Tonight, a go slow at the Port of Belize has been called off and loading operations are resuming on board a Thai vessel loaded with sugar.  After a protracted meeting that started this morning and ended in the afternoon, the Christian Workers Union and the Port of Belize signed off on a six point agreement that kicks in on June first. One of the union demands involving the delivery of food to stevedores was worked out and both sides agreed to go back to the table on pending issues. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A six-point action plan ratified by the Christian Workers Union, on behalf of a hundred and fifty stevedores, and the management of Port of Belize Ltd. has, for now, brought to an end a standoff between both parties.  On Monday morning, the union effected a go-slow during which the loading of the Emwika Naree, a cargo vessel flying the Thai flag with a carrying capacity of seventeen thousand, three hundred and fifty-three metric tons of sugar, came to an abrupt halt.  While the industrial action can potentially cost PBL should the ship’s voyage from Belize on June fourteenth be delayed, cooler heads have prevailed, allowing for a meeting to discuss the issues affecting the port’s dockhands.

Arturo Vasquez, Receiver, Port of Belize Ltd.

“We met some of their demands.  We met halfway and we also agreed to get back to the negotiating framework that we had with our next meeting scheduled for next week Thursday.”

James McFoy

That agreement succeeds lengthy deliberations.  Upon their emergence shortly after midday today Acting President James McFoy of the CWU, along with several experienced stevedores, was summoned back into the negotiating room where another round of discussions was held.

James McFoy, Acting President, Christian Workers Union

“We signed a document just a while ago whereby, as you will recall when I came out this morning, earlier, they [PBL] were at two times for the week payment and the advance increased from fifty dollars to a hundred dollars and that was it.  But they called us back as you could recall and they said they’re in a different position whereby they forgot to tell us why it is not feasible or not possible because they say some of the workers had bank loans and mortgages and so on and it would have been difficult.”

Despite the perceived difficulty and what can be described as a rather impractical request which may inevitably prove tedious for the banks, the stevedores stood firmly behind their demand.

Arturo Vasquez

Arturo Vasquez

“Paying daily could be difficult because these people, about ninety percent of the stevedores have commitments with the Family Court or with the bank.  So I thought that by getting the union back in to say to them well listen, this could create another problem in that these commitments, we could not be paying these people in cash because we will then be going up against our commitments to the bank.  And that’s why we got them back in to sort of say to them consider all of this which also affects the reason why it’s hard to pay on a daily basis.”

Daily compensation, according to the agreement, will commence on June first with tentative payments set for the twenty-second, twenty-fifth and twenty-eighth of May.  The fourteen-day extension should allow for the management of PBL to transition smoothly into the new payment scheme.

James McFoy

“We have to give them that grace period of two weeks.  So we do not foresee anything breaking down on either side.  If after the two weeks things do not happen then we will have to do what we have to do again.”

Arturo Vasquez

“Today I think it was really, on both parties, the interest really here was to get things back on track and to agree to something like this, I don’t think is that much of a deal for us to agree with.  It is not what we would prefer to do but it is not something that I would, as the person here making that decision, it’s something that I would have said absolutely no and create a bigger problem.”

By that time, hopefully, the loading of the Emwika Naree should have been completed.  Failure to meet that deadline can cost PBL an estimated eight thousand U.S. dollars per day for every additional day the vessel remains docked.  While work on stocking the vessel resumes tonight stevedores have also agreed that they will be paid in advance for meals during the shift.

Raymond Rivers

Raymond Rivers, Stevedore

“We have wahn suga boat weh deh out deh, weh wahn di out deh fi wah month so if dehn do di wrong thing or say di wrong thing or noh live up to dehn word da right back and like weh a say, we, we noh have to worry bout di lee hundred weh we mek, da dehn haffi di worry bout di thousands weh dehn lose every hour or whateva right.  So I just wahn dehn play dehn game straight and I believe by the fifteenth ah July we fi done settle this and that da fu we ultimatum to dehn to.  By the fifteenth ah July I believe we fi done set everything because afta that we wah come rasher if dehn noh really deal wid we straight, cause from di container wah shet down if dehn noh really deal wid we straight and we noh get this thing ready by July right.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar will be in Belize this Wednesday. It coincides with the visit of the Commonwealth Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma who arrived earlier today.

Kamalesh Sharma

Belize is hosting both a Commonwealth Local Government Forum and CARILED, the Caribbean Local Economic Development, on new initiatives to start in Belize. Persad-Bissessar will be overnighting and the Secretary General will also be leaving on Thursday. Sharma comes from a visit to Mexico where he met with President Felipe Calderon. Both are on their first visit to the Jewel.

Marco Thompson

A trio of men is tonight being sought for questioning in connection with the brutal slaying of forty-five year old Marco Thompson, a second form teacher of Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio Town.  On Sunday afternoon shortly after one o’clock, Thompson’s nude body was discovered in a pool of blood inside the living room of his home on West and Second streets with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the right side of his neck.  While a motive for the murder has not been ascertained it is believed that Thompson was familiar with his attackers since there were no visible signs of forced entry at the premises.  Thompson, according to a police report, was last seen alive by his roommate, Ron Vasquez, around one-fifteen pm on Saturday afternoon.  Vasquez also told San Ignacio police that he had a telephone conversation with Thompson around 1:30 the following morning.  No arrests have been made in the case thus far and police investigations continue.

Luis Cardenas

As for the murder of twenty-two year old Luis Cardenas, who was killed in Orange Walk on Sunday morning, police have yet to levy any charges. Several persons of interests have been questioned in connection with the shooting, but no arrests have been. Cardenas was on a friend’s verandah on Gravel Lane when at around three-forty-five in the morning, a lone gunman sprayed the house with bullets. In the hail of gunfire, a single bullet hit Cardenas on the head and he died on the spot. Thirty-six year old Deon Hyde was also walking by when the man opened fire and he was shot at least four times. He ran across the street after being shot and was assisted by a neighbor. Hyde remains hospitalized at the Northern Regional Hospital. While police have not yet confirmed who was the intended target, we are told that Cardenas had indicated that he was in trouble and Hyde was only known in the area as someone who did yard maintenance for several persons.

