Passport defendant reported dead in Lebanon

Tonight local authorities are liaising with their Interpol counterparts to verify reports that Belize City businessman Hassan El Sayed has died in Lebanon. According to family and friends, El Sayed was travelling between Tripoli and Beirut when he saw an accident on the side of the highway. Apparently El Sayed stopped to help, but in the process of doing so, another vehicle overturned on the highway and barrelled into the wreckage. Five people died as a result of that collision, El Sayed included. El Sayed, accused of forgery and forgery related charges in connection with the passport scandal, failed to appear in the Supreme Court for trial in October 2005 and later took up residence in Lebanon. El Sayed was the only defendant left in the passport case as Gabby Affif was acquitted and last week Director of Public Prosecutions Lutchman Sooknandan dropped all charges pending against former Immigration Officer Ursula Hill. We understand El Sayed was buried on Saturday in Lebanon.