Deputy Commissioner of Police Marco Vidal handed over the reins to ACP Alford Grinage, as Commander of Operations on Monday, amid the fiasco that his men have gotten themselves into with the landing of another drug plane on the Southern Highway. Among the four policemen implicated in the incident, three were under his direct control […]
The US Drug Enforcement Agency is teaming up with the Belize Police Department to investigate the degree of involvement of local law enforcement officers in the landing of a narco jet last Thursday. It appears the elite strike team formerly led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Marco Vidal had been compromised and the remainder of […]
In providing details of what transpired along the Southern Highway on Thursday night, ComPol Williams described a firefight in which the responding officers were out manned and outgunned by their own colleagues. Fortunately, no one was injured during the shootout. The battery of charges brought against the narco eleven on Monday, however, doesn’t seem to […]
Police have charged twenty-four year-old Malique Gentle for the murder of Adrian Hyde in Belize City over the weekend. Hyde was found stabbed to death on Sunday night on the veranda on the upper flat of a two-story house at the corner of Vernon and Mopan Streets. Police said on Monday that Hyde had been […]
Today, ministerial meetings continued at COP26 as countries try to finalize negotiations. The Caribbean region, through the Alliance of Small Island States, better known as AOSIS, has developed its position which is shared at the ministerial level. But Doctor Colin Young, the Executive Director of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre based in Belize, says […]
But is the COP all for nothing? The facts are that even as developed countries are making commitments, similar to which was done in the 2015 Paris Agreement, the document is not legally binding and as such they are not obligated to comply. And the fund promised in Paris was not forthcoming either. Dr. Young […]
The first ever Investment Summit, featuring international personalities and business interests from several countries will open in San Pedro on Wednesday. The two-day event will include speeches by local government officials, and keynote speaker, Stephen Harper of Harper and Associates. The event is expected to attract business to Belize by removing some of the bureaucratic […]
A steering committee has been created to help develop a new curriculum for Belizean schools under a UNESCO and International Bureau of Education reform framework. According to the Ministry of Education, one of the main complaints received during recent consultations was that the current curriculum is overloaded, so a reduced version will be piloted to […]
The United States and Belize have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the expansion of infrastructure and technical training at the National Forensic Science Service. The “Forensic Crime Scene Office Project,” includes construction of three Scenes of Crime offices, new forensic equipment, and training and advisory services for domestic technicians. The new work spaces will […]
It was a dramatic event, with a narco plane landing not in a remote patch of ground somewhere in the country’s interior, but right in the middle of the Southern Highway. A shootout ensued between police officers and those meeting the plane. In the hours that followed the incident on Thursday night, several police officers […]
Deputy Commissioner of Police Marco Vidal, in the wake of what transpired over the weekend, has been transferred from his post as Commander of Operations. That post is now being held substantively by Assistant Commissioner of Police Alford Grinage. The remainder of Vidal’s team, those officers who have not been implicated in the drug plane […]
The police department has moved quickly to bring charges against four of its own and as many as seven other civilians whom they believe worked in concert to land a drug plane in southern Belize. Despite the charges against the men, there is cynicism that the case will not end with any convictions. After all, […]
One of the officers implicated in Thursday’s drug plane landing is the assigned bodyguard for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The question of whether the matter will be prosecuted by her office was posed to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams during our sit down with him earlier today. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “The […]
A man was killed on Sunday night at the corner of Vernon and Mopan Streets in Belize City. The victim was apparently stabbed to death as he was socializing with others at a house. Assistant Superintendent of Police, Fitzroy Yearwood shared with the media today the particulars of the victim and the information that Police […]
And in relation to Friday’s bust and today’s arraignment, the Prime Minister said this morning that this historic bust will help to win back the trust of the public, and underscore that his administration will root out crime, even when high level officials may be implicated. Prime Minister John Briceño “When we come back […]
On Friday the details of the much touted Blue Bonds arrangement were finalized. The initiative includes the buy-back of over five hundred million dollars of the Super bond and the creation of a fund containing millions of dollars for conservation of marine areas in Belize. It is something the Prime Minister John Briceño says is […]
As you heard, the Prime Minister is calling the Blue Bond agreement a win-win for Belize and the globe. In terms of details, eighty million dollars will be invested annually in marine conservation. With approximately sixteen percent of Belize’s marine territory currently protected, under the Blue Bond agreement the Government of Belize has committed to […]
Not only is the purpose of the Blue Bond to protect the marine environment, the Government of Belize is realizing massive savings to the tune of more than have a billion Belize dollars. Negotiators were able to offer Superbond holders fifty five cents on the dollar. Belize Blue Investment Company, a subsidiary company of TNC, […]
A sizeable haul of cocaine was confiscated by local law enforcement officers when a twin-engine aircraft landed on the Southern Highway near Bladen Village on Thursday night. The last time that stretch of road was used as a runway for a drug plane landing was in November 2010 when several police officers were arrested for […]
Tonight, the Belize Police Department is tasked with investigating its own, as it is believed that a trio of officers was directly involved with the landing and discharging of the aircraft. The quantity of drugs that was seized in southern Belize is under heavy police guard as a probe is underway to determine the extent […]
Among the officers in police custody is the bodyguard assigned to the Director of Public Prosecutions. According to ComPol Williams, the tribunal process has seen the dismissal of a number of officers who have run afoul of the law. It is unclear what the fate of the suspected officers will be once they go before […]
In neighboring Guatemala, several law enforcement officers have also been arrested for aiding the landing and offloading of a drug plane that touched down overnight in Petén. The involvement of police officers in drug trafficking activity is not unique to Belize, says ComPol Williams. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “DEA agencies have been implicated […]
The Government of Belize and The Nature Conservancy today announced the finalization of its debt conversion agreement. The agreement will see hundreds of millions of dollars in savings and investments for marine conservancy in Belize. Announcements of the agreement being forged ahead of COP26 in Glasgow Scotland set the stage for Belize’s officials currently at […]
Thirty-six aspiring doctors received scholarships today to begin pursuing their goals. The opportunity was made possible for them through collaboration between the Belmopan City Council and American Northwest University. It’s a unique effort that will benefit students even outside the Belmopan proper. Marion Ali was on hand and filed this report. Marion Ali, Reporting […]
Eight months ago when she inherited the Belmopan City Council, Mayor Sheran Palacio indicated that the Council was financially challenged and had huge debts. We got the chance to ask her today about the financial status of the Council now. She said they are trying to come up with creative ideas to bring in revenue. […]