Rodwell Williams

In Monday’s newscast we reported on an election petition by Orlando Habet against returning Cayo North area representative Elvin Penner on the refusal of a recount of ballots. The case took another turn today when lawyers from both sides were back in court. Arguments were heard on whether the procedure used by attorneys Said Musa and Anthony Sylvestre on behalf of Habet was flawed. Attorney Rodwell Williams argued that the matter should be struck out on the basis of non-compliance and an abuse of process. Williams submitted that after a petition on allegations of bribery was struck out on April tenth, Musa and Sylvestre relied on the same supporting documents when they filed a petition on the recount. Williams contends that the documents are, therefore, null and void.

Rodwell Williams, Attorney

“Is the same petition that the court struck out, which petition is also dated second of April, the court struck it out on the tenth of April and turn around and gave them leave to present a true petition.  Instead of doing that, incidentally the court also ordered that the registry be kept opened late to facilitate their filing. Instead of doing that, they cut, paste and jam up papers together and presented the same petition dated the second of April—which the court just struck out—and the same two affidavit dated thirtieth of March even before the petition of the second of April came into being. So they filed those same documents once more. That in our view make those documents a nullity because the court, when it gave the leave on the tenth, you can’t have a petition predating the date of your leave. You are giving leave to file one, to swear one and you can’t therefore file and swear one which existed before you get leave; that makes it a nullity.”

Alfonso Noble

“Is this sloppy legal work?”

Rodwell Williams

“I am not the author of it so I would not want to categorize it—others or the authors of that work and you will have to draw your own conclusion—but certainly in my view it was an abuse of the court’s process to have put that document before the court especially in the circumstances when after the court give you an opportunity by holding open the registry beyond the usual time to allow you to present a true petition—not a petition that the court struck out that same day and not a petition that is sworn on the second of April before you get leave, not an affidavit that is sworn before the petition exists on the thirtieth of March and put that before the court. In my view that is a nullity; that has to be treated as though it had never happened. Therefore, it means that the twenty-one day expired and you have nothing before the court to commence the election petition process.  They filed a petition dated the second of April at the time of the filing of the application and they did that allegedly because they weren’t sure of the time. That petition was one that was filed—whether you call it an exhibit or they call it whatever they call it—that was a petition signed, sworn, swearing supporting affidavit and that petition was filed without leave. That makes it bad. The court actually strike it out and I record the records of the court saying this is where you struck it out. They brought back the same document; ipsissima verba and therefore it should go by the same way.  The case will turn on whether the court accepts the submission on whether it is a nullity. If it is a nullity, then it means there is no petition. it is a nullity; it has to be treated or ought to be treated as though it was never in existence or filed.”

Anthony Sylvestre

But Sylvestre maintains that due process has been followed and that with respect to the Representation of People’s Act they have complied with the law in respect of election petition rules.

Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney for Orlando Habet

“When this matter first came on the tenth of April, there were time constraints and the fact of the matter is that on the tenth, the trial judge had struck out portions of our petition on the basis that it was not brought in time. Subsequent to that we have applied to appeal that decision and that portion of the petition was in fact the strongest part of our case.”

Duane Moody

“Sir, he is having that your case should be struck out based on non-compliance and abuse of process. Explain to us about that.”

Anthony Sylvestre

“There has in fact been no non-compliance. There has been no non-compliance of none of the election petition rules which is set out in the representation of people’s act and that was the point we made. There has been none such non compliance. It cannot be said that we are running a foul of any rule of practice as such.”

Aaron Humes

“On the tenth of April what was exhibited in court was not a petition correct?”

Anthony Sylvestre

“No it could not be a petition because the rules provide for the specific way in which a draft petition or something can become a petition and that wasn’t the course that was taken. It was a draft petition which was exhibited, which was annex to the affidavit of Mister Orlando Habet.”

Aaron Humes

“As an exhibit and then it became a petition albeit altered from what the court ordered after the conclusion of the hearing…”

Anthony Sylvestre

“Yes when leave was granted that’s when it became a petition. Actually it still didn’t become a petition until it was presented—meaning it was filed in the court registry. That’s when it actually really becomes a petition. In terms of that allegation, respectfully, there is no basis for saying that as played out in court. These are matters of law that will eventually find itself in the court of appeal as Mister Musa explained yesterday.”

After over two hours of arguments, Justice Minnet Hafiz decided to reserve judgment until May twenty-fourth.

A minor has been charged for the May tenth murder of Leo Palacio Junior, who was fatally shot on Central American Boulevard. Two other persons were injured in the shooting; cyclist Byron Pope and a seventeen year old minor. The accused sixteen year old appeared in Family Court this afternoon and was read a single charge of murder. But his mother is convinced that the police have the wrong person because she says she was at home with her son when the murder took place. In fact, according to the mother someone else went to the house to tell them about the incident after it happened. The minor has been linked to the crime because police received reports that the shooter goes by the nickname “Fish”. His mother says, however, that he was never included in an identification parade and he has a friend who uses the same nickname. She spoke to News Five off camera about her son’s arrest.

Voice of: Mother of Accused Minor

“Dehn arrest fi wah murder weh happen Thursday night pan di boulevard weh three young man get shot. But at di time when di murder happen, my son mi deh home yah because all ah we mi inside ya di play cards and thing. Di Friday morning, di police dehn come and seh dehn come look fi “Fish”; dehn neva call ha by ih real name, dehn just seh Fish. So my son at di time he mi deh yah and thing so dehn handcuff ah and dehn ker ah. I di ask dehn why dehn ker ah and dehn seh fi wah murder weh happen last night and I tell dehn but den he mi deh yah last night. Dehn ker ah, dehn lock ah down from Friday and let ah go Sunday morning. when he di come home dah morning deh, he mi di run come home fi come bathe and thing. By di time he get yah dah because police done deh outside. Dehn come, dehn search ah again, dehn ransack my whole house; all eena di back room, eena di fridge, dehn deh everywhere and I noh know weh dehn mi di look fah. Dehn gone afta dat. Like coming onto Monday morning like after twelve dehn come again; dehn time deh he di sleep een yah. Dehn come and dehn ker ah again fi di same murder, dehn lock ah down. When I gone dah di station dehn tell me dehn di charge ah fi murder—fi di three person weh get shot but only one ah dehn dead and di two you know. So I noh know weh fi seh but my son neva do it. I noh just di teck up fi ah, ih neva do it cause dah time he deh right yah and dat hurt me because he neva even been to court yet. He only sixteen and he neva been to court, he not even got wah record. But somebody out deh di tell police dat dah he, di call fi he name; ih nickname. Dehn noh call fi he name, just ih nickname and dehn got lot ah people weh got dah nickname deh.”

