Yhony Rosado has his day in court and is acquitted of firearm offence

A year ago, the very vocal Yhony Rosado was charged with a firearm offense. He spent one night in jail, but maintained all along that he was innocent of the charge which was made following complaints by his competition. This morning, he made his way back to the Belmopan Magistrate court where his lawyer made a no case submission. When he exited the court, Rosado said it has been a tough year during which his business suffered. Duane Moody has that story.

Duane Moody, Reporting

As he made his way to the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court, little did Yhony Rosado know that he would be acquitted of a firearm offence held against him. The owner of cavetubing.com was charged in the wake of allegations that he went to the compound of his rival, cavetubing.bz, and assaulted its owner, Vitalino Reyes Junior, with a firearm. Rosado spent one day in prison over what is seen as competition between two businesses gone too far.

Yhony Rosado, Acquitted of Firearm Offence

“The very first time I was aware of the firearm offence I didn’t commit, it was troubling time. It’s a challenging time and very frustrating to know that I live in the City and have to come to Belmopan every other week or every month; actually, I had to come every week to sign the court order. But it is very, very frustrating. I haven’t done everything like a criminal and it is very frustrating that you have a business or employed with someone. If I was employed with someone, I would probably lose my job, lose all my stuff in my house and lose my building. But because I am a businessman, I’ve managed to get around and do everything and still come to the case.”

Yhony Rosado

It’s been a year since Rosado was arrested and charged. He says the case has damaged his reputation and the success of his business, cavetubing.com.

Yhony Rosado

“It was crazy, a lot cancellations. My business went down from ninety percent to about forty percent. But when you do the right thing and god is with you. And we have a saying in Belize that what god blesses no one curse. When you got that cover nothing will put you down.”

And after several hours, Rosado, flanked by his lawyer and supporters exited the court. The no case submission entered by his lawyer, Kareem Musa, was upheld by Magistrate Aretha Ford and Rosado was acquitted of the charge.

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Attorney, Yhony Rosado

“The trial took about six adjournments over the last four weeks—we’ve been back and forth coming here to Belmopan for Mister Yhony to answer to this very fabricated charge that was laid against him by one Vitalino Reyes Junior and Senior. So it is two, Vitalino Junior and Senior. The evidence as borne out by the prosecution’s case was horrific. When I tell you there were five completely inconsistent statements given by the prosecution witnesses; what it showed to me, what it demonstrated was that these five individuals who by chance are all related, they came to the police station, and they gave statements to the police, but they did not concoct their stories; they did not corroborate their stories before coming to the police. So what they did; they all gave varying accounts of what actually took place. And in the end that was borne out in the case. And it was clear to be seen that in fact Mister Yhony Rosado did not pull any firearm on anybody on that day.”

Yhony Rosado

“I remember giving this interview to you a year ago and I said, I know at the end of the day I will come out victorious even though our system is a bit questionable. But at the end of the day I knew I didn’t do it. We have come a long way, but I came out victorious and I can always tell the people that trust in me and do business with me, my employees, my friends, my neighbor, my family…and this is the face that you put when you are victorious.”

Duane Moody for News Five.