Case of cop with counterfeit notes folds in court
Sherwin Wade
The case against Sergeant Sherwin Wade fell apart in court today. Back in May, 2011 Wade was busted at the Belize Bank where he was found with sixteen hundred dollar bills in US currency. He was charged with the Possession of Counterfeit Notes, pleaded not guilty, was granted bail and then placed on interdiction. Today, the case came up before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith and instead of calling witnesses against Wade, the charges were withdrawn. No reasons were given but News Five has obtained a copy of a letter which may throw light as to why the case did not proceed to trial. On January twenty-third, 2012 the D.P.P. wrote to the CIB. She said then that she was not consulted before charges were placed and that in fact, she only became privy to the evidence in the matter in the regular course of the proceedings. According to the D.P.P., a critical file in the case, the Cruz/Garnett file, was delivered to her late and that there was more evidence within the knowledge of the police than there was in the file. She concluded that she was returning the file and that the D.P.P.’s office would not be involved in the prosecution of the case. The case first came up in February but was adjourned for today when Wade was freed.
Obviously the police need guidance from the DPP, and the DPP needs to take the lead and provide it BEFORE so many cases have to be dropped, and the people left unprotected.
So, crime pays again in Belize.
I want a new DPP — how about you?
Nonsense! Wouldn’t the evidence be the counterfeit $1600 US notes? Maybe I should start printing fake US notes in my garage. No fear, if I get caught there’s already been a legal precedent set.
I’ve said it before, we’re becoming a corrupt banana republic in every way.
I wonder what is so difficult to have him tell the court where those fake notes came from that were in his possession and then the court would adjurn for another date until the DPP can peruse the file it received late.
Are we this stupid, is the DPP stupid or the DPP just think we are?
I wondered about this case from the outset. Would a police officer who knows that notes are counterfeit go himself to the Bank and try to deposit them into his own account, and not only that, when he is told there is a problem and invited into the Bank while the problem is being “sorted out”, actually take a seat there and wait? Not to mention greet the police officers when they come in? To prove that charge, you have to prove that he knew the money was counterfeit. We learn that at training school. Wade did not know, that’s why he was so brazen! Perhaps if CIB had followed the directions of the DPP, Wade would have been charged with the offence he was really guilty of, theft of the notes from his office. Everybody knows what really happened. Wade was charged just because of public pressure then the investigators did the best they could to frustrate the process because Wade is the blue-eyed boy. They’ve assisted him AGAIN. This is the same officer who killed a man in Ladyville some years ago and still stayed in the Department. I agree with you CEO, DPP must be stupid, that is, if she takes the blame for this when we all know what is really happening. But CEO, since you asked, to me, you seem to be stupid as well…………….