Over the weekend, seven opposition leaders from the Caribbean region gathered in Saint Lucia to establish a platform titled the ‘Leader of the Opposition Political Parties Forum’.
The meeting saw the participation of Allen Chastanet from Saint Lucia, Dr. Keith Mitchell from Grenada, Dr. Godwin Friday from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Jamal Pringle from Antigua and Barbuda. Also in attendance were Dr. Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow from Belize, Dr. Ronnie Yearwood from Barbados, and Roy McTaggart from the Cayman Islands.
According to Chastanet, the preliminary meeting focused on raising awareness about the constitutional significance and subsequent responsibilities tied to the role of the Opposition. He said that the meeting aimed to establish a framework for parliamentary oppositions across the Caribbean to exchange best practices and fortify their constitutional mandates.
Officials of the Belize Cycling Federation, cyclists, and cycling enthusiasts were stunned Saturday morning to learn of the Friday night murder of thirty-eight-year-old Wilbert Banks Junior. The father of one was shot dead before midnight on Friday night on Lake Garden Road in Ladyville. Police say they responded to the report of the killing around eleven-thirty-five Friday night and found a dark Toyota Rav-Four crashed into a bungalow house. Inside the vehicle, Banks was already dead. By Sunday night, police had already charged another man with the homicide as they piece together the motive behind the killing. Banks, by all accounts, was an important part of the cycling world, providing transportation for the coverage of the cycling federation’s events. Described as a humble man who was willing to help anyone who needed it, Banks was the motorcycle driver for Andrew Ordonez, who covered the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. And on Sunday, Ordonez and the federation held a ride that drew over two hundred riders in his memory. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
This bullet-riddled Toyota Rav-4 is where thirty-eight-year-old Wilbert Banks Jr., met his death sometime around eleven-thirty on Friday night. Banks, who worked at Ordonez Bike Shop and assisted the Belize Cycling Federation with transportation duties for the coverage of cycling events, was driving along the Lake Garden Road in Ladyville when someone opened fire on his vehicle, hitting him several times and killing him. The severely wounded Banks lost control of the vehicle, which tore down a portion of a fence before it slammed into a house. One of the occupants of the house told News Five off-camera that she was concerned that the vehicle would explode.
Voice of: Lake Garden Resident
Voice of: Lake Garden Resident
“I mi just get up fi use the bathroom and gwein back eena wa doze when I hear the shots fire. Usually we hear it, ih normal. So we she da mussi on the main and one minute after, the vehicle slam into the house. When we open the window, I say probably that one of my bus get it, and I look at nothing. And my husband come out in the hall and as he open the window he see the vehicle. I called my mom weh live eena Lord’s Bank area and she come, and the guys, weh come with her call fi assistance. But we couldn’t do nothing because the man was already motionless. The vehicle was still on, his foot was on the gas, and probably the radiator leaked out all the water. And it made all the smoke, so we were afraid and the guys shut down the vehicle before it exploded or something catch fire.”
Chrismar Espinoza
Police investigations have revealed that the murder was the result of a three-way love affair between a woman and the two men, the deceased and the accused. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told the media today that investigators discovered the woman’s cell phone at the crime scene, and that led them to their suspect.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Searches were conducted by the police in the city area to locate the woman whose phone was found on the scene. The woman was subsequently found along with another male person who happened to be her common-law-husband, who has been identified as one Chrismar Espinoza. Chrismar Espinoza has been convicted of murder before and on appeal, his murder conviction was reduced to manslaughter and recently got released from prison. It is our understanding through the investigation that prior to him going to prison, he was with the woman and when he went to prison, she had an affair with the now deceased. And when he came out of prison, he got back with the woman and, Chrismar found out of her affair with the now deceased and based on that he went and committed the crime against Mr. Banks.”
Banks, also known as Yellow, played a major role in the cycling world. He provided transportation for the live coverages that the Belize Cycling Federation held – his last such role being the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. And on Sunday, Banks’ employer, Andrew Ordonez and the federation held a ride against violence in memory of him, as well as in memory of Banks’ brothers Kadeem Banks and Edison Usher who lost their lives two years ago while going to cover the Female Cross Country race. The riders were touched by Banks’ murder and turned out en masse to ride against violence.
Leticia Westby
Leticia Westby, General Secretary, Cycling Federation of Belize
“We are shocked. Everybody’s shocked in reference to what has happened. We know that there’s a real increase in gun violence in Belize, and we find that sports should be an alternative.”
Andrew Ordonez
Andrew Ordonez, Employer of Wilbert Banks Jr.
