On Friday, January 11th, retired American couple John and Cynthia Englehardt reached out to the media in a desperate plea for help. The couple is accusing the People’s United Party’s Standard Bearer for Belize Rural North, Arthur Saldivar of fraud. The Englehardts claim that they retained the lawyer’s services in 2010 in order to obtain the title to a condo unit they purchased on the island of San Pedro. They were told by Saldivar that the process would be completed within four weeks time. It is 2013, and they still have not received any title documents from Saldivar.
They decided to make their complaints public after several attempts to reach Saldivar had failed. John Englehardt said that after he was told several times that Saldivar was not available, the secretary then said that he no longer worked at the law firm. Cynthia Englehardt’s single request was that Saldivar act in a professional manner. She said that the lawyer should report what, if any, road blocks there are that is holding up the process. After three years, the couple is no longer interested in doing business with Saldivar. They do not even want to hear his explanation. All the Englehardts want is their US$6,500 that they paid Saldivar for stamp duty tax and legal fees for the acquisition of their property title.
The Englehardts say that there are at least 10 other people they know of in San Pedro that are in the same situation with Saldivar. Many of those people paid way more than US$6,500 and have not received their title. Cynthia is a retired nurse and John is a retired law enforcement officer. Cynthia said, “We are not affluent Americans; we are all hard working people. This was our retirement and our dream and he has taken that away from us.
For his part, Saldivar made a lame appearance on Channel 7 News claiming that he would return the money to the people,who had paid him and had not received the services for which they had paid. Up to press, time there is no report reaching us that the people had received their money. Saldivar’s only excuse was that there was a process that needed to be followed for them to receive the money. As for processes, it is our opinion that it is rather simple: if you are paid to do a service and you are unable to perform, simply return the money. That is, of course if you still have the money to be returned: in that case, well, Saldivar knows what he has to do to get the payments made. We suggest that he do not take on cases that he cannot handle. And we hope he does not take money from other clients and pay those whom he owes money to.
-1 6 0 53 1/17/2013 06:00:00 64 Shane D. Williams 1/17/2013 18:54:42 64 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 2 0 3 0 2074 robots= author= 5761 Police shoot Men caught in the Act police-shoot-men-caught-in-the-act
Police have arrested 6 men, who were caught in the act of robbing a Chinese grocery store located at the corner of Mahogany and Mopan Streets.
At about 9:00 p.m. on Saturday 12th January, police responded to a robbery in progress at Jian Vin Shop located at #10 A Corner Mahogany and Mopan Streets in Belize City. The establishment’s proprietor, Jian Guang Li, 62, reported that whilst he and his wife, 33-year-old Chan Yan Zhu were inside the shop, six male entered the store. One of the men, who was armed with a handgun, hit him and his wife with the firearm to their jaw and demanded money. The store owner then handed over $2,500.00 in cash, a DVD player, a laptop computer, a carton of Independence Cigarettes, a carton of Colonial cigarettes, and two packs of cigars. Quick police response led them inside a room on the second floor of the building where a shot was fired at the police.
Police returned fire and hit 17-year-old Wilbert Gabourel, to the left and right thigh. Also injured was 20-year-old Gregory Knox, who received gunshot wounds to the left and right foot. 19-year-old Jean Pasqual received a gunshot wound to his right thigh. 18-year-old Alexis Ku, received a gunshot wound to his left thigh.
Also found inside the room were 36-year-old Steven Swasey, and 17-year-old Dillen Dougal They were unhurt.
Police recovered from the scene (2) 9mm expended shells (1) slug, (1) black Glock 9mm handgun along with (1) magazine containing (10) Aguila brand and (2) Luger brand live 9mm rounds. Alexis Ku was treated and released while Wilbert Gabourel, Gregory Knox and Jean Pasqual were admitted to ward in a stable condition. Police have recovered all items.
Police have since arrested and charged 6 persons for the incident. The latest to appear in court was one of the teens who appeared before Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer where he was read charges of armed robbery and possession of an illegal firearm, a 9 millimeter Glock. Due to the nature of the offenses, bail was denied and the minor was remanded to the Belize Youth Hostel.
He now joins 17-year-old Gabourel, Swasey, Ku, who were charge with the same offenses on Monday, January 14th.
