PC Dayton Sacasa arraigned for allegedly extorting monies from prisoners

Miguel Segura

Shortly before five o’clock on Wednesday evening, Dayton Sacasa, a police constable who is originally from the Benguche Area of Dangriga, but assigned to Belize City,  was escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to be read two charges of extortion.  Sacasa is the officer who was guarding the “holding cell” at Precinct two at the Raccoon Street Police Station where it is alleged he extorted fifty dollars each from two detainees.  The two men claim that P.C. Sacasa approached them in the cell area and told them that he could set them free from their drug possession charge if they both gave him fifty dollars.  The men agreed but later learnt that Police had no evidence against them so the charge would have been withdrawn anyway. They made a report to the Professional Standards Branch and when PC Sacasa was searched Police found a hundred dollar believed to be the money paid to him by the two detainees. Today, Acting Police Commissioner, Miguel Segura, told News Five that they have confirmed that there was an incident, but he doesn’t want to try the matter out of court.

Miguel Segura, Acting Commissioner of Police

“He was subsequently charged and went before the court and was offered bail. As I said, once we know that the ingredients are there, we will proceed. There are times that maybe the media would criticize and say we cannot proceed in certain things…it is because we are not satisfied that we have enough evidence. So let it be known that where we are satisfied that there is evidence, we will proceed. If it is criminal, or disciplinary, we will proceed and put it before the court.”

Reporter

“Do we know if this Police officer has any history, or if any allegation has been made about him previously?”

Miguel Segura

“Not to my knowledge. I know he was an officer that re-enlisted, but I don’t have that type of information. But I would want to urge the people within our organization that if they have and they can assist the Police with this type of evidence, then it is only so that we can move. Because it is easy to allege! I am not doubting that we do have some of the few that do these types of things, but how can we proceed? Because they also need that due process. We need that evidence. It is alleged that this person did something, but where is the evidence? So that’s where we appeal to the public in terms of these types of incidents, if we could respond quickly in order to get that evidence. But the longer they take, we cannot find the evidence, it is only an allegation. Alright, and we have to work as professionals also because they are aware of their right too, so we as professionals need to work along the lines of the legal framework.”

Sacasa was offered and met bail and is due back in court in February of 2014.