“We want your awareness to gun violence. In this latest case we were supposed to have a ride in memory of his brother, Kadeem Banks and Edison Usher, who lost their lives almost two years ago, right? And we were supposed to have that ride, but this incident happened, and it shocked the whole – the entire Belize – a big part of the world. He was a humble giant. You could ask him to do anything, so he’s not only an employee to me or a friend he’s like a son.”
Michael Lewis
Michael Lewis, Friend of Wilbert Banks Jr.
“Things like that [should] never happen to a man like that. And you know something, a lot of cyclists, they shoot them by a gun. Cyclists, they should never go like that. Remember Elbert Pope gone, Jawmeighan gone, everybody start to go and buy a gun.”
Gabrielle Gabourel
Gabrielle Gabourel, Friend of Wilbert Banks Jr.
“He was very involved in the sport. You come to Donez’ shop, he’s here helping to service the bikes. He’s out every race, helping with the live streams. And so he was very involved. It hurts the cycling community a lot to lose someone like him.”
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade, Friend of Wilbert Banks Jr
“I just want to urge the whole public, man, honestly, think with love. Once you think with love, everything will be alright. Because You are walking away from a conflict.”
The ride went through the John Smith Link Road, where Banks’ only child, his daughter, Auriyah Banks, went to see the ride that was being ridden in memory of her father. At the end of the ride in front of his father’s residence on Euphrates Avenue, Wilbert Banks Senior, overcome by grief, told us off-camera that now he has no son because both of them are dead. His brother, Frederick Banks, who rode in memory of his nephew, told News Five that the family is now grieving two brothers.
Frederick Banks
Frederick Banks, Uncle of Wilbert Banks
“This coming week will be two years since my next nephew died, right? So now the two of them die on the same month, you know, so it’s like very hard for the family and my brother who’s their father, you know. And we do this ride today to make everybody know that we are tired of the violence. We are tired of people killing people for no reason. My little nephew nuh hurt nobody. He’s friend to everybody. Everybody know him as a calm person. He doesn’t even talk hard to nobody, you know. It’s very hard for our family right now, but we will pull through it.”
The ride had the participation of several children cyclists, some of them not even ten years old. Marion Ali for News Five.
A man was murdered in Belize City in the wee hours of today and police say it has all the bearing of a domestic situation gone terribly bad. It happened on Caesar Ridge Road, and the victim is fifty-nine-year-old Linbert Flowers. The deceased apparently went to a residence in the area and reportedly tried to enter the premises but was prevented. Shortly after, a badly wounded Flowers was seen with a stab wound in his chest. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Fifty-nine-year-old Linbert Flowers was fatally stabbed early this morning. The incident happened when Flowers went to this residence sometime after three o’clock to visit a woman. But he was denied entry into the house, and a dispute erupted. At the end of it, Flowers had suffered a fatal stab.
“On Monday, the 8th of April 2024 around 3:30 a.m. Police responded to reports that someone had been stabbed at Cesar Ridgewood in Belize City. They proceeded to the area and upon arrival they found Lindbergh Flowers, 59 years with stab wounds. He was taken to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation revealed that Flowers was in the area when he was approached by someone who inflicted the stab wounds.”
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero, who heads the Eastern Division Police Station, told reporters today that this incident involved a woman and was the result of a domestic issue.
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“We don’t have all the facts, but we suspect it has to do something with a domestic dispute.”
Reporter
“So it is a chance that it was self-defense?”
A.C.P Hilberto Romero
“Yes, that’s a probability. Persons have been detained for questioning.”
After Flowers was stabbed, he made his way up the street to this yard, where he collapsed on this refrigerator, asking for help. But before long, he passed away. Today, no one wanted to talk about Flowers. His family only told us that he was a hard-working man who has been with the Customs Department for the past twelve years. Marion Ali for News Five.
An American woman died following a brawl she was involved in on La Isla Bonita over the weekend. A postmortem examination is expected to determine whether she died from injuries received during the fight or the accident that led to the brawl. The victim, forty-six-year-old Jennifer Lynn Griffith, was in the passenger seat of the golf cart that her husband, forty-one-year-old Maynor Rene Ancona, was driving when they crashed into El Norte Bar on Saturday night. That accident led to an altercation between the couple and the bar’s employees. It was during that fight that one of the employees threw a conch shell at Griffith, hitting her on the head. She was taken to the hospital but refused medical care, discharging herself. The pain in her head returned a day later, when she was rushed to the hospital, where she succumbed. Police Commissioner Chester Williams briefed the media this morning.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“It is my understanding that prior to the brawl, the lady was on a golf cart along with her husband, and it collided into a building with the golf cart during which she may have also hit her head. She had a concussion. And that it was that collision that eventually led to the brawl. And, during that brawl, she was also stoned with a conch shell, which also caused her head injuries. She went to the polyclinic with the police and she refused medical treatment and self-discharged herself from the clinic and went home. The next day morning, she seemingly was having pain and she went back to the clinic where she succumbed. At this time, we are not able to say what the cause of death is. If she died as a result of the conch shell or as a result of the accident. So I spoke to the director of the National Forensic Service this morning and I requested that the postmortem examination be expedited. And so it will be done first thing tomorrow morning. Once that is done, then we should be able to ascertain a cause of death and then we will be able to consult with the DPP for guidance in terms of what charge or charges to be levied on those persons who are involved in the brawl with her”
Reporter
“Is it an employee who stoned that conch shell?”