Gabourel, Swasey and Ku were discharged from the KHMH and handed over to police.
The 16-year-old minor limped to court. According to his aunt, he was shot twice.
A medical doctor from the KHMH said that the teen had gunshot injuries to his right ankle and left thigh.
The teen is due back at the KHMH on January 25th, 2013 for his injuries.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 6 0 560 robots= author= 5762 Belmopan Police Officer charged for PG Killing belmopan-police-officer-charged-for-pg-killing
On Tuesday, January 15th, police officer attached to the Special Patrol Unit in Belmopan, Leon Higinio, was arrested and charged for the manslaughter of 53-year old Francisco Shol. On December 14th of last year Shol was socializing at the P.G. Sports Bar when he was allegedly beaten up by Higinio, who was off duty at the time. According to reports, Shol was then transported to the hospital but he discharged himself and was later found dead in a drain. Shol had suffered a fractured skull. Police made the arrest after receiving statements from as many as ten witnesses in their investigation. Police Constable Leon Higinio is currently on interdiction and awaiting trial for manslaughter.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 5 0 503 robots= author= 5763 Remanded to Prison for Attempted Murder remanded-to-prison-for-attempted-murder-
Belize City police cracked an attempted murder case in which a man of the Rhaburn Ridge area was shot in March of 2012 and on Monday, January 14th, 28-year-old Humberto Garcia, a construction worker and resident of the area, was charged with the crime.
Garcia appeared before Senior Magistarte, Sharon Frazer where he was charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm upon 29-year-old Francisco Sosa, a resident of the same village.
The shooting incident is said to have occurred on March 1st, 2012. In that shooting incident, 29-year-old Francisco Sosa was shot three times, once to the left palm, right index finger and in both legs.
In court no plea was taken and due to the nature of the offenses, Garcia was denied bail. He is due back in Court #2 on March 4th, 2013.
According to police, on March 1st, 2012, at about 9:45 p.m., they visited a wooden house in Rhaburn Ridge after receiving information of a shooting incident. When they arrived at the home, they saw blood stains. They later visited the Orange Walk Hospital where they found 29-year-old Francisco Sosa with injuries. Sosa gave police a report on the shooting incident and he also positively identified Garcia as his shooter.
On Friday, January 11th, police captured Garcia.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 4 0 390 robots= author= 5764 Guatemalan Woman caught using Her Aunt’s Passport guatemalan-woman-caught-using-her-aunts-passport
On Friday, January 11th, a Guatemalan woman, who resides on San Pedro appeared in court after she is alleged to have been caught using her aunt’s passport for the past 7 years.
35-year-old Olga Marina Gutierrez Larios, a Guatemalan national, who has been residing in Belize for some years and who has 5 Belizean children, appeared in Magistrate’s court before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stuart. She was charged with using a passport she is not entitled to.
She wasted no time and pleaded guilty to the offense as a result Magistrate Stuart imposed a non-custodial sentence, a fine of $1,000, which she was ordered to pay immediately in default 6 months imprisonment.
Olga Marina Gutierrez Larios, used a passport in the name of Noelia Larios, which she was not entitled to use. According to Immigration officers, they caught up with Larios after her Aunt, Noelia Larios went to the Immigration Office in Belize City to renew her passport with number P0259626 issued on August 6th, 2002. It expired on August 5th, 2012. Her application form was referred to the investigation unit in Belmopan for further queries as the system had another woman under that name. Further investigation revealed that her niece, Olga Gutierrez had received a passport under her name as well. Larios admitted as much and told authorities that she had been using her aunt’s passport from 2006.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 3 0 541 robots= author= 5765 10 Years for Burglary 10-years-for-burglary
On Friday, January 11th, Police Street resident, 30-year-old Sheldon Lewis was found guilty of burglary and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Lewis was accused of entering the home of Police Sergeant, Frank Augustine on October 29th, 2011, in the Village of Mahogany Heights.
The evidence against Lewis was overwhelming, so much so that when he initially appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court back in October 2011, he had pleaded guilty but on that same day, he changed his mind and pleaded not guilty.
The trial continued in the court of Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith where he was found guilty of burglary. Because he has a previous conviction for burglary and another case of burglary pending, he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.
