No legal professional in Belize’s history has ever been incarcerated for misappropriation of money entrusted to them by clients, but this morning senior attorney, Ernest Staine, almost became the first. Staine has been ordered by the court to pay back monies which were given to him for handling a land transaction between buyer and seller. […]
With the facts of the case on display, the court appears to have little sympathy for a member of the legal fraternity who has committed serious wrong. And certainly, Staine will get no support from the claimants who are out of pocket and whose trust has been abused. But he did have some support today […]
As we told you earlier, today attorney Ernest Staine appeared unconcerned by the very real threat of prison time. Until just days ago, he had failed to obey orders of the Court to disclose his assets, and he has still not paid a cent to the claimants despite repeated commitments that he would do so. […]
Belize City businessman Christian Ebanks remains a free man tonight, following the dismissal of a single charge of unlawful possession of a firearm. The charge was brought against the forty-year-old naturalized Belizean in mid-May 2014, when personnel from the Gang Suppression Unit ransacked his former residence on Teacher Street and found an unlicensed nine millimeter […]
In court this afternoon, Ebanks testified that on the night before the GSU sting he was involved in a bitter dispute with his wife during which he informed her that he was ending their relationship. Ebanks went on to say that prior to the argument he had sought advice from attorney Oscar Sabido on dissolving […]
Also in the Magistrate’s Court, Bahamians Kelvin Leach and Rohn Knowles were today back before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. The Financial Intelligence Unit is contending that the men tried to leave the country without declaring cash they had on them, in excess of ten thousand dollars. The prosecution rested its case on January fifteenth, and […]
MMR Belize Limited which is the parent company of the television game show, Mek Mi Rich, is denying allegations of infringement upon intellectual property in a claim brought by Curtis Swasey of Corozal Town. According to MMR, Swasey filed a claim against Belize Telemedia Limited back in November 2014, listing the company as a co-defendant, […]
Darryl Rowland, a real estate officer from Ladyville, along with two women, Angela Burns, a Second Class Clerk employed with the Belize City Prosecution Branch, and Jessie Stephenson, a visiting nurse from Los Angeles California, who resides at Mitchelle Estate area, Ladyville were this afternoon escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. They appeared before […]
A cop accused of murdering a Belize City man detained at the Caye Caulker Police Station has been found guilty of the lesser charge of murder. The verdict was reached by a jury of six men and six women after five days of hearing evidence in the case and five hours of deliberation today. Police […]
And while Parham will face sentencing for manslaughter, another man was acquitted of murder today before Judge Antoinette Moore. Shajeem Espat had been accused of the brutal murder of sixty-nine year old security guard Julian Lara on March twentieth, 2011. Lara was found behind Spot’s Bar in San Ignacio with his hands and feet tied […]
In July 2014, former minister of state, Elvin Penner was acquitted of immigration offences because of a lack of evidence before the magistrate. He was accused of facilitating the issues of a Belizean passport to South Korean Fugitive, Won Hong Kim, who was in a jail in Taipei. Those who brought the case against Penner […]
Elvin Penner was a no-show this morning and his decision to absent himself did not please the Court. An order has been issued that he is to present himself at the next session for a full hearing of the appeal. Kareem Musa, Attorney for COLA “Mr. Penner is no different from any ordinary Belizean. […]
Rupert Avila was sentenced to three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft for stealing a woman’s house. When he appeared in court today before Magistrate Herbert Panton, the thirty-two year old I.T Technician of Belize City told the court that he had once lived in the house and his neighbor, Kevin Castillo […]
In court, Belize City resident, Vicente Vernon, was found guilty and sentenced in absentia for handling stolen goods. Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith imposed a fine of three thousand dollars and ordered his immediate arrest. Vernon was found guilty of handling a stolen laptop valued at two thousand dollars along with a computer bag belonging […]
Today was the first day of a case which will draw much national scrutiny. Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega is suing Ramon Cervantes Junior for libel. In November, the Cervantes family released the recording of a phone call which shocked the nation. The caller, allegedly Manuel Castillo and the man wanted for the brutal murder […]
Today, fifty year old Jeremiah Pott pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter of his brother, fifty seven year old Fidencio Pott. Jeremiah was sentenced to twelve years in prison, but ordered to serve only seven since he begged for the court’s mercy. At mitigation plea, Jeremiah with the advice of his attorney, David Moralez, […]
Two Belize City men, Albert Clother and Tareef Westby, were freed of attempted murder after Samuel Halliday, who is currently incarcerated, decided he wanted no further court action. The matters of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm along with conspiracy to commit murder, for which Clother and Westby were charged […]
Up until a few weeks ago, the seemingly infinite public purse that is the Petrocaribe funds had been used to finance infrastructure projects across the country. Major road works and other initiatives, including the 2014 Christmas Cheer program and other incentives for the electorate have been financed from a two hundred and forty million dollar […]
Perfilio Rodriguez better known as Vanessa Paris Champagne was freed of an aggravated assault charge against President of UNIBAM Caleb Orozco’s sister when he appeared in court today. The nineteen year old transvestite appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton to answer to a charge of aggravated assault with a knife upon Golda Orozco. Rodriquez, who appeared […]
A prisoner, who is serving a three year sentence, picked up another conviction for a drug related offense. Shaquan Almendarez, who has already served two years for drug trafficking, was slapped with an additional year which is to run concurrently with his previous jail term. When he appeared before Justice Sharon Frasier, Almendarez changed his […]
The Novelo family has been a political pincushion for more than a decade, and the saga continues. Today, attorneys for the Development Finance Corporation are set to jail Antonio Novelo for a long unpaid multi-million dollar debt to that institution. The Novelo family got the eighteen million dollar loan sometime in 2003, and since then […]
Today’s intent to apply for a committal became necessary when Antonio Novelo was also unable to pay the fifteen hundred dollars a month ordered in 2013. Nazira Miles, Attorney for Development Finance Corporation “Since February of 2014 no payment has been made, and therefore we are once again taking the step for a next […]
Three alleged sea pirates, Leonel Sedacy, Giovanni Murillo and Everal Teck Junior, accused of shooting at coast guard personnel were freed today when they appeared in the Magistrate Court. When the men appeared in court this morning, the prosecution was unable to prove the charge of aggravated assault with a firearm because the witnesses, two […]
Popular George Street associate, twenty-nine-year-old Brandon ‘BET’ Tillett was freed of wounding, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. Back in August 2014, Tillett was accused of wounding Police Officer Abner Itza. The officer claimed that Tillett bumped him in his face and hit him on the nose which caused it to split open. Tillett, […]
As we told you earlier in the newscast, the acquisitions of Fortis and B.T.L. by Government are on centre stage at the Caribbean Court of Justice, with a decision expected later this year. British Caribbean Bank is also a party in that litigation because G.O.B. has refused to pay back a loan it inherited when […]
