Former San Pedro reporter in hot water
Kanie Manuel
Kanie Manuel, a former reporter with the San Pedro Sun, finds herself in a whole heap of trouble tonight. In fact, Manuel is in the same situation as many of the people she has so many times before covered in her capacity as a reporter. She faces charges in relation to thousands of dollars she admittedly embezzled from the San Pedro Sun newspaper and the Lions Club. We air this story not to malign or humiliate our colleague, but because she called us saying she wanted to explain how she got into the predicament and that she wants to make things right. News Five’s Marion Ali was in San Pedro and files this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Thirty-year old Kanie Manuel, a mother of two young children, has been a reporter with the San Pedro Sun for a number of years. But today, she is unemployed. Manuel said her services were terminated last Friday when she showed up to work. She admits to taking forty-five thousand dollars and she has accepted to pay it back. But she feels the contract her owner, Tamara Sniffin gave her to sign was unreasonable, and that she had no choice at the time but to sign.
Kanie Manuel, Facing Criminal Charges
“I was embarrassed, I had to go talk to my parents, I knew they were gonna be brought into this, into something that didn’t necessarily involve them but they had to be dragged into the embarrassment of this. Being scared at that time about what my future would hold for my kids, for my life, for my career.”
Marion Ali
“So you felt threatened or forced?”
Kanie Manuel
“You could say that in a way, yes especially because I wasn’t given any time to really internalise what the contract said. All I had in my mind in that moment was my parents, my kids.”
The contract, signed a few years ago, was drafted by a local law firm and is several pages in length. When we visited the San Pedro Sun and spoke with Tamara Sniffin, she did not have any on camera comments, but did tell us, without going into details, that Manuel had violated some portions of the contract and that is why she is filing charges against her. She did say she would issue a statement after the charges have been filed. But Manuel says she has been trying her best to pay off the debt, but because the demands of the document have been overwhelming.
Kanie Manuel
“There are certain clauses in there that I do not accept. But at that time I wasn’t thinking about that, I was thinking sign the paper, try to get through it as fast as you can. For over a year and a half I have not been receiving one cent from the San Pedro Sun as part of repayment.”
Marion Ali
“So how have you been living? How do you pay your bills? How do you maintain your kids, your family?”
Kanie Manuel
“I’ve tried side projects, I’ve tried other jobs, but as you know, a reporter is a twenty-four-seven job.”
Manuel says she has been working literally for free for almost two years to pay off part of the debt. The other part will be paid off as soon as the Ministry of Lands transfers a parcel of land she owns over to Tamara Sniffin. Manuel says she wants a new chance to right her wrong, a new less binding document that will give her that chance to pay off the difference and a chance to regain the trust of her readers.
Kanie Manuel
“We all do things in our lives unfortunately and I did. I don’t expect any less from you as the media to report it. As you say it is a story and it is unfortunate that it is me on this side. My work speaks for itself and all this year and a half my work never once faltered and it was good work. All this time working with you guys, working with other media associates, my work never faltered.”
Manuel says that because of the commitment she signed with the San Pedro Sun owner, she is also indebted to the local Lions Club, an amount she hopes to repay within a month’s time. Marion Ali for News Five.
Up to late this evening, Kanie had not been charged and according to her, she expects to face the music on Tuesday.
First of all Kanie crossed the line when she decided to steal money in a deceptive manner for the company that employed her.
She is a greedy, whiny, selfish woman that wanted free money and took what she wanted, hoping that it would all go unnoticed. Admitting to stealing the money and wanting to pay it back is doesn’t make things ok again between you and the people who trusted you In the first place. You broke the trust, simple.
Going to the media only revealed that you care more about your image and the embarrassment brought on you on your family by your own selfish act.
You were not threatened nor forced, this entire crop about going to the media, and all poor little kanie wanted was time to really internalize her contract.
We know you stole the money, we know you admitted to that, you are embarrassed about the situation, you are now jobless and hope to pay back the money and now want our sympathy, we get all that already.
Now, how would you like to be remembered?
i will say that i watch both news channels when i can, and to say that i am surprised this story aired in such a manner. kanie stole money from her employer, forty five thousand dollars, but she is not happy with the terms she signed to pay it back. shouldn’t she have been happy she didn’t end up in jail? you’re caught stealing, you’re given the option of signing a contract as opposed to being charged and jailed & you’re complaining of the terms? what is this world coming to when the thief is the victim? “Manuel says that because of the commitment she signed with the San Pedro Sun owner, she is also indebted to the local Lions Club” isn’t that just another way of saying, because I stole money and am no longer being paid, i had to resort to what i do best? STEALING? from a CHARITABLE organization? how is she not in jail yet?
Mein, i agree with both previous comments. This woman has the nerves. Send her to jail.
The Mayor Zenida havn’t been convicted hence the reason everyone else is testing the system.
