Police gives conflicting views of Constable Mangar’s involvement in Scotia Bank robbery.

A conflicting picture is beginning to emerge following last Thursday’s revelation that a police ring had been busted. COMPOL Crispin Jefferies and Prime Minister Dean Barrow told the press that members of the force were involved in criminal activities and they could expect the full force of the law. The first to be charged is Police Constable, twenty-five year old Jermaine Mangar but according to his common-law wife, Cassie Usher, the charges are bogus and part of a set up.  Mangar’s attorney, Dickie Bradley, was also expecting heavier charges against his client after the allegations by Jeffries that a police officer was the main suspect behind the recent spate of robberies. News Five’s Marion Ali revisits the series of incidents, from the allegations to the charges brought against Mangar and includes video surveillance of the sting operation.

Marion Ali, Reporting

During the press conference Jeffries did not single out Mangar by name, but because Mangar was the only officer in police lock up since the sting operation last Wednesday night until his subsequent arrest this Tuesday, it infers that Mangar was the one Jeffries was referring to when he spoke about the string of organised robberies.

Jermaine Mangar

Crispin Jeffries, Commissioner of Police (April 1, 2010)

“It was learnt that a police officer was the mastermind coordinating some of these incidents.  We have taken that police officer into custody and he, after thorough investigation over the next few hours will be arrested and charged.  But in that process, we believe that we have stumbled upon—if you can call it that—a ring being led by a very unscrupulous criminal minded police officer.  That police officer, from the information we’ve gathered so far, may have a hand in the incident Spanish Lookout, may have a hand in the incident at Social Security, may have a hand in several other incidents in Belize City. While these are strong comments, we are confident that the senior people within our department, we believe that they can put together the necessary evidence to successfully prosecute on some of these charges. That officer, like four others who we believe are closely connected to him, will be suspended from duty today and we will carry on with this investigation.  We believe that this may lead us to more officers, as other names are being called but not sufficient for us to go on with at this time.”

But the charges against Mangar were slight compared to the allegations that he masterminded the heists.  Today News Five tried to reach Superintendent Paul Wade of the San Ignacio Police Station but we were told that he was in an all-day meeting at the Commissioner’s office in Belmopan.  Commissioner Jeffries himself is not taking any interviews to answer our questions of the charges versus the allegations.  But the Police Press Officer, Sergeant Fitzroy Yearwood, has flatly denied that Mangar had any dealings with the armed robbery at Scotiabank in Spanish Lookout.

Fitzroy Yearwood

Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“That I want to clear up. The police officer who has been charged for Conspiracy to Commit Robbery, this is for an attempt robbery in Belize City, not in the Scotiabank robbery. We haven’t received any hard information or hard facts that any police officer is involved in the Scotiabank robbery. So I just want to clear that up.”

As for the charges against Mangar, he along with twenty-four year old Jermaine Palacio is charged with Attempted Robbery with a firearm and Conspiracy to Commit Robbery at Chon Saan Palace Restaurant.  The charges have to do with the incident last Wednesday night which Police Commissioner Jeffries spoke about at his press conference last Thursday.  According to Jeffries, Mangar was nabbed red-handed after he collected marked cash which one of his partners in crime set him up to collect.  It was to have been monies stolen during the planned robbery at Chon Saan Palace.  But when the police sting operation led to the detention of Mangar’s co-conspirators, the robbery was aborted. Mangar was called and told to collect what would have been his share of the proceeds. The money, all marked cash, was handed to him when he showed up at the location, which is an unfinished lower flat house on Baymen Avenue.  News Five has obtained a copy of video images that show the arrival of the purported white taxi van which police allege Mangar took to collect the cash.

A dark car, not believed to be tied to the incident, is seen coming from off Calle al Mar on Baymen Avenue.  The parked white taxi van can be seen on Calle al Marreversing onto Baymen Avenue where it parked in front of the house in question.  A few seconds lapse before a man is seen heading from the vehicle towards the house.  Moments later the man is seen returning to the vehicle.  But when police officers startled him from across the street and from behind the house, he drew a gun at them.  The officers surrounded him and the taxi as they apprehend him.

But with all this, Mangar’s attorney, Dickie Bradley says, the allegations will never stand in a court of law because the plot to commit a robbery at Chon Saan Palace Restaurant was botched while still in the planning stage.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney for Jermaine Mangar

“There has been no robbery, Mr. Mangar was nowhere near Chon Saan Palace, there was no attempt by him to go to Chon Saan Palace.  Yet he is charged with attempting to rob Chon Saan Palace.  At the time of the alleged robbery there is a strong alibi by dozens of people because they were out here shopping as the Easter was approaching.  So that part is foolishness. That comes from a police plant.  The situation is that apparently there has been some arrangement to get somebody to lure Mr Mangar to go to a place at Calle Al Mar in order to receive money, for which he has an explanation.  Their explanation is different, their explanation is…”

Marion Ali

“He was nabbed shortly after accepting the marked cash.  That’s what police are saying.”

Dickie Bradley

“Yeah, anyhow, that is bull.”

Marion Ali

“So they are wrong charges that were brought against him.”

Dickie Bradley

“That is what we are saying.”

But at last week’s press conference, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was convinced that police had strong enough evidence to convict Mangar.

Dean Barrow

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister (April 1)

Those that were involved in the operation last night and who took into custody the suspects that are presently in lockdown confirmed to all of us that at least one of those suspects has offered information, has made a statement and has provided details that make it absolutely clear that there is a ring that was operating and that all the incidents that the Commissioner listed are in fact connected, that this ring is responsible for every single one of those incidents and that the ring was being masterminded by a serving police officer. The fact is that same Belize Police Department has been able to break the ring, has been able to arrest one of their own and is in possession of evidence that makes it crystal clear that what was happening was organized, that what was happening was the work of this criminal gang, that this criminal gang was being led by this police officer.”

Because Mangar and Palacio are charged with firearm offences, they were both remanded to the Hattieville Prison until May sixth or until his lawyer can obtain bail for him from the Supreme Court.  Marion Ali for News Five.

Late this evening the police department sent out a release saying that Police Constable PC Jermaine Mangar remains as a possible suspect in the robbery of the Scotia Bank branch in Spanish Lookout.  The acting Police Press Officer, Sgt. Fitzroy Yearwood, was asked by News Five if the other three police officers who have been placed on Interdiction from duty were in any way involved with the Nova Scotia Robbery.  The Press Officer replied “no”. After that interview, Senior Superintendent Paul Wade, the Officer Commanding the Cayo Police Formation, also commented about the ongoing investigation and stated that PC Mangar was not involved. Who is telling the truth? You be the judge.