… While former minister arrested for drunk driving

Former P.U.P. minister of state, Marcial Mes, is once again in trouble following an alcohol related traffic mishap. Tonight he is out on police bail following his arrest on charges of Driving with Alcohol Content Above the Prescribed Limit, Negligent Harm, Damage to Property and Driving Without Due Care and Attention.

The charges arose out of an incident on Saturday afternoon in which Martin Choc of San Marcos Village in the Toledo District reported to police that Mes’s son, thirty-one year old Luis, suffered a blowout while driving along the road and ran into Choc’s farm, damaging several plantain trees. The elder Mes heard of the incident and visited the scene only to find police about to drive off with his son in the cab of the vehicle and his wife seated in the pan along with P.C. Julian Chub.

An irate Mes, whom police say was under the influence of alcohol, ran into the back of the red Isuzu DMAX pick up which was clearly marked “POLICE”, injuring P.C. Chub and causing three thousand, six hundred dollars worth of damage to the vehicle. Chub complained of pains all over his body and has been given a few days off to recuperate. Mes will appear in Punta Gorda Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday. In January of 2007 Mes, then Toledo West Area Rep, was charged in connection with the knockdown of two pedestrians in Forest Home Village, but was later acquitted when the magistrate ruled that police had made procedural errors and there was insufficient evidence to warrant a conviction.