Trio accused of stealing 125 tons of sugar granted $30,000 bail

Oscar Mena

Two weeks ago, Belize City fishermen, thirty year old Ernel Brooks, thirty five year old Alex O’Brien and sixty eight year old, Oscar Mena,  appeared before the Magistrate court to answer to theft charges of over one hundred tons of raw brown sugar from the Belize Sugar Industry. All three were denied bail on three grounds; the nature of the offense, the strength of their case and because police were still investigating. It is alleged that the men stole the sugar between April and July of this year. But the trio today got bail in the sum of thirty thousand dollars each; an amount higher than the normal theft charge due to the quantity of the sugar allegedly stolen.

Alex O'Brien

O’Brien and his father, Oscar Mena met bail late this evening; however, Brooks was unable to and has since been remanded to prison until October eighteenth, when all three are due back in court. It is reported that the men were investigated by police after Chief Security at the B.S.I., thirty-nine year old Linberth Seguro, reported that approximately one hundred and twenty five tons or raw sugar, valued at one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, were stolen from different barges whilst docked at Drown Caye, which is located some five miles east of Belize City. When police visited Mena’s house in the Saint Martin’s de Porres area, they allegedly discovered half sack of raw brown sugar, as well as several empty sacks.