Due to his age, the minor was remanded to the Wagner’s Facility at the Kolbe Foundation compound. He is due back in the Family Court on June twenty-seventh.

Brian Smith

A thirty-five year old man anxiously waited to receive the verdict of whether he would be found guilty or not guilty of raping a seventeen-year-old minor. The incident in question allegedly occurred on February nineteenth, 2011.  The prosecutor, Crown Counsel, Meagan Francis was assisted by Crown Counsel, Christophe Rodriguez who called several witnesses to testify, including the alleged victim. Her testimony was held “In camera” and it took her close to two days to recount her claim that she was raped by a man she felt she had no need to fear since the family knew him. The minor testified that Brian Smith called her to his home and made unwanted advances towards her and that he raped her.  In his defense, Smith claimed he was in a secret relationship with the girl whom he had known for a year. On the day of the alleged incident, he said she asked for money and he gave it to her. He said she promised to return to his home after going to the store and that sex was consensual. The jury of six men and three women this afternoon acquitted Rodriguez of the charge.

Public Service week will be observed in June, with several activities to mark the occasion. But before that, government departments today hosted students and the general public at the Charles Bartlet Hyde Building on Mahogany Street for Public Service Information Day. The aim of the event is to educate attendees on the services that are provided by the different government departments. This year it was held under the theme “As agents of change, Public Officers build, transform, create and deliver quality service”.  According to Coordinator, Annisa Perdomo, they’ve seen marked improvement in the participation by the departments.

Annisa Perdomo, Coordinator, Public Service Information Day

“Public Service information Day, usually it’s something before the start of Public Service week which is in June, from June eighteenth to the twenty-second. So before that, we would usually have a Public Service Information Day where government departments would come together and showcase the services that they provide to the public. So we have today, at least about twenty-five departments taking part and it’s a big success this year. Last year we had only fifteen so we had a lot of departments that came on board and I wanted to talk specifically about a couple; the Police Department, B.D.F. and the Women’s Department. Especially for the B.D.F. and the Police Department, we want to highlight them because they came out and showed the different things that they offer as the police Department and the B.D.F.  The Women’s Department, for public officers they are offering free services like manicures and pedicures. Another department that is offering something for the public service is the National Library Service; a book exchange program. So you can bring a book and exchange it and get something good in return.”

Delahnie Bain

Annisa Perdomo

“I notice you have some students here, is there a specific age group or so that you all were targeting?”

Annisa Perdomo

“Yes, we sent out a flyer specifically to standard four, five and six at primary schools and we invited all the high schools within the Belize District. So you know they are the future of Belize, we wanted them to come and see—maybe they want to join the police force, the B.D.F. or be a government officer; so come and see the different services that we provide here. It’s the start of before the week of Public Service Week so I’ll ask the public to look forward for that. June twenty-third is the actual Public Service Day, however, we’re having a week of activities for that week so we’ll invite again the public to different activities during that week.”

The event leads up to a week of activities from June eighteenth to the twenty-third to mark Public Service Week. 

On Friday night, the Prime Minister extended the olive branch to the Michael Ashcroft group of companies at a huge social event to mark the silver anniversary of the Belize Bank. That public announcement may have eclipsed the re-branding of the bank that that has become the dominant financial institution in the productive sector.  A new tagline and logo were unveiled and the Bank’s chairman spoke of the banks community outreach as well as the ambitious plans ahead. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.   

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

It was the twenty fifth anniversary of the country’s eldest bank, which had transformed over a hundred years from the Bank of British Honduras in 1903, to the Royal Bank of Canada  in 1912 and finally in 1987 as the Belize Bank.  The Chief Executive Officer Lyndon Guiseppi explained some of the institution’s finer investments in recent years.

Lyndon Guiseppi

Lyndon Guiseppi, Executive Chairman, Belize Bank

“In terms of its pedigree, the lineage of the Belize Bank is unmatched and it is unsurpassed. The Belize Bank and the forerunners have been in Belize longer than most of us can remember and it is my sincere hope; indeed it is entire hope of the entire board and management and staff of the organization that the Belize Bank would be around to serve our children and grandchildren in the same way that it has served and contributed to the betterment of the lives of all our customers that have gathered here with us this evening to celebrate. The Belize Bank has been involved in a number of civic and developmental initiatives which have contributed in no small way to the overall development of the country as a whole. Among the many initiatives that we have been involved in, there are couple that stand out because of their obvious developmental impact: our proud involvement with the Stella Maris School, our involvement with the Belize Bulldogs Basketball Program. Our work ladies and gentlemen with Hand in Hand Ministries; building homes for the underprivileged and deserving families, our adoption of the Neo-Natal Unit at the K.H.M.H.. Ladies and gentlemen I could go on and on and on, but the simple point however is this, the Belize Bank has not stood idly by. We have gotten actively involved in the communities which we serve. In other words we have rolled up our sleeves and we got our hands dirty. We are announcing that we will be awarding twenty-five scholarships to deserving secondary school students throughout the length and breadth of Belize. These awards will be granted to two students from every district and three students from the Belize City district. These scholarships will cover the purchase of books and tuition. We will establish a panel which will collaborate with the Ministry of Education to select these deserving students, who will also significantly we mentored by specially selected members of staff of the Belize Bank. Too often we finance things and then we leave people to do their own. I think mentoring is a critical component in the success of any initiative.”

The Prime Minister was also on hand for the revamping of the Bank’s corporate strategy and logo.

Dean Barrow 

Dean Barrow

“It must be with a great sense of satisfaction then that the management, staff and the clients of the bank look back at its long past and look ahead to its even longer future. But pride of place in the financial system of Belize as the country’s largest and oldest bank also carries a heavy responsibility. Management and staff must work extra hard to maintain that coveted number one position and that work must be undertaken and that position must be maintained in a manner that sets an example in the best traditions of banking. This means providing top quality advice to clients, it means speed and efficiency in financial transactions and it means preserving, reliability, confidentiality and above all stability. Potential borrowers and investors must be confident that at all times, the bank will offer effective hand holding guidance and depositors equally must know that their funds are always being studiously safeguarded. A banking and financial system occupies a crucial place in any economy. And so special rules are put in place for its management  and regulation and any government will hope for smooth and cooperative relations among the entities serving the business community and the general public.” 