On October 29th, 2011, at about 2:30 a.m., Sergeant Frank Augustine, 52, was not at home but received a call that his home had been burglarized. At the time, Lewis was caught coming out of Sgt. Augustine’s home with a VCR in one hand and a knapsack on his back. He was not able to escape as police responded quick to the burglary in progress. When police caught Lewis, he also had in possession clothing that belonged to Sgt. Augustine, a blender, and a ladies’ wrist watch.
According to Sgt. Augustine, when he left his home on the day before, he had properly secured his home and he gave no one permission to enter in his absence.
Lewis was able to gain entry into Sgt. Augustine’s home by breaking one of his back room windows.
In his defense, Lewis, who was unrepresented, told the court that he only went to Mahogany Heights that day to visit friends and that he never committed any burglary.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 2 0 380 robots= author= 5766 Ruckus at Magistrate’s Court Cell Block ruckus-at-magistrates-court-cell-block
On Tuesday, January 15th, the Belize Emergency Response Team’s Ambulance had to be called out to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court after a fight broke out inside the Belize City Magistrate’s Court cell block with.
The fight was between prison inmates, who were detained in the cell block waiting to be arraigned, and police officers who work at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.
The problem began early at around 9:00 a.m. when the Hattieville Prison bus, which was carrying as many as 68 prisoners, arrived with inmates to appear in court for charges such as murder, rape, robbery and other crimes who were to appear before a judge at the Supreme Court for.
The presence of the media personnel outside the court did not go well with several prisoners when they were being escorted to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court cell block area to be kept until time for their transfer back to the Hattieville Prison.
The prison inmates included, well-known figure, Tyrone Meighan, who is presently on remand for murder. He was one most annoyed by the presence of the media and made a comment to them. That was seconded by another prisoner, Andrew Talbert, who was annoyed also and who then picked up a stone that was on the ground and threw it at the media personnel. He missed, and another prisoner picked up a bigger rock and threw it at the direction of the media personnel present in the area. The stone, fortunately, missed the court reporters. That incident was quickly brought under control.
But by the time the prisoners were taken over to the Supreme Court, and while being brought back, things got out of control again when the prisoners made attempts to speak with relatives,who had gathered outside the court area to see their loved ones.
Ronlee Petillo, another inmate on remand for murder, was told he could not speak to anyone since he is detained and he was rushed inside when he made attempts to do so.
By the time the prisoners were being placed into the cellblock area, things escalated when Petillo and other prisoners attacked the officer who was placing them into the holding area.
As many as 6 prisoners attacked that officer and as a result, Police Officer, Juan Moralez, who is attached to the Patrol Branch, had to rush to his aid. He too was attacked and as a result, was hit in the left forehead. It is not certain what he was hit with.
The OC of Patrol Branch, Officer Albert Grinage, who was called in, deployed as many as 10 officers to the Magistrate’s Court to get the prisoners back into control and within minutes, they were able to quell the situation.
The first to be escorted through the back entrance of the court for treatment in the BERT Ambulance was Officer Juan Moralez who was bleeding from his injuries.
Following behind him was detainee, 30-year-old Nicholas Gordon, whose injuries were more serious and he was taken to the KHMH for further treatment.
The third person to be treated for injuries was Petillo ,who claimed he suffered a broken hand. Petillo was guarded by two police officers as his hand was being looked at by the BERT personnel. He was cleaned up and then his left hand, which he claimed was broken, was bandaged.
The BERT Ambulance at around 11:00 a.m., left with only one patient.
At the end of the morning, the prisoners were heavily chained up by their hands and shackles placed on their feet to avoid another commotion.
It is not certain yet whether any charges will be levied against any of the prisoners involved in the fight.
30-year-old Nicholas Gordon was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court where he was charged with escape and committing a mischievous act. In court, the charge of escape was read to him but no plea taken. On Monday, January 15th, Gordon was detained by police was escorted to the Mahogany Street precinct where he allegedly gave police a wrong name. While police had him in custody, he managed to escape. In court, Gordon claimed that he escape from police as they allegedly put a gun to his head and threaten to kill him.
