? The Supreme Court only two days ago gave bail to a person who had no documents but have two children in this country. We do not in this country, we do not in Belize—we need to be very careful—we do not in Belize lock up people because some other person is worried regarding their safety.”

Bradley says because he feels the men are entitled to their freedom until their trial, he will now try to help the men get bail.

Dickie Bradley
“You’re saying to me that we need to be concerned that a person should be locked because he might proceed to commit the offence. He tries to kill you, is unsuccessful so he may still want to kill you when he comes out. That is a consideration but you’ll have to argue that in front of a judge. The last time why I got in trouble with the Shoman family who thought I was representing these people…”

Marion Ali
“You’re not? You’re not representing them?”

Dickie Bradley
“I am not their lawyer. I was in court…”

Marion Ali
“But you seem to be emotional about it and very touched and you’re speaking on their behalf.”

Dickie Bradley
“Because one of these days you or your family will be accused of something wrongfully and end up in the prison and then you’ll know what it is like for an innocent person to be locked up.”