Throughout the public hearings on the Development Finance Corporation, the thirty million dollar loan to the Novelo group was a prominent topic of discussion. In February, the Novelo brothers, David and Tony, launched a campaign against the appointment of accountant Mark Hulse as the Commission of Inquiry’s forensic auditor. The Novelos maintained that Hulse’s previous […]
After a series of setbacks, including the disappearance of a police file and the accused being out of the country, this morning a jury was empanelled to hear the case against Ben Bou-Nahra. In May of this year, Bou-Nahra was ordered to stand trial in connection the death of Shawn Copius, who was shot five […]
A convicted cop killer will spend the rest of his life behind bars. That was the sentence handed down to twenty-six year old Chadrick Debride this afternoon by Justice Troadio Gonzalez. Earlier this month, Debride was convicted in connection with the shooting death of Police Constable Nedi Reymundo. On Christmas Eve in 2004, Reymundo had […]
The proposed boardwalk along the northern bank of the Haulover Creek has created its fair share of legal controversy. Tonight News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports on the latest case against the infrastructural development. Charles Heusner, Chair, National Fishermen Cooperative “Finally our members are earning a decent living, you know. We are up to a certain […]
The case against a Belize City man accused of homicide has ended with a conviction. Last February, Kermit Meighan was charged with the stabbing murder of twenty-five year old Lionel “Tubbs” Gabb. On the night in question, an argument between the two men on Antelope Street ended with Gabb being stabbed with a five inch […]
Two years ago, an argument between two parents in a Cayo schoolyard escalated to violence and left a man and a small child injured. But today justice has been meted out. In April 2005, sixty-seven year old Alberto Reyes was charged with attempted murder and use of deadly means of harm after he shot Albert […]
Meanwhile, a Belize City driver who pled guilty to Causing Death by Careless Conduct this week has been fined for the offence. Justo Reyes appeared before Justice Adolph Lucas today to learn his fate for killing thirty-nine year Carlos Alamilla last April. But family members of the deceased got up and told the judge they […]
In court news, a Belize City man has pled guilty to Causing Death by Careless Conduct for an accident that occurred in April of 2006. Around nine the night of the twenty-second, Justo Reyes and five friends left the Triangle Bar on East Collet Canal and were heading to another establishment on Barrack Road. Reyes, […]
In Belize City Magistrates’ Court a man who broke into a home in Biscayne Village pleaded guilty to burglary and damage to property. Twenty-six year old Oscar Lopez Martinez was apprehended by neighbours and held for police after he entered the home of seventy-six year old Marjorie Tillett on June twenty-sixth. Six hundred and fifty […]
Earlier in this newscast we looked at how the cruise tourism industry is trying to come to grips with its impact on the environment. Today in Belize City, that industry–more specifically its economic benefits–figured prominently in a case before the Supreme Court. The question was whether the operators of the Fort Street Tourism Village could […]
A man convicted of carnal knowledge with a thirteen year old girl has been sentenced to twelve years in prison. Antonio Paau, a thirty-two year old bus conductor, was found guilty earlier this month in the Supreme Court. The crime in question was committed in August of 2005 after he had made friends with the […]
It’s a constitutional case that has the potential to set important precedents both here and internationally. Today the attorneys on both sides in the Maya land issue concluded their arguments and left their fate in the hands of Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh. But whoever wins or loses, the legal battle has forced Belizeans to think […]
The badly decomposed corpse of the newborn child was found in April of last year wrapped in a towel, stuffed in a box, and then placed in a plastic bag. A few weeks later police arrested twenty year old Maritza Gonzalez and, based on medical evidence and testimony that the child was born alive, charged […]
Late this afternoon, the case of the Mayan villagers suing the Government of Belize for communal land rights adjourned after their attorney, Antoinette Moore, made her final submissions to the Chief Justice. At nine tomorrow morning, counsel for the Government, Nicola Cho, will take the floor to wrap up her arguments. Earlier today, Moore called […]
A Belize City man who pled guilty to knocking down an elderly woman has been fined for causing her death. According to court reports, thirty-six year old auditor Ian Skeen, originally charged with Manslaughter by Negligence, appeared for trial this morning but through his attorney, entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of Causing […]
The case of the Toledo Maya claim against the Government of Belize for communal land rights continued this afternoon in the Supreme Court. At the start of the sitting, attorney for villagers from Conejo and Santa Clara referred to correspondence between Belmopan and the United Nations about land use by the Maya in the Toledo […]
A man convicted of murder and sentenced to life in Prison has had that verdict set aside on appeal. On March second, Edward Barona was found guilty of the June 2005 murder of David Vasquez on Orange Street in Belize City. Today, however, the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a verdict of […]
She has become the public rallying point for what is widely perceived as a telecommunications company gone seriously astray. And today Christine Perriott was back in court to hear what amounted to a major vindication of her stand against the management of B.T.L. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports. Christine Perriott “It’s exciting, it’s wonderful, it’s […]
In news from the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice has ruled against the Government of Belize in a case stemming from the damage to property caused by unruly residents of Belize City over two years ago. This morning Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh ordered that the Government reimburse four local insurance companies six hundred and ninety […]
A convicted murderer has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life behind bars. On May thirtieth, a jury found twenty-four year old Wayne Martinez guilty of the stabbing death of forty-five year old Reno Castillo. His brother, twenty-seven year old Morris, was also accused of the murder but was acquitted of the crime. […]
In other court news, a convicted rapist has been granted a new trial. Last October, forty-eight year old Dennis Gabourel was sentenced to ten years in jail for raping and beating his ex-common law wife. Today, Hubert Elrington successfully argued against Gabourel’s conviction on the grounds that the trial judge erred in law and failed […]
Separate appeals by two men convicted of sex crimes have been denied in the Court of Appeal. In September 2006, twenty-two year old Sheldon Baptist was ordered to spend the next seven and a half years behind bars. Through his attorney Lionel Welch, Baptist appealed the decision, but the court struck down his claim. Baptist […]
A new ruling by the Supreme Court means that the financial documents related to the government guaranteed Universal Health Services debt will be placed in the public domain within two weeks. This afternoon Justice Michelle Arana met with the attorneys in the case and all parties have agreed for disclosure of the relevant material by […]
Members of the Association of Concerned Belizeans are celebrating a legal victory tonight as Justice Michelle Arana has ordered the disclosure of the Universal Health Services loan note, settlement deed, and secondary loan facility agreed to by Prime Minister Said Musa. That document must be made public within twenty-one days. Today’s proceeding was scheduled to […]
Three years after the cold-blooded killing of a police officer on Christmas Eve, the suspected shooter has been convicted of the crime. Chadrick Debride was twenty-three years old in December 2004 when he was arrested and charged with the murder of police constable Nedi Reymundo. The cop was shot in the head from close range […]