Lyndon Guiseppi

“Having achieved dominance ladies and gentlemen in the Belizean banking landscape—an observation I am sure you will all agree with—the Belize Bank has now its sights on higher heights. Our stated ambition is to become the preeminent banking group in Central America and the Caribbean.” 

Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Patrick Faber

Seven thousand one hundred and seventy-six students sat the 2012 Primary School Examination. The record number of students calls into question whether or not classroom spaces would be adequate in high schools. By 2015, fulfillment of the Millennium Development goals include one hundred percent enrollment in high school. Education Minister Patrick Faber says there are spaces for at least seventy-five to eighty percent of the children who finish primary school, but there are personal factors that prevent some children from being enrolled in high school.  News Five spoke to the education minister who says that there are available seats in high schools classrooms across the country.

Patrick Faber, Minister of Education

“For some time we thought there might have been slippage in terms of enrollment at primary school. The census of 2010 indicates that we are at ninety-five percent enrollment and that is something positive because of course our goal is to be able to fulfill the MDG goal of achieving one hundred percent enrollment by 2015. So we are well on target with that. I raise that today because there are some corners of the media who looked at the number of people who took the PSE—probably the highest number in the history of this country—to look at it on the negative side. To view it as I’ve said to have the glass being half empty than half full. To me that is a success that we’ve been able to get that increasing number of students to that level where they complete primary school and to convince this nation that despite the scare that some are trying to make in the media; that we’re doing quite well with spaces in terms of secondary education. But let me set that quarrel to rest that in fact this government and our partners have worked tremendously to make sure that there is space. And anybody who check the records can see that. In Stann Creek and Toledo there is a space of every child, in the Belize district there is a space for every child, in Orange Walk and Corozal there are six high schools each respectively—in fat if you look at it; just to show the situation on average, there are close to sixty high schools in this country. If we assume that each high school that can take in a hundred and we know that there are some who can’t, but there are also some that are taking in up to two hundred and fifty—so it averages out—so you can see that there can be six to seven thousand spaces quite easily in this country. If you take into consideration as well that the ITVETs are underutilized, if you take into consideration another fifteen hundred students or so that are engaged in the adult and continued education program that the ministry supports across the country; if you take into consideration that there are institutions like the 4H, like the magazine road terminal projects and so on then of course there are spaces. There are other issues that contribute to students not getting to high schools.”

Jose Sanchez

“Are there high schools that have spaces for these students that aren’t making it?”

Patrick Faber

“Why yes. In fact Jose that’s what I am saying. Let me make a very simple example; the students who live in the Belize River Valley Area. There is a high school there called the Belize Rural High School that many of them don’t go to; the parents believe in sending their students to Belize City and the other parts of the country. So you would hear those parents say that they noh got no space fi mi child, but there is a space. There are spaces at Belize Rural High, there are spaces possibly at Ladyville Technical, there are spaces at Sadie Vernon, there are spaces at Maud Williams High School, there are spaces at Excelsior, there are spaces at the Gwen Liz Evening School Program.”

Under copyright laws, Belizean and international artists stand to collect royalties for songs aired in Belize.  At a press conference his morning, BSCAP; the Belizean Society of Composers Authors Publisher says it is advancing the protection of rights of copyright owners in the music entertainment industry through enforcement of the law. BSCAP mission is in four areas: to acquire rights from copyright owners, license these rights to copyright users, collect license fees from users and distribute the license fees to members. BSCAP says twenty-seven years ago Brother David Obi started the process to enact the copyright laws. Freelance reporter Duane Moody reports on the first press conference held by BSCAP.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A major milestone has been reached in the creative arts industry in respect of licensing rights.

Gregory Vernon

Gregory Vernon, Director, Institute of Creative Arts

“This will be not the last milestone that we will stay at and we hope to move forward. With the users, we hope that we will be able to educate them to recognize and as the word of the great Aretha Franklin, RESPECT the creators of music because we would like to see service; especially the National institute of Culture and History, services being recognized as a product—tangible and intangible. We would like to have the respect of the users so they will be able to see us and respect us for the music, the choreography, the craft, the art that we are creating because we also as artists need to put food on our table.”

The Belizean Society of Composers Authors Publishers, BSCAP, says that artists will receive equal royalties for their music aired at local and international events.

Jason Guerrero

Jason Guerrero, Board Chairman, BSCAP

“Our campaign is a door to door campaign where we are going knocking on doors advising persons that yes this is the law and we would like you to license. In terms of the radio stations, they are required by law, by the Belize broadcasting act to log the music that they are playing. Eventually, the way copyright is paid out is that artists rack up points for music. So if Berne’s music is played ten times per day on the music, then he is racking up points for the ten times. That’s how it is done in the ideal world which we are probably far from at this time. But for right now, what we do is pay royalties on a prorated basis meaning that all members of BSCAP when we collect royalties get an equal share of the pie.”

The CIBC, First Caribbean Bank was the first locally based company to honour the copyrights of local artists. They were presented with an award for their support.

Glen Smith

Glen Smith, Country Manager, CIBC First Caribbean International Bank

“When we play music inside the banking halls or even the back offices, it provides ambience, relaxation for our staff and it is an established fact that background music does in fact improve productivity. However what that does is that we compensate the artists and BSCAP protects all artists when we pay our license fees.”

Several artists attended the conference; they are pleased that they will are to be compensated for their work.

Tanya Carter

Tanya Carter, Artist

“It is what it is. I mean like this is my job. I don’t have a nine to five and say oh I will sing on the weekends; no this is my job. And I think that as I respect you as a journalist, you should respect me as an artist and for me getting paid is like a token saying that you respect me as an artist and I think that is what we are all looking for.  Well it means that we are finally getting the respect that we so deserve. I mean I know a lot of artists that put in a lotta money and people noh realize that it’s like five hundred dollars to do a song and if we are not getting any kind of monies back, we are left with nothing. It’s an investment and BSCAP is doing an excellent job.”

