Just after three this afternoon Orange Walk Police charged and formally arraigned Efrain Alpuche and Saul Vasquez on a single charge of arson. The men had been in custody since Monday when they were detained on suspicion of being involved in the burning of twenty acres of cane in San Lorenzo, the property of ASR/BSI. […]
Today at least six members of the Scenes of Crime Squad huddled around the blue Mazda pickup allegedly used by the men accused of burning the BSI fields. They were paying particular attention to the right side-view mirror of the vehicle, and while we weren’t allowed to get close, they processed the vehicle for well […]
Just before five this evening Efrain Alpuche managed to secure his bail, and spoke to the media as he exited the Police Station. He maintains his innocence and says he doesn’t understand how anybody could prove that he had anything to do with any burning of fields. Efrain Alpuche, Charged for Arson “Well it’s […]
A group of high school students find themselves in plenty of trouble tonight after school authorities discovered that they were circulating nude photographs on social media. That was offensive enough to the school which has gone on record to say that the photos were also doctored to embarrass a teacher. The action by the school […]
When we spoke with Minister of Education Patrick Faber, he said it was the first time that he was hearing of the incident. He told the media that according to protocols, it would be dealt with by the School’s Board of Director and Management team and unless deem fit, they will intervene. But Faber noted […]
Effective June first, commuters using Tropic Air or Maya Island Air will pay six dollars more per departure on domestic flights. It’s something called a Rider Fee, and was conceptualized years ago to pay for the massive upgrading works being done at the Municipal Airstrip in Belize City. It’ll affect both major carriers; Tropic Air […]
As we told you, there has been major upgrading of the Municipal Airstrip which, to the minds of the carriers, was long overdue and sorely needed. It is widely perceived that the existing airstrip, perched precariously just feet from the sea, was not safe. Even with the renovations, the facility is still just a […]
On Monday two men were detained by Police on suspicion of burning canefields owned by ASR in the San Lorenzo area of Orange Walk Town. The detention is politically charged, since one of those men, Efrain Alpuche Jr., is closely linked to PUP politician Ramon Cervantes Jr. It is believed that there is evidence which […]
As we said, the situation is politically charged because of the personalities involved, and also because when Alpuche Junior was detained he was driving a vehicle which belongs to Cervantes. Today Cervantes claimed that his political opponents are trying to tie him to the matter, while he maintains that he condemns in no uncertain terms […]
There is word of an apparent resolution to unrest in the sugar industry which had the potential to blow up into full-scale protest. Because of the lateness of an announcement after a meeting of the Sugar Industry Control Board on Monday evening, we were able to provide only the highlights, but tonight Mike Rudon probes […]
The double murder of the two American nationals in Teakettle was at the top of our newscast on Monday night. The brutal killing of the two men has left the village in shock and as so far no one has been detained. In a police report today, the post mortem results show that sixty one […]
And our question for tonight is: Do you support the proposed amendment to the Special Agreement which will allow Guatemala to hold an individual referendum? Yes or No? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with […]
This weekend Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington will travel to Guatemala to sign an amendment to the Special Agreement signed at the O.A.S. headquarters in Washington back in 2008. The signing on Monday which will allow Guatemala to hold its referendum separately from ours has come under fire because while it is a significant change, there […]
Courtenay took special exception to a statement made to News Five by Foreign Minister Elrington last week. Elrington claimed that, quote – “At this point in time, we don’t know when we are in Belizean waters. We don’t know when we are in international waters,” end quote. Elrington went on to say that, quote – […]
Early on Friday morning, the body of a watchman was found at his workplace in Ladyville, Belize District. He had been strangled to death but neither family members nor the police had a motive. Kenroy Arnold, also known as Bouncer, was at a wake for Selvin Encalada on Saturday night but unknown to him three […]
The peace and quiet of Teakettle Village was shattered by the news of a double murder. Two American nationals were killed in what seems a senseless act of violence. A Valley of Peace retiree who was visiting his friend was shot and the Teakettle resident was hacked to death. From all appearances, it has the […]
The other murder victim is a Camalote resident who was killed after a lone-gunman fired several bullets at the vehicle she was travelling in around five thirty on Sunday evening. Rosalie Galvez, her common-law husband and her two sons were heading home after a family outing in More Tomorrow. Galvez never made it home. Today […]
And one more story on the weekend’s gun violence. A vehicle carrying several men returning to Monkey River Village on Sunday, after an evening of socializing at a football game in Independence, was assaulted by an unknown gunman as it traveled along the deserted road late at night. Several occupants of the pickup truck received […]
A near-fatal road traffic accident on Sunday evening, has left several persons critically injured. The men were traveling along the Phillip Goldson Highway in a grey Toyota pickup in the direction of Ladyville when a blowout caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The pickup careened off the side of the road, flipping […]
When we closed our newscast on Friday, a jury was still deliberating in the murder trial of Lusby Martinez who was facing charges for the grenade attack in which fourteen year old Rudolph Flowers was killed. Just before eight, the jury concluded its deliberations finding Martinez not guilty of murder after spending years behind bars […]
A young boy under the age of sixteen years claims that he was sexually molested back in December 2014 by a man well known to him and his family. Today, thirty-three year old Patrick Swasey was arraigned and charged with Aggravated Assault of an Indecent Nature upon the minor who, it is alleged, he kissed […]
Today Minister Edmond Castro, who had occupied the hot-seat in Court all of Thursday smiled when whistle-blower Alvarene Burgess took the witness stand at ten to be cross-examined by attorney Rodwell Williams in Castro’s case against Burgess and this station. But he wasn’t smiling for long. Despite being grilled for three hours, and despite many […]
Today other witnesses included Edmond Castro’s driver Norman Middleton, Burgess’ husband Curt Burgess and CEO of Great Belize Productions Amalia Mai. Just as the defence hinged on the testimony of Minister Castro the claimant’s case hinges on the cross-examination of Alvarene Burgess. Castro is claiming that he was defamed by the revelations of Burgess, which […]
At one point late in the cross-examination, Williams went on a new path. Since Burgess maintained that she paid Minister Castro for visa recommendations, Williams insinuated repeatedly that by coming out like this, and admitting to giving a Minister money for signatures, she was opening herself up to prosecution. Rodwell Williams, Attorney for Edmond […]
One man whose name was mentioned repeatedly today is Vernon Cutkelvin. According to testimony from the stand, he is a friend and advisor of Minister Edmond Castro and was allegedly present when Castro met with Burgess in his office. He was listed as a witness for the claimant, but that will not happen. One reason […]