Chester Williams “I’m not sure if it’s an employee, but one of the persons were involved in the brawl.”
Reporter
“So multiple people?”
Chester Williams
“A few persons involved, yes, but I think one person threw the conch shell. From what I was made to understand is that subsequent to her discharging herself in at hospital, she had indicated to the police that she didn’t want anything against those individuals. So, they’re in custody, and they’ll be charged at the very least for disorderly behavior.”
A young woman died as a result of a road traffic accident over the weekend. It happened on Saturday morning between miles seventeen and eighteen on the Philip Goldson Highway. The victim is nineteen-year-old Denia Rowland. The Ford Ranger pickup truck was being driven at the time by twenty-year-old Oscar Galindo, who reportedly lost control, causing it to flip several times. Investigators believe he was under the influence of alcohol and speeding. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero provided an update.
“Investigation revealed that she was riding inside this pickup truck being driven at the time by Oscar Galindo, twenty years when Galindo lost control of the vehicle. It overturned and she was flown out of the vehicle. An investigation was carried out and as a result, Oscar Galindo has been arrested and charged for the crimes of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, drove motor vehicle without due care or attention, and drove motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit.”
Oscar Galindo
Hipolito Novelo
“Was he speeding?”
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero
“The information regarding, yes he was speeding and alcohol was involved.”
Two men are expected to be charged soon for the murder of police officer Dylan Anthony. Anthony was on a motorcycle, driving on the Roaring Creek Bridge, when he was targeted in March. The twenty-nine-year-old Camalote Village resident was on his way home when he was murdered in a case of mistaken identity. Tonight, investigators believe they have the killers. Police Commissioner Chester Williams is expecting the men to be charged soon.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “The investigation involving the shooting death off Dylan Anthony police constable was ongoing. We were interviewing a number of persons with the hope of getting sufficient evidence to be able to not just charged, but maybe even eventually securing a conviction upon trial. And so we were able to gather enough and based on that, today, two persons will be arrested and charged for the crime of murder in respect to pc Antony’s murder. One of those person is Mr Hugh Milton. And the other one is a guy, I can’t remember the first name right now. From our investigation, it tells us that Gideon was the driver of the motorcycle and Milton was the pillion rider and the one who executed the act upon PC Anthony.”
Reporter
“Police had initially said this was a mistaken identity, do you know who they were actually after?”
Chester Williams
“Yes, we do know who that person is. So what happened to that person? Well, that person knows that he was intended target as well. And that person is also in prison under the SOE. The two suspects are also in prison under the SOE. So we so they have been sent for from prison to be charged and will be arenas sometime today.”
Inspector Walton Patrick Banner, a police officer, has been released on bail after being accused of obstructing another officer during the detention of a suspect involved in a stabbing incident at the Horse Race in Burrell Boom Village over a week ago. Banner appeared in court unrepresented and pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was granted bail in the sum of one thousand dollars plus one surety of the same amount. Despite initial concerns about conditions for bail, it was determined that Banner and the complainant officer did not work together, so no conditions were imposed. Banner is expected to be placed on interdiction, receiving half pay, and is due back in court on May ninth. According to investigators, police officers were responding to a violent altercation at the horse race track. Julian Austin Reynolds, armed and allegedly involved in injuring another person, was being detained by police when Inspector Banner allegedly intervened. During the fight, B.D.F. soldier Clint Stevenson was stabbed. Today Police Commissioner Chester Williams updated the media.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We have the ongoing rivalry in the Belize River Valley area involving three villages are the villagers from three villages. That is Lemonal, Bermuda landing and a Doublehead cabbage. A number of persons were detained over the weekend and the police conducted investigation to ascertain the extent of these individuals involvement in the ongoing rivalry. A number of persons will be charged for varying degree of offenses. And one of those persons who have been charged is Sergeant Walton Banner. He was charged for obstructing the police. This resulted from his conduct when police detained those persons who were wanted for a chopping that took place at the horse race on Holy Saturday, where he allegedly obstructed the police officers from detaining the suspects. So he has been charged for obstruction in respect thereof.”