BSCAP says that persons who violate the copyrighting laws can end up before the court.

Jason Guerrero

“Well that depends on the courts. Unfortunately, we would have to take legal action in court. Penalties include financial fines, it could also include where the court can stop a business from operating. I don’t know if that will happen, but it can happen. And that is how our laws are written right now.”

Glenn Tillett

Glenn Tillett, Host

“There are different fines and sanctions for different violations. Here in Belize because culturally it seems we have an attitude where we ignore these things and we tend to disregard them and there has been not much education and information about it, it does seems like uncharted territory.”

To find out more information on copyrighting works, you can go to BSCAP’s website at www.bscap.bz Duane Moody for News Five.

Catarina Ishim

By now you know that twelve year old Catarina Ishim, the little girl from San Pablo, Toledo underwent over twenty hours of surgery in mid April to remove a massive tumor from her face. Since then, she and her father have been staying at the home of Dr. Rick Glover in Knoxville, Tennessee. In an update to her story, on Monday, Catarina had another procedure and testing in preparation for the next phase of her treatment, chemotherapy. News Five got the latest today from Carla Jennings, the president of Hearts of Christ Children’s Ministry, which assisted Catarina and her family in getting to the US.

Via Phone: Carla Jennings, President, Hearts of Christ Children’s Ministry

“Catarina just had a bone marrow biopsy and she also had a central line that will be used for her chemo treatment. Those tests were yesterday and the results from the bone marrow biopsy should be in tomorrow.”

Delahnie Bain

Carla Jennings

“How is she doing in terms of the recovery process?”

Via Phone: Carla Jennings

“She’s doing very well. She’s having a little trouble with the healing of the skin graft on her thigh but it’s doing much better today. She’s been up, she’s eating, she’s drinking liquids and she’s working puzzles and watching TV. She’s been doing very well.”

Delahnie Bain

“Okay, is she expected to do any further tests or procedures anytime soon?”

Via Phone: Carla Jennings

“Once the bone marrow biopsy comes in and it’s negative then they will start preparing for the chemo treatment.”

Delahnie Bain

“What exactly does the bone marrow biopsy check for?”

Via Phone: Carla Jennings

“They’re checking to make sure there’s no further trace of cancer anywhere else in her body. Once the chemo is finished then she will start the process of the facial reconstruction. She lost her entire nose in the tumor removal and part of her eye socket and part of her gum. So she has a lot of extensive plastic surgery to come. We just want the people to know that so far, everything is being covered by the surgeon and the hospital; all services have been donated. There has been no charges to the family so it’s been a really big blessing, what’s been going on so far.”

Catarina was scheduled to return to Belize at the end of May, but her stay has been extended to the end of November.

Marco Thompson

A well known teacher was stabbed to death at his home in San Ignacio. His body was found on Sunday afternoon by a roommate. Marco Thompson was stabbed multiple times by a yet unidentified person who apparently had easy access into the building. The motive for the murder is not known but one theory is that it may be a crime of passion. The community and students are grieving the shocking murder. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

At the main entrance to Sacred Heart College a black ribbon adorns a wrought iron gate.  Today the student body, seven hundred and fifty-five teenagers, mourns the loss of their English teacher.  Forty-five year old Marco Thompson, a resident of San Ignacio Town, was callously dispatched by someone, whom it is believed, knew him very well.

Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“Police visited a scene at the corner of West and Second Street in San Ignacio where they saw the lifeless body of Marco David Thompson, forty-five years, a teacher by profession, with three apparent stab wounds. Mister Thompson’s body was in a nude state. Initial investigations revealed that Mister Thompson had a roommate, a man Vasquez that was out for the entire night because he was visiting his girlfriend and upon returning home, this is the scene that he saw when he opened the door to the living room.”

Fitzroy Yearwood

Thompson, a career educator, is believed to have been the victim of a crime of passion.  It is unclear when, during the course of the weekend, he was murdered; however, the shocking discovery of his body on Sunday afternoon has left the faculty, staff and enrolment of the high school in a state of grief.

Dr. Eve Aird, Principal, Sacred Heart College

“Around midday yesterday afternoon or nearer to one o’clock, I got a telephone call from one of my colleagues saying that Mister Thompson had been found dead—stabbed in his home. I don’t know anything else. I know that there is a police investigation underway, I know that he was stabbed to death in his home, but I don’t know anything else. I suppose in a situation like this there will be lots of speculation.”

Eve Aird

…and indeed speculations are rife.  What is certain is that there were no signs of forced entry.  His killer gained normal access to the residence and possibly waylaid Thompson before going to work on him with an edged instrument.

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood

“We hear about three large apparent stabbed wounds. Evidence gathered on the scene, be believe that a knife that was used on him was still left on the scene.”

Undoubtedly, students of his second form homeroom are grief stricken.  Across the campus they have erected shrines and in the classroom his students are busy making wreaths.

Kobe Gutierrez, Student, Sacred Heart College

“To me it was a shock because I didn’t know until this morning. I was really sad. It just spoilt my morning because when I was coming to school, I felt all happy and all of a sudden, they just told me that Mister Thompson had died, passed away and it just like shut me down completely.”

Isani Cayetano

Kobe Gutierrez

“In terms of what your colleagues or classmates are saying and how they are feeling; what has that experience been like being able to talk to the teachers and the counselors?

Kobe Gutierrez

“Well the teachers and counselors have been a big help because lot of us were sad and we were crying because we really miss him. In my experience, the teachers and counselors have been a real help.”

In this case however, the teachers themselves are in need of counseling.

Dr. Eve Aird

“I think a more significant irony is that Mister Thompson himself would have been very much in the forefront leading this kind of effort. Our head counselor is very ill today himself. So we are a crippled staff but our community of schools—through the Sacred Heart Parish—has provided us with a visiting pastor and some seminarians. Father Leo from the Parish was on campus this morning leading a prayer service. I think that we have been very blessed that it is a horrible tragedy to have to deal with, but the assistance for us is coming through from within the school communities.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Luis Cardenas

There were two murders over the weekend; in San Ignacio, a well known teacher was stabbed to death and in Orange Walk, a hail of bullets was unleashed by a lone gunman on Gravel Lane on Sunday morning. One bullet found its mark on Luis Cardenas, AKA “Pais”; he died on the spot. A passerby, Deon Hyde, was injured by at least four bullets, but survived the shooting. Cardenas was in police custody earlier in the day, but was released and hours after, he met his death. Police have been unable to confirm if Cardenas was the intended target, but according to acquaintances, who has a long rap sheet, had hinted that he was in danger. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

The bullet holes on the home of Amin Mendez Junior on Gravel Lane are evidence of the number of gunshots that were fired early on Sunday morning. Thirty-six year old Deon Hyde, who was walking by was shot several times, but survived. Only a single bullet hit twenty-two year old Luis Cardenas, but it was enough to end his life.

