Financial Intelligence Unit wants Coye Family back in Court
The Coye family spent almost two years fighting a Money Laundering charge that was brought by the Financial Intelligence Unit after one point five million dollars in cash were found at their home in 2008. Charges were levied against the family’s business Money Exchange International Limited, Michael and Marlene Coye, their son Jude, daughter Melonie, her husband James Gerou as well as two employees Athlee Matute and Deitrick Kingston. They were all found not guilty in October 2010 but that was not the end of the legal battle. The FIU appealed the acquittal of seven of the defendants, with the exception of Gerou. And today the Appeals Court Judges ordered a retrial for Michael, Melonie, Matute, Kingston and Money Exchange International. Judges Douglas Mendes, Brian Alleyne and Boyd Carey will provide their reason for the decision in writing at a later date. The FIU’s grounds for the appeal was that the judge erred in law when he said that there was no evidence to prove the element of forgery or that the one point five million dollars found at the Coye residence were the proceeds of criminal activity. The FIU also argued that Justice Adolph Lucas should have allowed the matter to go before a jury. Senior Crown Counsel Antoinette Moore, assisted by Tricia Pitts Anderson, represented the FIU while Attorneys Richard “Dickie” Bradley and Arthur Saldivar appeared on behalf of the Coye family and employees. A date for the retrial has not yet been set.
It’s people like these that give our country a black eye……
Hey Bzn2DBONE you have no idea what we went through,your comments like that make you a fool,cuz you don’t know anything. Found not guilty and still not satisfied,have to go through this circus all over again,Pathetic system you ask me! When can’t you keep a lot of money in your home,where’s the crime? This is an inside thing and we will get to the bottom,believe me!
The people in this country is very narrow minded. The Belizean people along with the government need to invest their time and energy in things to make better for the county and its people instead of wasting it on pitty things. Our country will never move forward with the screwed up system we have.
Belize is the only country in Central America that is an English spoken nation and its an advantage to gain international market share; However if you look at the neighboring countries, they are advancing economically and progressing in both development and infrastructure while our Belize is just left in the slums because of our screwed up system. Wake up people and take a stand for your rights. When people are progressing the instead of helping the government always get in the way and screw up a good thing. We need real people and not drug dealers and thieves as our governing heads.
Belizean people are narrow minded, I agree with you. Finally some body who agrees with what I have been saying about Belizeans. Talk to any Belizean and they talk about everthing in small terms. All I want da wan lee house, wan lee job, wan lee bit of food. No one thinks bigger, and worse no one thinks future, it is only for right now. The ddrug dealers and thieves are the only ones who think longterm how to keep making illegal money, even they are stupid, becasue ultimately they get killed. The sad thing is that Belizeans Americans who go home and want to help change things are not welcome to try and help bring change. I know someone who is denied promotions because he tries to help change the way things are done where he works, he tries to show them how things can be done better, and they are afraid of him, eventhough, all he wants is to help the company to be better. First we have to get the education level back to where it use to be. I have a masters degree in Business Management and Leadership and would love to teach in one of the uiversities, what chance that I would be hried. I know we need to grow leaders and thinkers, I would love to come home and teach. I pray my people change their short sightedness.and strive for a better Belize.