Charges dropped, Mayor Moya Flowers almost vindicated
Zenaida Moya Flowers
The courtroom drama today was pale in comparison to the political theater that played out when she was first charged on October first, 2009 days after she had given birth to her first child. At the time Mayor Zenaida Moya became the first sitting mayor to be criminally charged. She angrily fought back at her political detractors but she was expelled from her party. It has been over a year since she was charged and following a number of adjournments what started with a bang ended with a whimper when the court decided that there was not a prima facie case to proceed to trial at the Supreme Court. In the courtroom, Moya Flowers was emotional when Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie discharged her of the twenty-two counts of uttering upon a false document. The Chief Magistrate found that after listening to both the prosecution and the defense, the only evidence the prosecution was relying on was a DVD, which was never admitted into evidence against the Mayor. According to the Chief Magistrate, up until now, the court is still ignorant to the contents of the DVD but it is believed it contains a media interview given by the mayor. Defense Attorney Michael Peyrefitte told News Five that the criminal charges against the Mayor were not solid, but she still has to face two other charges for violating city council regulations.
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney for Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers
“The mayor was brought up on twenty-two counts of uttering false documents [uhm] the matters were heard [and] arguments were made before the Chief Magistrate and this morning the Chief Magistrate decided that there wasn’t enough evidence to justify the matter going to the Supreme Court for a trial. In short the twenty-two charges of uttering a false document brought against Ms. Moya those have been dismissed by the Chief Magistrate because they did not [uhm] the evidence presented did not form a prima facie case. What had happened originally was that she was charged with twenty-two counts of indictable offences and two counts of summary matters. What does that mean? It means that the summary matters will be tried in the Magistrate’s Court tomorrow and the guilt or innocence of Ms. Moya will be determined by the magistrate. It won’t be a preliminary inquiry, it will be a full trial and [uhm] in that case she is being accused of violating some of the financial orders or the financial statutes that govern the City Council; namely that she somehow spent the money before it went through a proper process. So that’s the charges that she is facing but tomorrow we’ll go into the trial with that. I believe, it is my opinion that the evidence in that case is as weak or weaker than the case brought against her for the twenty-two counts of uttering but I don’t want to comment any further on it since the matter is still before the court and we have to appear tomorrow.”
Isani Cayetano
“In your opinion, looking back a bit, were you of the impression that initially the charges brought against your client held no merit or water?”
Michael Peyrefitte
michael peyrefitte
“No. Well I mean [uhm] when a person is initially charged no matter who it is [uhm] we always would like to assume that the police would never charge somebody unless they have evidence. So when the charges were brought, as you well know, evidence or the disclosure is not given until a month or so at least sometimes. Sometimes a year. [Uhm] in this case I always give the crown an opportunity to say well I don’t think they would have brought these charges unless they have evidence. But when the evidence did come when it came and I looked at it right away I realized that there was no way that the evidence supported the charges brought. It was clear then and at that point I realized that the charges were never solid from day one.”
Moya Flowers was charged along with Finance Director Duane Davis, now deceased, City Administrator Dr. Kiran Vanjani and Administrative Assistant, Kiran Bhudrani. Vanjani walked from the charge but the Mayor and Bhudran are due back in court.
seriously, I am not surprise of the outcome………
SOMEBODY has been treating the city’s treasury like their own ATM machine. MONEY IS MISSING. If the mayor is not responsible, who is? WILL THE MAYOR LEAD THE CHARGE TO FIND, ARREST, AND CONVICT THE THIEVES? Or will this be just another case in which the people of Belize are victimized, and nobody is punished for it. And the beat goes on.
A total waste of the court’s time but we all saw this one coming. Stay strong Moya, we need more women in the political arena who can hold their ground. There are still concerns about afflictions that seem to come with the business of politics but you’re young enough to turn this into something positive.
Still see her as a thief. This was expected. But her political career is totally over. Not even her deputy trusts her..
‘I agree it was all cover up- like always the police not doing its job the dvd was not presented as evidence…FOR MANY YEARS ZENAIDA MOYA HAS BEEN STEALING THE CITY COUNCIL USING FUNDS FOR HER OWN BENEFIT AND THE PEOPLE SUFFERING IN THE CITY, she barrowed $$ thousands to her brother for his own benefit has he returned it? and what has beeen done in the city under moya? -their is no change at all no difference if its not for the buisness comunity’s cooparation it would a look worst! it was her own UDP COUNCELORS THAT ACCUSED HER AND EVIDENCE WAS SHOWN’ THE MANY CHEQS SHE SIGNED TO HER BROTHER IT IS CORRUPTION.”ITS THE PEOPLE’S MONIES.
We need OUTSIDERS who would implement the LETTER OF THE LAW……. OBJECTIVELY!!!
Mayor MOYA-FLOWERS……………IS USELESS.
WHAT WILL BE HER LEGACY??????
TWO TERMS and all she has to show is A ROUND-ABOUT???????
ZENIDA………….. you not want her……….WE NO WANT HER…. NIETHER.
@Earl Grey… You are generous to call that a round-about. The thing in the centre is certainly round, but there is barely any about. Zenaida and this entire UDP city council have been a complete joke. You have Philip Willoughby going on Channel 7 saying he is one of the greatest politicians ever to enter the ring. Chris Rock could not have come up with a joke so funny. She should take her stolen money and bow out of the spotlight.
it was a dot on the cards that she’d walk free. She’s a politricktian after all. Besides, lawyers got paid lots, so Zenaida will also benefit, one way or the other. Now, the questions are;
1. Where did the money go and who was responsible for the theiving?
2. Moya is the Mayor, the buck stops with her, so she now has to find out who was responsible, and have them (has o be more than one involved) prosecuted, or she has to step down due to dereliction of her duties – She is the boss of the council, her head should be on the chopping block.
Good oberservation Rootsman…As the mayor of the city that was so devasted by Richard, how come I do not hear the people calling on the Mayor? she runs the City, the Primer minister run the Country, would someone enlighten me? what is her function?
IT DONT SEEM LIKE YOU ALL WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAS REALY BEEN HAPPENING AT CITY HALL. It seem you want to blame the Mayor for evryting that happen. What, da only she part a management? Anyway, when is the Police going to make an arrest on KEERA FORD, MARVIN JAMES, AND FARAH JONES??? Even when Zenaida try show you all the truth, you still don’t want to give her credit! Check from when Police find out about the 3 who ADMITTED to THEFT and hand back some of the money but still no arrests!!!! Evrything dah just politics weh gone on with the mayor plain and simple.
Home » Crime » Over thirteen thousand dollars recovered from City Council scam
May 17, 2010
Over thirteen thousand dollars recovered from City Council scam
Belize City police have been able to recover thirteen thousand, three hundred and seventy-five dollars from a previous scam. In February city administrator Dr. Kiran Vanjani reported that a substantial amount of money was embezzled from the Belize City Council by a trio of employees. The misappropriation, allegedly organized by Keera Ford, included Farah Jones and Marvin James who both are accused of pocketing monies in the sum of thirty and thirty one thousand dollars respectively. During November twenty-fifth of last year and February second of this year City Hall says the Administrative Tax System was manipulated to cancel and backdate receipts for the payments of liquor and trade licenses as well as property taxes.