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

Fitzroy Yearwood

“We know that sometime around three-forty-five a.m., Luis Cardenas was at a residence on Gravel Lane. He was lying down in a hammock on the verandah of this residence at the same time Deon Hyde was passing by. A lone gunman on bicycle rode past and opened fire on them injuring Hyde. He received somewhere around four apparent gunshot wounds. Cardenas, unfortunately, was hit to the head. He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Northern Regional Hospital and I know that Hyde is still admitted receiving treatment.”

Reports are that Cardenas was trapped on the verandah, which is enclosed with burglar bars. His friend had just gone inside when the gunmen opened fire. According to a relative of Cardenas, they knew he had his ups and downs with the law, but he was in Orange Walk trying to make a living.

Voice of: Relative of Luis Cardenas

“He was a guy who was trying to make a living, you know ketch and kill. Like if they ask him to do wah lee mason work, do wah lee carpentry work and stuff like that you know. That’s how he tried to carry his about to make a daily living. Most definitely it’s very hurting for each and every one of us. But it’s a step that I believe we all have to take one day. Nonetheless, it’s very hurtful but we are standing strong for the rest of kids who are still live and are living and we have to be there for them most of all.”

Hyde ran into a neighboring yard to escape the gunmen and the residents rushed him to the Northern Regional Hospital. His mother, Evadne Copius says she got the news hours after her son was shot.

Evadne Copius, Mother of Deon Hyde

Deon Hyde

“Di morning when wah young bwai come and wake me and tell me how—well, I yer ah di tell di neighbors dehn dat how dehn shoot my son. Den I ask ah if ih dead, den he seh ih noh dead but ih get shot. My son tek eight bullet.”

Delahnie Bain

“How is he doing now?”

Evadne Copius

“Right now ih noh di do so fine but ih coming around.”

Evadne Copius

By all accounts, Hyde was known around Orange Walk because he did yard maintenance for several persons and residents do not believe he was the intended target. But it is too early in the police investigation to rule anything out.

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood

“We cannot say who was the intended target as yet. But we’re trying our best to put this together, gathering evidence and of course, at three-forty-five a.m. you know it’s not trafficable in that area but we’re hoping that somebody may have seen or heard something that can bring some closure in this murder.”

Delahnie Bain

“Has anyone been detained or just persons of interest for questioning?”

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood

“We have interviewed several persons but that’s as far as it goes for right now. It’s early in this investigation and we hope that someone will come forward. We are having that belief that if we get out there and canvass that area, we might be able to put this together.”

Delahnie Bain

“The people in the area where the shooting happened told us that he did some work in the area there. Do you know if he had any kind of trouble or so why…”

Evadne Copius

“No, not as far as I know.”

Delahnie Bain

“So he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Evadne Copius

“Right, that’s what everybody tell me.”

Delahnie Bain

“And how have you been handling this news?”

Evadne Copius

“Ih rough and right now I have two stroke. But I di try heng een deh… [crying]”

Meanwhile, Cardenas’ family has not been able to start working on funeral arrangements because they have yet to officially identify his body.

Voice Of: Relative of Luis Cardenas

Luis Cardenas

“Up to now we haven’t gotten that opportunity due to the fact that we’ve been to the police station since yesterday morning and we were taken up and down. This morning again we tried to go and identify the body and I don’t want to call any names but at the police station officers told us that we can go there and certain officers will be there.  The police officer who were told would be assisting us to go to the morgue and identify the body, he said that he could not move from his spot because he was attending to some—he had a detail so he had to deal with that detail and that was priority.”

Cardenas will be transferred to Belize City on Tuesday for a post mortem. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

Cardenas’ rap sheet includes charges for the double murder of Nazim Romero and Jose Ricalde, who were shot on February thirteenth, 2008. He turned himself in shortly after and while in prison, he was accused of stabbing inmate, Leroy Gomez. Cardenas was also a suspect in the more recent murder of Abel Robinson, who’s decomposed body was found in the Palmar area in February of this year. Coming up in the newscast will be the murder of the Sacred Heart College teacher in San Ignacio. 

If you felt the ground shake on Friday night, that is because there is a major shift in relations between the government and Lord Michael Ashcroft. Ashcroft, the man who has been at the epicenter of an open war by the government in the past three years and in endless litigation in local and overseas courts, was in Belize last week. The occasion was a celebration to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Belize Bank. The guests assembled at the Radisson Hotel and the Prime Minister delivered the keynote address and unveiled the new logo and tagline for the Bank. There, came the first public statement by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in respect of the Ashcroft’s group of companies. In a well crafted address on the ongoing Central Bank dispute with the Belize Bank, the PM signaled that cooperation not confrontation was the way forward. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

On the occasion of the Belize Bank’s twenty-fifth anniversary, the guest speaker was the Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who began his speech by acknowledging the presence of Michael Ashcroft who sat in the audience.

Dean Barrow

Dean Barrow

“Of course the one and only Michael Ashcroft. I am happy to have been asked to make some brief marks on this occasion celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Belize Bank. That first step of course ramified and led later to the establishment of Belize Bank Group of Companies. But one must also add to this the fact that the Belize Bank has been perhaps the major source of financing for the productive sector in this nation. And, of course, it currently represents some forty percent of the banking system. In 1912, it became part of the Royal Bank of Canada operating as the local branch of this multinational until 1987 when it was bought by the current owners and rebadged as they Belize Bank. I could tell a story about the way the acquisition transpired, but Lord Ashcroft I shall hold my tongue. I shall keep that particular secret. Not that it’s anything that you don’t have every reason to be proud of, still. The state would want to see an ordered and mutually supportive relationship between the financial system players and the financial system regulators. It is no secret though that in this regard, confrontation rather than cooperation has been too much the norm in recent times. This is discomforting all ‘round and a large dose of shared goodwill is now required to address the public. The fact is that the regulator has a job to do and is given financial oversight and authority by the laws of the land. On the other hand; that authority should never be exercised in a bull in a china shop fashion.  Sensitivity as well as firmness is what is required. Now nobody is naive enough to expect that the regulatory relationship will never turn adversarial, but the occasions when this happen must be exception rather than rule. And a financial system cannot function properly in a climate of unceasing litigation.”