As you heard from the Commissioner, there is an ongoing rivalry between residents of three villages in the Belize Rural Valley area. He says that efforts are being made to quell the feud among those groups. However, police are getting resistance from residents of Lemonal Village. Commissioner Williams also criticized the woman supporting the feud.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Yesterday we, we also had intervention with the villagers from Lemonal and Doublehead Cabbage and during that intervention session, a lot of information was shared in respect to what caused the beef and what can be done to resolve the beef. A number of the key players from the Lemonal fraction were absent. And so we could not have had the intervention in such a way that we believe the matter could be brought to an end. And so we have reserved this coming Thursday to go back to Ladyville and invite the different players to come to the table for us to have a more better intervention with the input of more of the players from Lemonal Village. While we try to do this, we, we still see that a number of persons from Lemonal continue to go on social media and are instigating violence. I don’t think that is going to add, it’s going to make the situation any better. And in some cases we’re seeing where the violence is being pushed by women. And in some cases, mothers of these young men who are involved in these ongoing, feud. Now, as parents, I would want to think that you would be more responsible and, uh, would try to guide your child or your children to act civil and not to be involved in these type of activities. But when we see that parents are involved to the extent of riling up the children to behave in an uncivil way, then it makes you wonder what kind of parent they are.”
According to Police Commissioner Chester Williams, police efforts in the Belize Rural Valley area need to be restructured. He says that police officers who are stationed in the three villagers know the troublemakers all too well, and it is something that the department will address internally.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Many of the failures in the area also had to do with policing. Poor level of policing coming from the police officers in the rural area. And so as a part of the plan moving forward, there certainly needs to be an adjustment in the police officers deployment within rural Belize. Many of the officers there are from the same villages where these problems are coming from and so they’re too acquainted with the players and are unable to execute their duties the way they should. So we have to address that internally. And that is something that I have discussed with Mr. Romero, Mr. Greenwich, Mr. Barrow and Mr. Gabriel. Additionally, we have also, since last week put in place additional patrols in the River Valley area to see how we can conduct more strategic operations to go after those persons who are involved. And I can tell you that over the weekend, footages with these, um, brawls at these games. And, in almost all of these video footages, we can see that the group from Lemonal are the aggressors. And so we have to look at that very carefully and see what we can do to adequately address the issue to try and bring this feud to an end.”
The internal fighting in the United Democratic Party continues. Following major losses at the municipal polls, differences between certain members continue to build. Former U.D.P. Party Leader, John Saldivar, and Orange Walk Central Standard Bearer Denny Grijalva are fighting to keep their heads above water. Their fate will be decided by the U.D.P.’s National Party Council on Wednesday. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Former U.D.P. Area Representative for Belmopan, John Saldivar’s future within the party remains uncertain. A U.D.P. National Party Council Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April tenth to decide the fate of Saldivar and U.D.P. Orange Walk Central Standard Bearer Danny Grijalva in the party. A U.D.P Central Executive motion passed on March twenty-sixth says that while a previous NPC meeting resolved that both men continue as standard bearers, their tenure has yet to yield any significant electoral progress within their constituencies. The motion accuses both individuals of engaging in activities conducive to disunity and factionalism, contrary to the best interest of the U.D.P. The motion was passed by the U.D.P’s Central Executive only days after Saldivar and Grijalva boycotted the party’s NPC meeting on March third to attend their own meeting at the Biltmore with other U.D.P. officials.
John Saldivar has since written to U.D.P. Chairman Michael Peyrefitte on the motion. In his letter, Saldivar noted that the party’s Central Executive Committee does not have the authority to vote on the dismissal of a standard bearer, candidate or caretaker. He goes on to say that he has sought legal advice on the matter and the motion is ill-conceived and illegal. Chairman Peyrefitte responded by saying ‘you and I can write each other until thy kingdom come and it will make no difference”. He noted that the legality of the motion will be put before the NPC on April tenth. Peyrefitte said that he hopes that cooler heads prevail and that the party gets back to focusing on winning sixteen seats in the upcoming general election. Reports are that Chairman Peyrefitte has strong objections to the motion. Meanwhile, on Sunday the National Party Council reaffirmed its August 2023 decision to endorse Moses “Shyne” Barrow as the U.D.P.’s leader until after the 2025 general elections. This likely will bring a screeching halt to any plans that may have come out of that March twenty-third side meeting to oust Barrow as party leader. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
