Case adjourned for officers on trial for the shakedown of Tyrell Hyde
Reymundo Requena
Back in December of 2013, three cops were arraigned in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court for the shakedown of Tyrell Hyde on September eighth of last year. But their case has been transferred to Belize City and today only two of the three officers—forty-two year old Corporal Reymundo Requeña and thirty year old Special Constable Joslyn Gill—appeared before magistrate Dale Cayetano for trial. But because Magistrate Cayetano was not presiding over the case at the onset, it was adjourned until April seventeenth. The adjournment came as a disappointment for Hyde, who was patiently waiting outside the courts along with his aunt. Requeña, on the other hand, was quite verbal with the media threatening that he will sue media houses after trial.
Joslyn Gill
Back in October, following formal complaints made to the Ombudsman, Hyde came to News Five studios alleging that the three officers initially conducted a search of his vehicle in the Buttonwood Bay Area of Belize City. Hyde claimed that the officers took a large amount of cash from him. But a telling surveillance video from Atlantic Bank on Freetown Road showed the officers inside the ATM with Hyde. The cops were seen withdrawing monies from the ATM; that led to charges of theft and harm against them. At the time, Hyde explained in detail how he was shaken down by the cops.
Tyrell Hyde, Robbery Victim [File: October 30th, 2013]
“They told me that they have identified the officers because the new vehicles have GPS and whatever so they know all who were working and who were there and they told me that they were going to do an ID parade; however, when I went to the office to do the ID parade, I came all the way from Belmopan just for that, and when I got there no such thing was done. Basically, dehn just tell yo everything that you would want to hear that they’re working, you know, but nothing concrete or nothing, you know, significant is being done except just talk.”
Tyrell Hyde
Isani Cayetano
“What is your appeal now? Have you, by any chance, considered legal options to either sue the department or try to recover your monies or what have you?”
Tyrell Hyde
“Yes sir, definitely. I’ve been in communication with a lawyer and we definitely are going to do that now.”
Isani Cayetano
“With respect of presenting this matter before the Minister of National Security, I know you mentioned that whatever proof you have, the explanation of what transpired was brought to the attention of Minister Saldivar. What was the response at that level?”
Tyrell Hyde
“Actually it was my mother who went to see Mr. Saldivar and Mr. Lovell, the CEO and, you know, what she came back and told me was that, you know, they viewed the video and obviously they know what took place but she told me that they said that they can account for what came out of the ATM but they cannot account for the money that came out of my car. And so basically they told her that if we are going to compensate it’s just going to be for what they took from the ATM. But not even that has been done. Ever since then, you know, you try calling or whatever and it’s just the normal push around. I really was trying to, you know, settle this out of court and, you know, the officers, in my opinion, you know, went further and took me to an ATM which has cameras and, you know, they are caught red-handed and I brought this to them, I would have thought that it would be in their best interest, you know, to just get it over with but no.”
The third officer, Police Constable Edgar Teul, did not appear in court this morning.