To end that climate of unceasing litigation, the PM offered an olive branch to work with the Belize Bank, and by extension Lord Ashcroft.

Dean Barrow

“I declare to the Belize Bank tonight that we fully expect it to partner with us to use its leadership role, its ingenuity and its resources to help find the way out of the impasse. And that is the note on which I close—congratulating the bank once again as we look to a new beginning that will signal its continuing success and the expansion of its large and we hope always positive footprint.”

Lyndon Guiseppi

Lyndon Guiseppi, Executive Chairman, Belize Bank

“Honorable Prime Minister, I thought I heard the extension of an olive branch and I am one of those who believe that people should never stop speaking. I think a lot of problems in the world occur when people stop talking. And what I heard this evening is extremely encouraging to me because as a banker, as someone who has worked in the Caribbean for the past twenty years, I see tremendous opportunities in Belize, but some of these opportunities go abated because of the distraction of having to deal with what I consider important, but non-banking issues. And if perhaps we can really agree to some truce, I certainly express my commitment this evening to you, to the Government of Belize and to the Central Bank that I am prepared to work night and day to do whatever it takes to put not only Belize Bank, but financial services sector on a firm financial footing so that this economy, Belize, can in fact materialize the potential that I see.  I tell a story that I’ve worked in Belize for the past twelve years. A lot of people don’t know that, but I’ve worked in Belize twelve years. And during the formative years of working in Belize—from 1998 to 2003, 2004—along with my other colleagues: Felipo and other colleagues in the banking sector in Trinidad and the wider Caribbean; we were able to raise in excess of three hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars for various projects in Belize. Now we can debate whether or not the resources were applied in a judicious manner and what they were applied to do. The simple point I am making is that with the right commitment, with collaboration, we can replicate what was done between 1998 and 2003. And I think what I heard this evening certainly encourages me and I just simply would like to reiterate my commitment to do whatever is necessary to kick-start that process Mister PM.”

The Prime Minister and the Executive Chairman of the Belize Bank unveiled the new Belize Bank logo on what should also be a new day of partnership with the PM and Lord Ashcroft. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.

Said Musa

On April tenth an election petition was filed against returning area representative Elvin Penner on the refusal of a recount of ballots and an allegation of bribery. The petition for the allegation of bribery was struck out and Justice Minnet Hafiz granted leave to hear the recount petition. A notice of appeal was filed by Attorney Said Musa on the bribery aspect of the petition which was struck out. Today, senior counsels Rodwell Williams and Musa were back before Justice Hafiz. Musa is seeking a stay of the recount petition until a judgment is made in the Appellate Court on the bribery claim. He also submitted that the procedure in which Williams filed for the election petition to be dismissed was flawed. By three o’clock this afternoon, Justice Hafiz decided to accept Williams’ Notice of Motion as an application. But the stay application entered by Musa was denied and the hearing for the dismissal of the case on the election petition for the recount reconvened. News Five spoke to Musa this afternoon.

Said Musa, Attorney

“Based on the documents we have filed and on the instructions we’ve received from Mister Orlando Habet and the affidavits from his witnesses what happened on election day, in our view there were clear efforts to bribe voters as they went to vote and indeed some were being bribed after they went to vote on behalf of mister Elvin Penner. What this is dealing about is a very serious issue and that is buying votes on Election Day.”

Duane Moody

“Not getting the stay by the judge; how has that affected your case?”

Said Musa

“It has not affected us in terms of our right to proceed with the appeal, but it certainly will affect us in terms of whether or not at this stage certainly by tomorrow whether we will have any petition to proceed with. But here again I must repeat that the bottom line is that this matter will be heading for the Court of Appeal to make a final determination.”

The case continues on Tuesday afternoon. 

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington

At the headquarters of the Organization of American States in Washington, delegations from Belize and Guatemala agreed to hold simultaneous referenda on October sixth, 2013. The citizens of both countries will decide if forwarding the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will be the final measure to resolve the issue. But it will be a tough sell for the two governments to convince their people that it is the right move. According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, it is the job of his ministry to inform citizens on the benefits of choosing the ICJ route.

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“We have got to generate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a roadmap which is going to spell out exactly what we will do between now and the time of the referendum to generate the funds that we would need to carry on the education process and to formulate the manner in which we are going to do the education process.”

Jose Sanchez

“It is my understanding then that all previous governments have felt that this is a necessary step—going to the ICJ. Is there any confidence that the people will also have the same viewpoint when it reaches the referendum date?”

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington

“That is the reason why we are embarking on the education process. We are hoping in that way we are going to get people to make up their minds to vote in favor of the process.”

Jose Sanchez

“For people, maybe for even like me would say, you know what I don’t want to give up not even an inch, a foot. We can say that but realistically, what other option is there without the ICJ?”

Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington

“I think the basic premise for a lot of people is that we have to give up something. I don’t know where they got that from. We are certainly not going and thinking that we have to give up anything. We don’t feel that it is necessary for us to give up anything. We are going on the basis that we think that we have a complete and total entitlement and right to this property which we have acquired and have been occupying over all these years. All we want to do is to try to get an end to the Guatemalan claim and this seems to be the only route that will satisfy them in relation to the matter. But the suggestion or thought that we are contemplating that we will have to give up something is an alien one; certainly not one that I am contemplating.”

Darius Lionel Martinez

In the local courts, a police officer, an ex-cop and a second class clerk have been charged for allegedly attempting to bribe police officers, following a raid by the Gang Suppression Unit at the estate of millionaire businessman, John McAfee. During the raid on April thirtieth, seven firearms were found on the property, and police claimed that one of them was unlicensed. No charges have been brought against McAfee, but three of his affiliates have since been arrested. Clerk, Matilda Garnett; ex-cop Rodwell Richards and Police Constable Darius Lionel Martinez were all arraigned for Attempting to Corrupt a Police Officer.

