Epifania Caliz Apologizes for Coughing in Reporter’s Face

After Nah and his common-law wife and brother-in-law were acquitted, Epifania Caliz offered an apology, through her attorney, Dickie Bradley for her behaviour on Monday, when she coughed on court reporter, Anita Nembhard. Caliz had appeared before the court along with Nah and her brother, former Police Constable Manuel Caliz on the same firearm and ammunition charges for which they were acquitted today. But on that day, she deliberately removed her face mask and coughed in Nembhard’s face as she passed by her. The assault happened less than two weeks after Cabinet approved an amendment to the law on assault and threats against certain groups of people, including journalists. The penalties for the these offences will now be increased up to five years, as they are now deemed as serious offences. Today Bradley told the media that Caliz apologizes and said that she was under a lot of stress. And when he was asked if he expects Caliz to be charged for the offence, Bradley said he hoped not.

Dickie Bradley

Dickie Bradley, Attorney for Epifania Caliz

“Ms. Caliz asked me to please say to the media: that she was under tremendous stress, she’s a public officer and a mom, that her husband is in jail all this time, she has not worked for all the time that she has been arrested wrongfully, and has been – she has been persecuted, not prosecuted. It’s really wild and ridiculous that you’re in a vehicle – there is no proof, whatsoever that you are responsible for any ammunition which belongs to the police, which they know da police ammunition. And that poor woman has suffered to come to court over such a long, long period and has not been able to work all this while. It’s a terrible stress. So she wanted – she was waiting to see – but you all were busy, she wanted to publicly, personally apologize for losing control of her emotions on the last occasion.”

Reporter

“You just saw the law, the bill that was tabled at the house for first reading relating to aggressing a member of the media and other people in the public service, and so do you expect that matter will go to court?”

Dickie Bradley

“I hope not. I wudda hope that Anita, as a mother would appreciate – here is another matter who is a public officer. What did she do to be subjected to going to jail, to can’t get her salary from the Public Service, to being on half pay and interdiction, to have her name all over the internet, which will never come off. Anybody look up her name, she’s like a criminal. That is so unfair.”