Police say they didn’t know Willitts was Belizean

When confronted with Lumor’s allegation at the press conference Commissioner Brooks defended the actions of his men and the process left many in the audience wondering how far the credibility of the police force could be stretched. Dr. Willitts, he said, never bothered to mention that he was a Belizean.

Ornel Brooks, Commissioner of Police

“With regards to Mr. Willitts, at no time did we know that he was a Belizean citizen; he did not say that to us and no attorney of his said that to us. So the time when he was expelled from the country he was expelled as far as we’re concerned as an American citizen.

We weren’t investigating his nationality. Had he alleged in any way that he was a Belizean citizen we would have had to stop in our tracks and perhaps look at that. And there was an expulsion order signed by our Minister of National Security and it was clear to him at that time he did not know this man was a Belizean. He did not know.”

A press release from the Prime Minister’s office this afternoon states that the Ministry of National Security has been asked to launch an inquiry into the matter to determine if Dr. Willitts’ rights were abridged. His alleged crime in the States was that he lied under oath during a court proceeding in which he and his former wife were fighting over child custody. Willitts became a Belize citizen in December of last year and opened a medical practice on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City. Ironically, as Willitts sits in the Federal Detention Center in Miami Beach, he cannot be sent back to the state of New Hampshire where the alleged crime was committed. The reason? You cannot be taken from one U.S. state to another without a formal extradition hearing.