Matilda Garnett

Richards, who was represented by attorneys, Dickie Bradley and Simeon Sampson, is accused of offering to pay PC Adrian Lopez on May eighth to provide confidential information on McAfee’s case. The same allegations were made against Garnett, but her offence was dated May seventh. When those two attempts failed, PC Martinez allegedly attempted to buy details on the information gathered during the raid from WPC Stacey Humes, who is attached to the GSU. All three pleaded not guilty when they appeared before the Senior Magistrate, Sharon Frazer. There was no objection to bail, which was granted in the sum of three thousand dollars each.

Rodwell Richards

They are due back in court on July sixteenth. While Garnett and Richards were free to go, PC Martinez was taken into custody by CIB officers in Belize City and escorted to Belmopan where he was additionally charged for resisting arrest and using threatening words upon Sergeant Francisco Ack. Once again, Martinez pleaded not guilty, was granted bail of two thousand dollars and is to return to the Belmopan court on June twenty-ninth.

Seventeen persons have been left without a roof over their heads after the two-storey wooden and cement structure they once called home was gutted by fire. The upper flat of the house that was located on Guerrero Street burst into flames sometime after two on Saturday morning. Three families that occupied the building lost all their belongings. Freelance reporter Duane Moody reports.

Duane Moody, Reporting

A two storey structure once stood at number four Guerrero Street off Kraal Road on South Side Belize City. Early Saturday morning a fire gutted the building that was home to three families. The blaze started from a lit candle that was left unattended.

Benisford Matura

Benisford Matura, Operations Officer, National Fire Service

“Fire service got a call for a fire at # 4 Guerrero Street. We immediately dispatched and on arrival we saw a two storey building—wooden top and cement bottom—totally engulfed in flames. We got into operation and approximately half an hour time we got it under control and final extinguishment about two hours after.”

Duane Moody

“What was the cause of the fire?”

Benisford Matura

“After extinguishment and we did our interviews with the owner and occupier and we did our analysis, we found that the occupier upstairs, Miss August, they didn’t have any power to the building so they used candles. She left on a candle in the bathroom and that’s what started it. All our fire patterns and stuff lead towards that area and that was where it started. Between the two-storey building you have seventeen people now that are homeless.”

Three families, seventeen persons total—mostly minors—left without a home. Victims, Kimberly Gibson and Lisa Bennett, say they were in deep slumber when they were heard a ruckus upstairs and realized the house was on fire. They escaped with nothing except the clothes on their backs.

Kimberly Gibson, Fire Victim

Kimberly Gibson

“I mi di sleep and I just hear noise upstairs so I mi think somebody was fighting so I out off my fan so I coulda mi hear everything and I heard fire and so I jump up and I just took my son and we come out.”

Duane Moody

“What are you going to do now since everything was burnt to a crisp?”

Kimberly Gibson

“Well I don’t know because I have to start from square one now back. so it kinda rough.”

Lisa Bennett

Lisa Bennett, Fire Victim

“Bout after two so I hear a commotion because I was sleeping and I hear noise outside and so I say dah weh di happen because I am not a hard sleeper. So I run outside and I look upstairs by the bathroom over my kitchen and I see the house on fire. And so I run back inside and I tell my common law husband to come out come out Zane, but by the time we come out fi try save some of fi we things, the fire already take over the place. Everybody lost everything that we had like clothes and my things for my house. Burn down everything. If you can see everything burn down. Nobody get nothing, we noh get nothing out of the place.”

Duane Moody

“Were the items insured inside the house?”

Lisa Bennett

“No nothing was insured.”

The families are asking for assistance to get back on their feet.

Lisa Bennett

“I woulda want the public, anybody weh coulda help me and my friends them, to try help we get back wah lee something to put we back pan our foot; anything. I won’t call nothing; just anything that we can start.”

Kimberly Gibson

“I woulda really need wah lee help because I have two kids, they noh have no pa or anything and we woulda really need wah lee help because they are going to school and everything burn and it just rough.”

The fire started in the upper flat which was occupied by Dena August and her eight children. They too lost everything and would like some assistance. Duane Moody for News Five.

If anyone would like to assist the families, they can contact Lisa Bennett at 623-0687, Kimberly Gibson at 630-1534 or Dena August at 620-3369.

Fitzroy Yearwood

Two persons are tonight in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after attempts on their lives. And although they may carry the same surname they are not related. The first incident involved a shooting early Saturday morning in La Isla Bonita in the San Pablo Area. Thirty year old Barrington Usher was at home when around two-thirty a.m. a knock was heard at the door. Barrington opened the window and spoke to a man. Moments later a shot was heard and Barrington fell to the ground suffering from a gunshot wound to his face. Thirty-two hours later in the Old Capital, another Usher, fifty-nine year old Joseph Usher was also rushed to the K.H.M.H. suffering from severe burns to the head, back, chest and both arms. Sometime around ten-thirty on Sunday morning, Joseph was inside his sister’s yard at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Antelope Street, when he was attacked by a man who doused him and lit him on fire. News Five spoke with Police Press Officer, Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood.

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer

“What we know is that Joseph Usher, fifty-nine years old was standing at the corner of C.A. Boulevard and Antelope Street. Some man approached him, put some form of flammable fluid on him and he was set on fire. Usher was rushed to the K.H.M.H. where he is listed in critical condition.”

Delahnie Bain

“Where was he burnt?”

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood

“All we can say right now is that he received injuries all over the body. I cannot say how much percent or so. I would have to consult with a medical officer, but I know that he received some serious injuries.  Barrington Usher was at his residence in San Pedro along with a female friend. He heard a knock on the door and apparently Mister Usher opened a window, looked outside and was having a conversation with a male person when this female friend heard a gunshot blast and then Mister Usher then fell off the bed unto the floor and she realized that he may have been shot in the face. He was suffering from a wound to the face. The police were called and the quick response; they had to rush Mister Usher to K.H.M.H. because of the seriousness of his injury.”

Delahnie Bain

“What condition is he in at this point?”

Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood

“Well up to date, we know that he was still listed in critical but stable, ok.”

No one has been detained in either incident and investigations continue.