-1 1 0 39 1/17/2013 06:00:00 62 0/0/0000 00:00:00 0 0 0/0/0000 00:00:00 1/17/2013 06:00:00 0/0/0000 00:00:00 show_title= link_titles= show_intro= show_section= link_section= show_category= link_category= show_vote= show_author= show_create_date= show_modify_date= show_pdf_icon= show_print_icon= show_email_icon= language= keyref= readmore= 1 0 1 0 493 robots= author= 5767 Riding a High Horse riding-a-high-horse
As I watched the long-winded interview being afforded by Love TV to Hon. Requeña from Toledo West regarding Minister Alamilla’s burning of the confiscated rose wood, I was reminded of an incident which occurred in 1998. The newly elected PUP Government under Hon. Musa had, accompanied by a hefty entourage of party elements, gone on a trip to Taiwan to borrow money. Although his return was delayed by Hurricane Mitch, he made the “joyful” announcement from the plane that he had successfully secured a loan of $100 million from the Taiwanese government.
Immediately after Mr. Musa’s announcement, all his Ministers began spending measures of this money in all ways imaginable. Each interview given by government officials invariably included the words “and this can be accomplished with some of the funds from Taiwan”. These proposed development programs included improved infrastructure, poverty elimination, new classrooms, new schools, new houses – hell, new everything and anything. Indeed the PUP preached that with this loan, they had secured the panacea for all of our country’s maladies.
Well, we got to find out that a hundred million is chicken feed for the PUP, and the money “come and gone” on heaven knows what. Our people still remained poor, broke and unemployed for the most part. I guess the millions trickled down, but not too far from the “Group “.
Now back to Mr. Requeña. He was saying that Minister Alamilla should not have burnt the rosewood, but instead exported it and then use the revenues to fix the Forestry Department’s outposts, assist all the needy schools in Toledo (East and West), feed the poor and a host of other noble causes. The PUP is good at that; giving lip-service, but what they say and what they do are two completely different things.
At this stage, we are reminded that the value of the rosewood was estimated at BZ $400,000. One would never fetch that value after shipping, insurance and other business expenses are deducted. But money aside, what “smarty pants” did not understand was that the Minister was making a statement to both the smugglers in our woodlands and the corrupt officials within her Ministry. The previous batch of rosewood which was confiscated by Forestry still got stolen right out of the compound. So what the Minster was saying was, let them steal the ashes now and try to sell it. You get it now, papa?
Truly, though, Mr. Requeña did not look as bad as our own Mayor, Kevin Bernard, did here in OW. I tell you, the man really messed up last week and embarrassed Orange Walkeños with his press release on the murders of the four George Street affiliates. For those who have forgotten Channel 7’s account of the press release, here is a portion from the Mayor’s desk: “he (Bernard) also chastises the Prime Minister and calls on him to, quote, “desist from negotiating with criminals, and…restore control to the streets of Belize City through legal force, if necessary. And for gratuitous effect, the Mayor adds, quote, we should not negotiate with terrorists. A curfew should be imposed and enforced immediately.
Firstly, the OW Mayor has no moral authority to offer advice on how to address these extensive levels of criminality until he confronts the ballooning amount of pilfering in his own administration. Too much is going on at Town Hall that we feel ashamed to talk about it. Secondly, Prime Ministers and Presidents in troubled countries around the world oftentimes have to sit with anti-government rebels and anti-social groups that inflict injury and create destruction. It is the responsibility of elected leaders to ensure the security of their fellow citizens at any cost and with every reasonable means. If our leaders have to negotiate for peace, let them try it. This is not the time for macho attitudes.
Let us look again at the absurd statement as Bernard declares that the PM should “restore control to the streets of Belize City through legal force, if necessary”. I tried to understand what he was attempting to get across, but you will have to help me out here because I really am confused. Serious! I think I better leave that one alone.
Lastly, Channel 7 taught me a new word. The news anchor said that Bernard was being “doctrinaire” when he stated that “a curfew should be imposed and enforced immediately.” Folly me, such a simple solution to a complex problem! Do you mean no one in Government or Opposition ever thought of that before? In wrapping up Bernard’s self-indulgent public release, Channel 7 said that he was “riding a high horse”, a statement which immediately conjured in my mind the image of Lord Farquaad in Shrek. Sorry, no offence, buddy!
