Leiva brothers freed for lack of evidence

For a while last year they were among Belize’s most wanted, but today the Leiva brothers, Javier and Othon, are free men. According to Director of Public Prosecutions, Adolph Lucas, there was a lack of sufficient evidence to convict them of the murder of twenty four year old Corozal farmer Luciano Basto, and therefore he had no choice but to set the men free. Charges were also dismissed against Carl Sanker and Jugo Cassanova who were charged with conspiracy in Basto’s murder. Viewers may recall that on October thirtieth 1997, police reported that Basto was killed as a result of a drug deal gone sour. The farmer and his nephew were reportedly on their way home, when they were confronted by two armed masked men about a half mile outside Xaibe Village in the Corozal District. The police say investigations revealed the intent of the attack was to rob the men of their drugs and money. The Leiva brothers were defended by Simeon Sampson.