In the Magistrate’s court today, the case of the Commissioner of Income Tax versus businessman Cecil Knowles was heard. Knowles, a Belize City resident, owes the Income Tax Department seventeen thousand six hundred and forty-three dollars in unpaid taxes over an eleven year period between 2001 and 2012. When he appeared before Magistrate Dale Cayetano, […]
The case of Marleny Castellanos, who was named as the mastermind in an immigrations scam, came up today in the magistrate court. But what seemed to be an iron-tight case suddenly collapsed in court. Castellanos walked free this morning when the court cleared her of all thirty-eight charges for aiding and abetting immigrants to use […]
At the Caribbean Court of Justice headquarters in Trinidad and Tobago, arguments begin on Wednesday in what is described as a ground breaking case for the Caribbean in which the government of Belize is facing legal challenges of a constitutional nature. The case, which will give further teeth to the CCJ, will be heard over a […]
Two Belize City men from the PIV controlled area of the Southside of Belize City are facing charges for the Possession of a Control Drug with Intent to Supply to Another Person or Persons for the Purpose of Drug Trafficking. Last Thursday, the police apprehended Leon Grey and Wilbert Gentle and found them with seventy […]
A Honduran national, Marvin Leonel Lara Melara, was before the Supreme Court for illegal entry today. His case is significant because the ruling is the first ever interpretation of the removal order under section thirty of the Immigration Act, under which the offender must be sent home within seven days of the issuance of a […]
The case of Speednet Communications Limited and Belize Telemedia Limited returned to the courtroom of Justice Shona Griffith this morning. Speednet, parent company of SMART, had sought an interim injunction restraining Telemedia from cutting off their communication link in the South of Belize, which would leave over seven thousand SMART customers in the Toledo District […]
Last September, twenty-two year old Tyrell Hyde was robbed by cops; it was all caught on tape by surveillance camera at a bank’s ATM machine. Hyde took his case to the media when he became frustrated that there was no action against the officers. Hyde claimed they stole his money after forcing him to withdraw […]
A nine year old child has made a report of sexual assault allegedly committed by a man she knows well. The incident occurred in the Lord’s Bank area, Ladyville, when the child was in the company of a younger sibling. She had been sent to buy at a nearby grocery store on November eighth, 2014 […]
A young mother remains behind bars tonight along with her two siblings, but sadly her two month old baby boy is at home being deprived of breast milk. The case of the Usher Family who was dragged to court on Wednesday of this week, on a charge of Kept Ammunition without being granted a Gun […]
Two men, including a cop, who are facing criminal offenses, are out on bail tonight. First, there is PC Rupert Thomas, who is attached to the Independence Police Formation in the Stann Creek District, and was accused on November fourteenth, of having sex with a fourteen-year old girl. He is facing a charge of carnal […]
The trial for a family of four, Olympia King, her son, Tyron King, daughter, Sherin King and family friend, Harrison Smith, who is now deceased, concluded today before the Senior Magistrate, Sharon Fraser. Of the four persons, one was convicted for the offenses of Cultivation of Marijuana and Possession of a Pipe adapted to smoke […]
The life of a Panamanian diplomat was snuffed out on Sunday, November twenty-third; his body was found by a church goer in an area called La Choza in the capital. Jose Rodrigo de la Rosa Stanford’s had cut wounds to the neck and head. One man, eighteen year old Wilser Echevarria, was arrested the following […]
At noon today a family, including a sixteen year old minor, was dragged to court on a single charge of possession of a round of a nine-millimeter ammunition, but the Chief Magistrate threatened to dismiss the charge if the police evidence is not strong against the family. Shantel Monique Usher, her cousin, Danika Usher who is a […]
A Belize City businessman, who back in April 2013 assaulted his wife with his licensed firearm, was found guilty of one count of Aggravated Assault with a Firearm upon Bernadette Reyes. The incident occurred at the couple’s King Street house where they lived at the time. Ensfield Reyes, who was unrepresented, was found guilty on Monday […]
With Christmas just three weeks away, robberies and burglaries are likely to peak. On Monday around mid afternoon, a thirty-six year-old driver for Bowen and Bowen and two of his co-workers were held at gunpoint and robbed. The Bowen employees were on a delivery run at the store of a Chinese businessman in Cotton Tree […]
Anthony “Tutch” Gillett is the former driver of Orange Walk area representative, John Briceño. He died years ago, but two weeks ago, his body was exhumed from the Orange Walk cemetery where he was buried. But why the unusual exhumation? Well, it turns out that Gillett’s brother is laying claim to cash and assets left […]
But back to Friday morning’s murder of thirty-five year old Emerson Arnold, the cousin of Carlos “Zimbab” Abraham, a George Street boss. Moments after Arnold’s life was taken, police detained the man believed to have been responsible for his death. And interestingly today, a Mahogany Heights resident, nineteen year old Jason Sanchez aka “Jungle Rat,” […]
Supporters and members of BGYEA assembled this morning at the Supreme Court for the umpteenth time for the case of Harmonyville against the Government of Belize. Harmonyville representatives have been back and forth in court fighting to use a road reserve to plant corn, but the area has been off limits to them. Twice before, […]
Minister of State Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro walked away from charges of improper conduct as area representative for Belize Rural North over a year ago. Those claims were brought against him by a constituent. Today, however, he was back in court to face serious allegations of corrupt transactions over visa recommendations. The compelling and […]
Tonight two Cubans are in Immigration Department custody pending payment of fines for immigration offenses. Thereafter, they are expected to be expelled but it is not certain where they will be heading. Meanwhile, a Belizean and another Cuban, who has been living in Belize for eighteen years, are out on bail of one thousand dollars […]
At last check a few weeks ago, the Belize Grassroots Youth Empowerment Association, BGYEA, was in mediation with government over the proposed use of a buffer zone near Harmonyville for the cultivation of corn. It seems however, that there has been a collapse in the diplomatic approach to reaching a mutually agreeable solution. This […]
BTL Employees’ Trust, British Caribbean Bank and Fortis Energy International continue to campaign for Belize Telemedia Limited and Belize Electricity Limited to be returned to them, but money in the form of compensation for the acquired companies from the Government wouldn’t be a bad second choice. They will get the opportunity to convince the Caribbean […]
Barrow says all is in play. The biggest stakes center on the controversial Eighth Constitutional Amendment which purported to vest all of Belize’s utility companies in the control of the Government for the public’s interest. Denys Barrow, Attorney for Government “A lot is at stake and there are different levels of possibilities. One major […]
Two Ghost Town men, including alleged leader Roger Anthony, are tonight out on bail for the attempted murder of Shelly Meighan, the mother of Ellis and Tyron Meighan. Anthony and his alleged partner in crime, Kendis Flowers, appeared before Justice Denis Hanomansingh this morning and were granted bail in the sum of five thousand […]
Tonight, the fate of eighteen-year-old Wilser Echevarria rests in the hands of Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. When Belmopan Police did not seek her advice while attempting to arraign Echevarria on Wednesday, they were only obeying a directive from Assistant Commissioner of Police Russell Blackett. Via memo on September twenty-fourth, Blackett ordered all formation […]
