Juan Coy says Teul was drunk so police had to arrest him

Bartolo Teul

In the margins of today’s House meeting, we caught up with Juan Coy, the Minister of State, in the Ministry of Human Development and Social Transformation. Coy was in the news recently for reports that he ejected Bartolo Teul, one of his ardent campaigners, from a meeting at Big Falls in Toledo.  Teul claimed that Coy hand selected the team that would run for the village council and that the minister of state was responsible for ordering his arrest.  Coy said that he did not select the team and he had nothing to do with the presence of officers at the meeting. He went further and Coy alleged that Teul, a veteran environmentalist, was drunk and disorderly at the meeting and that is why the police had to take him out.

Jose Sanchez

“Do you regret what happened at the meeting with mister Teul?”

Juan Coy, Minister of State, Min. of Human Dev. and Social Transformation

“Let me enlighten the nation as to what happened on Sunday, the week before yesterday. It was a meeting where the slate running up for the UDP in Big Falls presented themselves to the electorate. The meeting was peaceful until the question and answer session came up. At that session Mister Teul was a bit unhappy because he himself was putting up a slate and up to this time he does not have a slate in place. The alcalde asked him to ask his question and be short and he refused and very disrespectful and furthermore, he was under the influence of alcohol at hat meeting. As a result of that the police moved in to ask him to hand over the microphone and he refused and he continued this assault on the police and as a result of that he was arrested.”

Jose Sanchez

“Eyewitnesses say that you asked him for the mic and he refused to give you the mic.”

Juan Coy

Juan Coy

“Ah, it was after when the alcalde asked him to ask his question and be on the issue itself. He refused and that was when the police intervened and asked him to conduct himself in a better manner.”

Jules Vasquez, Channel 7

“Sir, is it you who ordered the officers to eject him from the meeting?”

Juan coy

“No, I did not order the officers and, furthermore, I did not even invite the officers at that meeting; it was the slate themselves that did so.”

Jose Sanchez

“When it comes to the slate, Mr. Teul said you selected the slate. Did you select the slate?”

Juan Coy

“To be frank, I did not select the slate. As a matter of fact, one of the teachers on our slate answered his question telling him that the woman herself was being asked by the rest of the slate themselves.”

Jose Sanchez

“Is he still your friend?”

Juan Coy

“Well, this Sunday I was in a meeting and I was sitting right next to him and I believe that on my part I didn’t see anything wrong that I have done. I think that any law abiding citizen must conduct themselves in a proper manner, especially at meetings and I think you shouldn’t attend meetings under the influence of alcohol because then we don’t have self control and we cannot conduct ourselves the way we should.”

Jose Sanchez

“Do you think charges should be dropped?”

Juan Coy

“It is difficult for me to comment. The police had to do what they had to do I believe.”

Jose Sanchez

“But he just asked questions. He asked some tough questions; you weren’t happy with them.”

Juan Coy

“Well, not really. I think we cannot shift from the actual attention. I could be walking down the stairs and there could be two hundred police and if I don’t offend or insult the law enforcement officers, nothing will happen to me. At no point was he my campaign personnel out there. The police have the right as to what they should do. I did not make a report. The police were personally abused by him and that triggered them to lead to his arrest.”