… Why did she not ask what Kainie did with the $45,000 stolen from the newspaper and the $10,000 from the lions club? Kanie playing the victim does not convince anyone. She is just a common thief and a hypocrit cause she has condemned other thiefs in her reporting while bieng one herself. So what did she do with the money…did she use it for a medical emergency…or did she party till she dropped every damn day and night…. which one did you think she did? I live on the island and have never heard Kanie having a medical emergency but she is a regular at many bars and discotecs… One day we all have to reap what we sow…so Kaine good luck….but you are not getting my sympathy…
Nice one Elgin … Ali Moya and her 40 theives (well, mybe just her) felt she had to help herself to taxpayers money, and give contracts to family & friends, even though she takes home $9,000 + per month, and WILL get away with it (Too embarrasing to have a UDP convicted for doing what they do best), why not the rest of us??? I”l tell you why .. the majority of us have honour, and would rather go hungry than steal of others – especially a Charity!!!
I hope they throw the book at her in court! I hope she gets a minimum of years in jail. She’ll probably get Dickie Bradley to represent her and will not only get off scott free, but will claim compensation from both her ex-employer and the Lions for spoiling her day and stressing her out!!!!!!
It there were clauses in the contract that she didn’t accept, she should have brought them up at the time, or refused to sign until they were changed. $$$$’s lit up in her head, and greed choked the puppy!
First of all we should think that the devil is never sleeping and is full of temptations, but we should not judge others as this is not our job to do so. If anyone is free of sin, may go ahead and throw the first stone.
Fatima: I have to agree with you. “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.
John 8: 7.”
Kani is a KUNU MUNU. she thief 2 time good money. pay fo ryour crime you get caught. only criminal vex when they get ketch. she vex and she get ketch.
It cannot be justified, but al least she accepted her fault. Look at the people in government,they are still denying what they put in their pockets. She has to take whatever comes along. she will not be trusted again, that’s for sure, but if she pays back, makes her a little better than others. What do you think?
I am sure she will go free and live happily ever after. In Belize only the innocent suffers, the criminals roam free. No we are not to judge but obviously she admitted stealing the money so we did not have to judge and there is never any excuse to steal…read the rest of the Bible before you use it to excuse and condone bad behavior. Bad Behavior have consequences or at least it should. NOT IN BELIZE!!!!
So Disappointed:Why shouldn’t she go free and live happily ever after when Zenaida Moya and Musa are living good after doing thesame s…..
Jesus Foot Anointed
Do you see this woman? I came into your house and you gave me no water to wash my feet, but she has wetted my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
You did not give me a greeting kiss; but she, since the time I came into your house, has not stopped kissing my feet.
You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.
I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven because she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, little love is shown.
“She admitted to her mistake, she has to live with the fact that her reputation and name has been brought down, she will carry this with her for her entire life. he who is without sin cast the first stone.
Sorry Kaine, this is not the first time. There are also several instances of shop lifting in San Pedro which is not being reported here. It is time for people to pay the price for their crimes. If this was just one mistake you can understand the word sorry, which incidentally was never really mentioned. Also comparison with politicians or any other person does not change the gravity of the situation. She stole not once but several times. She needs to pay the price. Simple!!!
so then fatima and janet, you think that she had every right to take what she wanted when she wanted and how she wanted. it is that kind of thinking that has us living like this in belize. we just let our leaders do and get away with everything because “our god” will provide. in the meantime we have hungry, abused and helpless people and children who are suffering because of common thieves like her. i don’t think so. i am not without sin but neither am i stealing from a charitable organization and causing havoc left right and center. there’s a difference. she is a criminal. throw the books at her.
I agree with you. she was not thinking about her children, her friends or her parents when she took the money. Many days I go hungry when I don’t have time to cook because I don’t have money to buy lunch. I have to wait till I get home to satisfy my hunger. I chose to go hungry because I don’t take liberties with other people money.
Some of us did not learn to keep our hand of other people property as a child so we can’t keep our hand off other people stuff as adults. she would have continued to do so if she wasn’t caught. now she wants our sympathy. no mam. you took it,you enjoy it, you suffer the consequences. you should be thankful that your boss didn’t send your slimy a… to jail.
I am so outrage. do you know how many of us are struggling to get by? we do not steal because we know that it is wrong. when we need money we go to the bank. I owe scotia and will be paying for the next ten years. what makes her think she can get way with this or that we would be sorry for her? Nail her and nail all the other professional thieves who manipulate the law to get away with crime. It is not right to see such acts go unpunished. admitting she is a thief does not take away the consequence. pay your dues.
I say tie her to a post and give her a proper lashing! 100!!! Then lock her arse up…
Kanie, you are one sick puppy. Reminds me a lot of Lady Z Moya. Thieves are scum of the earth.
No one here is judging that woman; she admitted to the public that she is a thief, get over it.
I do not care what she did with the money; she will not get my sympathy.
She made her choice, now she must live with the consequences, what she did I would not have done, that amount of money that she stole was not a lot of money, shame on her for bringing shame to her family.
Got caught, Lost her money, but still worships at the altar of attention—any kind of attention, at any cost.