Former PM committed to Supreme Court trial…
The defense team for Said Musa did not get good news in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court. Having heard submissions from Musa’s defense team in the preliminary investigation, Magistrate Earl Jones today committed the former Prime Minister to stand trial in the Supreme Court. It is the first time that any Prime Minister of this country will go to trial to the Supreme Court and it is for a charge of theft. The ongoing case has to do with ten of twenty million US dollars which Venezuela gifted to Belize under the last government which was used to pay off the former Universal Health Services debt. Today Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Taitt maintained what she did from the beginning of the case that there was evidence to take the matter to the Supreme Court. But while Branker-Taitt remains confident that the evidence is strong enough Musa and his lawyers displayed no signs of defeat and stood their ground. After the decision was delivered by Magistrate Earl Jones, the defense team addressed the media.
Lisa Shoman, Attorney for Said Musa
“I don’t think that we failed. What happened is that we put in a submission to the magistrate; the Magistrate has given his reasons for the way he has ruled. Obviously, we are going to be looking at those reasons. The Magistrate as you know, made a point of saying he didn’t need to give reasons, but since he has given reasons we are going to look at those reasons very carefully and then we will decide what are the next steps we are going to take. It’s very interesting to us that he has taken a certain view about certain things that we’ve submitted, for instance, on the point of jurisdiction he’s taken a certain view on whether the elements were made out clearly, because we have made submissions to him we don’t necessarily agree with that is a matter for us to then decide what next we would do. I think in all fairness to the Magistrate’s ruling we will be requesting those in writing and look at those before we decide what the next steps to be taken.”
Marion Ali
“Mr. Musa you were confident on your first day that this would have been thrown out. What is your reaction now?”
Said Musa, committed to Supreme Court trial
“I’m still very confident. It’s not over til it’s over noh.”
Jules Vasquez, Channel Seven
“You must be disappointed however.”
Said Musa
“Yes, I am disappointed because I believed that from day one this is a bogus charge. It’s political persecution. It’s a witch hunt and I think that the statements clearly show that no money was stolen.”
Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Taitt, Director of Public Prosecutions
“It’s no surprise to me. I said on the last occasion that I would have been surprised if the Magistrate had failed to commit the accused to stand trial. When a decision is being made to arrest and charge someone, the decision is not based on whether or not you will have sufficient evidence for a preliminary inquiry, the decision is based on whether or not you have sufficient evidence to put before a jury so that a jury will be convinced beyond reasonable doubt. And that was the test and I think that the evidence satisfied the test and that is why the charges were brought.”
Marion Ali
“Is it going to be more difficult for the defense now to represent Mr. Musa at the Supreme Court level?”
Lisa Shoman
“No I don’t think so at all Marion because one of the things that is very critical here is not just whether the elements were present but what is the quality if the evidence. The Magistrate has been very clear that he needs to make no determination now about the quality of the evidence. He is simply talking about the quantity and to his mind, the reasons he has given, he thinks that he sees enough quantity. We are saying, one, no – the quantity is not there and two, that the quality is not there.”
Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Taitt
“There are certain documents that would have been admissible at the Preliminary Inquiry stage which in that form will not be admissible at the Supreme Court. So procedurally we would have to bring a little bit more evidence in order to get those documents in.”
Lisa Shoman
“We are prepared for us to move ahead. We always knew that and when you make any no-case submission you always also have to be prepared for the next two or three steps ahead. So we always knew that this was an eventuality, a possibility that could occur and we’re fully prepared to take those steps which we will then decide how we move ahead.”
