Former Minister Elvin Penner has been in the headlines for immigration illegalities, but on Friday, he was in the driver seat of a vehicle which hit and caused the death of a father of three-year-old girl. The fatal accident occurred on the George Price Highway when Kenrick Myvette was returning to his family in Unitedville. […]
The murder count continues to go up in the west where a wave of violence has flared up in recent times. There have been five murders so far in two weeks and a sixth case in Teakettle though unofficial yet, could very well end up as a murder. But on Saturday night, twenty-one-year-old Akeem Guzman […]
Also in the west, Belmopan Police have solved the three homicides reported in their jurisdiction so far this year. But they may possibly now have another murder on their hands. Twenty-four-year-old Markie Mendez of Teakettle Village disappeared while in the company of friends last Wednesday, and his family is now convinced that he was murdered. […]
Teakettle residents whom we spoke with today still showed traces of fear and frustration on their faces. That boiled over on Saturday, when about twenty disgruntled residents, fed up with what they felt was slow police response to the Markie Mendez missing person case, took action. They set tires across the George Price Highway in […]
The Football Federation of Belize remains deeply divided tonight. Its tenth congress scheduled for the weekend, did not proceed even though executives from CONCACAF were in Belize to provide oversight of the event. Four district associations and the Premier League did not turn up, as they had threatened, which meant there was no quorum to […]
Former First Vice President Sergio Chuc has been sidelined from the F.F.B. for over a year. Since the deadlock between himself and Ruperto Vicente for presidency of the federation in 2016, the businessman has been actively acquiring support within the organization. Those efforts have been called into question by opponents who describe Chuc’s altruism to […]
All the infighting and turmoil within the F.F.B. has allowed interim president Marlon Kuylen, himself a candidate for presidency, a few more months at the helm of the organization. But what happens next, as far as a schedule of events to resolve the internal conflict? According to Kuylen, there are a few steps that need […]
Police Week concludes on Saturday with a massive parade through the streets of Belize City to culminate seven days of community-based activities. While the department celebrated the professional achievements of the men and women of law enforcement, there are two officers whose names have been called earlier this week for breaking the law. On Wednesday, […]
The department has seen a number of officers being investigated for infractions committed while in uniform. ComPol Whylie, however, maintains that the actions of a few rogue cops do not reflect a breakdown in the morale of its officers. Allen Whylie, Commissioner of Police “There’s no reason to think that is deterioration of morale. […]
The shooting death of Richard Garcia in Chunox Village two Fridays ago involved a group of four officers who were responding to a request made by a villager to evict an unwanted tenant. The officers allege that they were accosted by a machete-wielding Garcia and had no other choice but to use lethal force to […]
Assistant Superintendent Rochelle Chan testified before the Senate Special Select Committee last Wednesday, refuting allegations made concerning his purported role in the visa ring involving Alvarine Burgess. Despite being able to repudiate those claims, the fact that a ranking officer is being called to question is somewhat of a black eye on the police department. […]
Twenty-five-year-old Kashief Gallego was charged with and arraigned for the murder of thirty-six-year-old Jermaine Franklin. Gallego appeared unrepresented in court today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Due to the nature of the offense, no plea was taken and he was denied bail before being remanded into custody until July eleventh. Around six-thirty on Wednesday evening, […]
Twenty-two-year-old Freddy Amir Blanco pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the September 2011 killing of his lover Nelsi Chuc in August Pine Ridge. Back in 2011, Blanco was arraigned for murder to which he pleaded not guilty, but when he appeared in the Supreme Court today, Blanco pleaded not guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter. […]
The United States of America has formally transferred three boats and equipment valued at close to a million Belize dollars to the Belize Police Department. The vessels were previously seized by Belizean authorities and subsequently refurbished and equipped to fight criminal activities. According to the U.S. Embassy in Belize, “this project is expected to help […]
On Thursday evening in Belmopan, quite a few outstanding police officers were recognized for individual professional achievements over the years. It has been two years since the last Police Week was held. During that time several men and women rose in rank within the department, a handful of them earning accolades that are reserved for […]
Top Cop and the Regional Commander of Eastern Division South, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was also an awardee at Thursday’s ceremony in Belmopan. Aside from being recognized for working more than twenty-five years with the department, Williams received honors for first class, meritorious and distinguish. Following the ceremony, Williams spoke of his achievements. […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has emphatically rejected the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund to increase the General Sales Tax to fifteen percent. That proposal from the UN financial agency succeeds what is known as an Article Four Consultation during which the IMF meets annually with each member government. An assessment of Belize’s economic health […]
The annual assessment by the IMF seeks to forestall future financial problems that member countries may face; however, its conditions have been broadly debated. It is argued that the IMF’s policy prescriptions present standardized remedies that are not sufficiently tailored to each country’s individual circumstances. So where does PM Barrow stand on criticisms that his […]
Thirty-six-year-old Jermaine Franklin was shot and killed while shopping for new movies inside Teddy’s on Kings Street on Wednesday night. Sometime around six-thirty, Belize City police responded to reports of shots being fired in front of the store. When they arrived on the scene, they saw the lifeless body of the Fabers Road resident lying […]
Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco spent most of Wednesday’s appearance at the Senate Special Select Committee pointing the finger at her bosses in the Immigration Department, as it relates to the various scandals that were investigated by the Audit Department. Pacheco was careful to admit to very little that could land her in further hot water, […]
According to Pacheco, it was not uncommon during her time in the visa section for her officer in charge there, George Reynolds, to receive applications for visas from ministers of government or their respective agents. She says it was, quote, normal practice, for these applications to be handed to her for processing, despite being junior […]
Brothers Wasani and Jafari Castro made headlines on Monday when it was reported that the siblings were arrested last Friday in connection with several traffic offenses, as well as a sizeable haul of contraband beer. The brothers, both sons of Transport Minister Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro, who is also the Belize Rural North Area […]
Press Office Director Dorian Pakeman is back on the job, after being suspended in the wake of a fatal traffic accident that claimed the life of Gardenia resident Dean Dawson in 2016. The deadly mishap took place on the Philip Goldson Highway while the mechanic was riding his bicycle along the stretch of road near […]
In Breaking News, police have confirmed that there was a murder a short while ago on King Street in downtown Belize City, in front of Teddy’s Music Shop. The name of the victim is unknown at this time. Southside Police Commander Chester Williams has said that police are looking for one suspect. Further details will […]
The senate hearings got underway in Belmopan; the sole witness at the Senate Special Select Committee was Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco whose name appears frequently in the Auditor General’s report. The junior officer is named as a key player in the Won Hong Kim affair as, she admitted today, she was directly handed the file […]
