This morning, Chief Magistrate Jayani Wegodapola handed down sentences for three convicted bank robbers after considering their mitigation pleas overnight. Out of the five men accused, four were tried and convicted, but only three received their sentences today. Sentencing for George Meighan was postponed to March sixth, 2025. The men involved are Anthony Barrow, Jason McKenzie, Leon Westby, and George Meighan. The trio faced charges of robbery, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of possessing a firearm without a license, one count of possessing ammunition without a license, and two counts of aggravated assault on police constables Robert Sutherland and Robert Parchue. They also faced charges for damaging an ATM during the robbery. However, only Meighan and Barrow were found guilty of damaging the ATM. The charge of assaulting PC Robert Parchue was dropped because he didn’t testify. Anthony Barrow received a total sentence of twenty-one years and ten months. He was sentenced to twelve years for robbery, ten months for assaulting PC Robert Sutherland, one year for damaging the ATM, ten years for possessing a firearm without a license, and another ten years for possessing ammunition without a license. His sentences for firearm and ammunition charges will run consecutively. Jason McKenzie was sentenced to ten years for robbery, eight months for assaulting PC Robert Sutherland, and six years each for the firearm and ammunition charges. Leon Westby received seven years for robbery, six months for assaulting PC Robert Sutherland, and six years each for the firearm and ammunition charges. Their sentences for the firearm and ammunition charges will run concurrently with their other sentences.
Month: February 2025
E.B.C. Chairman Says They Have Not Received Barrow Lawsuit
On Tuesday, the Elections and Boundaries Commission made its final decision on the colors for the two U.D.P. factions. Both factions will use red, without any symbols or signs to tell them apart. This decision isn’t sitting well with U.D.P. Leader Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow, who plans to file a civil suit against the commission. Today, we spoke with Commission Chairman Oscar Sabido, who mentioned they haven’t received any official notice about being sued.
Oscar Sabido Puga, Chairman, E.B.C.
“We have had indications up and down that is as a result that they are not satisfied with the proceedings we have been having. Matter of allocation of colors is not a matter which is determined that one shot. We had three meetings when we were indicating to the factions which incidentally are represented in the very commission. One of them is an official of the party’s executive and another is a member of the party and has substantial influence in the other faction. So, we had a process and we have heard it. But we have nothing to indicate that will happen in anyway at this point.”
Paul Lopez
“Did the commission misspeak or did not speak with clarity when there was a suggestion that there would be a color and symbol to differentiate, because now it is just a solid color across the board.”
Oscar Sabido Puga
“The process is one where we took a preliminary vote on seven options. The vote by majority was that we were going to implement the part of the reflection where we were going to join both the color or symbol for the purpose of differentiation between o the parties. But at the end of the day we must come to a final conclusion on the matter based on the returns that come in on nomination. We have the nomination forms that we review and had a final determination on Tuesday and another vote and at that time because of the time the two parties involved did not offer symbols.”
Why E.B.C. Didn’t Force Separate Colors for Two U.D.P Factions
Chairman Puga was asked why the Elections and Boundaries Commission didn’t use its power to assign different colors to the two factions. Puga explained that the commission tried to get the factions to agree on their own. When they couldn’t find common ground, the commission went with a majority vote on Tuesday.
Oscar Sabido Puga, Chairman, E.B.C.
“That was the problem we were having, because everybody had this severe antagonism by one side against the other. The suggestion was being made that they should get together and agree how they can differentiate and that is why the issue of the symbols came up. But at the end of the day they did not bring up the symbols when the application was made. It is on nomination day that the color is allocated, you have to present your color and symbol, which was asked of them and they did not. So they insisted on retaining the colors for themselves to the exclusion of another, this one retaining it to the exclusion and they wouldn’t bog, no way they were going to bog.”
Paul Lopez
“Legally, did the commission have the jurisdiction to assign such symbols?”
Oscar Sabido Puga
“Yes, yes, we could have done it with symbol and colors, we had legal precedents for that, that is clearly established. But in order to not force it on them, because we would have had to force the symbol on them, because they would not provide the symbols on nomination day we would to proceed on that basis.”
Should Prisoners on Remand Be Allowed to Vote?
Should prisoners on remand at the Belize Central Prison be allowed to vote? Attorney Michelle Trapp Zuniga from the Justice for Humans Project thinks so. She has written to the Chairman of the Election and Boundaries Department, asking that prisoners on remand be allowed to vote in the upcoming general election. Zuniga is advocating for this right to be given to prisoners serving sentences of twelve months or less and who are registered in their respective divisions. She also requested that reasonable arrangements be made to facilitate this process, emphasizing that their constitutional rights would be violated if these arrangements weren’t made. Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre, who was copied on the letter, mentioned today that he hasn’t seen it yet.
Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General
“I checked with the Chief elections officer and my office and we have not received any specific correspondence as yet. I don’t know if this is some previous correspondence that has been sent. I read the social media post and the impression it gave is that some letter was sent yesterday or recently. As far as my office is concerned we have not received any such document recently.”
Reporter
“But if you were to receive one and the elections and boundaries department.”
Anthony Sylvestre
“They would clearly have to review it and send it to our office and we would review and the would seek our advice on the matter.”
Reporter
“This is the first time something like this is being raised though.”
Anthony Sylvestre
“Yes to my knowledge, but what I should point out that before someone could even entertain he prospects of voting they have to be on the voters list. All of those are things that would have to be looked at.”
There Is Nothing Illegal About Nomination Day Victories
Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre used to be a politician before becoming the chief attorney for the Government of Belize. Today, we asked him about the automatic wins given to Anthony Mahler and Henry Charles Usher after their opponents didn’t show up on Nomination Day. Sylvestre shared what the constitution says about this situation and reflected on his own experiences as a political candidate.
Anthony Sylvestre, Former Electoral Candidate
“You will appreciate that the law takes cognizance of the fact that you will have such occurrences where a person may have initially had the thought process to run, to contest an election and they change. I can say, as you indicated, I have been in the belly of the beast. In my previous life I contested an election against no less than the then prime minister. I can tell you it is a daunting, extremely overwhelming experience. One has to factor and weigh all of those things before one even sets out and aspires to do that. It is a very difficult decision-making process and I am sure the gentlemen may have had their reason why they did what they did. The law and the constitution take cognizant the fact you can have someone be elected without an election. It can be said there fore that there is something untoward or illegal about that. It is just the nature of democracy.”
Case Management in Election Injunction Appeal Set for Monday
Jeremy Enriquez and his attorney, Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, are appealing the High Court’s decision to dismiss their election injunction application. The case management for this appeal is scheduled for Monday. But will one week be enough for the Court of Appeal to hear and decide on the matter? We asked Attorney General Sylvestre for his thoughts.
Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General
“I just got a WhatsApp message that there is a case management hearing on the third. I think that is Monday. Usually what takes place is in a case management conference before the Court of Appeal, the court makes a determination as it relates to whether all the documents before the High Court, whether those are ready to be prepared and bundled into what is referred to as a Record of Appeal. The Court also gives the party the opportunity to make applications. They have made an application for expedited hearing. The government will be given an opportunity to make any application deems that is necessary. I have not gotten an opportunity to view the application that was made, but there is the ability and the right of the government to make its counter application to the court as to whether the court can even hear or have jurisdiction to hear this application for an expedited hearing. I say that because ordinarily the rules require before they hear an appeal the Record of Appeal being completed, the matter being set down. So I imagine the appellant in this matter would be asking the court to expedite these processes and abridge the time for doing all of that. So we will see.”
Paul Lopez
“So there is the possibility there is enough time for it to be heard?”
Anthony Sylvestre
“I am not sure, the third, I am not quite sure. But I am sure the court will deal with it in an impartial and fair way.”
Finding Forever Homes for Recycled Wooden Pallets
Keeping our community safe and clean is a team effort, but it wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated garbage collectors. Every week, these hardworking individuals visit homes and businesses to collect and dispose of accumulated trash. But have you ever wondered what happens to all that trash once it’s hauled away? In tonight’s episode of Belize on Reel, we dive into the fascinating world of wooden pallet recycling and uncover the incredible effort that goes into transforming trash into treasure. Join News Five’s Britney Gordon as she reports on this inspiring story.
For most people, garbage day is just another chore—taking out the trash before the truck arrives. But for some, it is the highlight of the week. For the past eight years, Melany Yestrau has poured her heart into transforming discarded wooden pallets into beautiful furniture that will soon find a forever home.
Melany Yestrau, Carpenter
“I’ve been doing this since 2017. Started with my brother, and that got me hooked into this, and now I don’t know how to unhook myself out of this pallet business, recycling business, which I’ve fallen in love with, and which I’ve fallen off, and I’m trying to get back up again.”
Wooden pallets are usually just used to store, transport, and deliver goods before being tossed aside. But for Yestrau, a carpenter by trade, these planks hold the potential for beauty. Her yard, which doubles as her bustling workstation, is packed with her works-in-progress. According to Melany, these pallets can be transformed into almost anything.
“ Hmm, what, the things that I make? There’s lots. We do wine racks, beds, podium, as you see, pantry. A chair with a little table. We do everything, anything, anything.”
All of Melany’s pallets come from Efrain Miller, the owner of Ladyville Sanitation Engineers. Every Tuesday, Miller’s team makes their rounds to various businesses to collect waste. He estimates that they gather around three hundred and fifty pallets among the trash, which he then generously donates for repurposing.
Efrain Miller, Owner, Ladyville Sanitation Engineers
“What happened is that people requested every time we got, we have it. And rather than have it and take it to the transfer station just to dump it, I prefer to give people to help them, whether they want to build a playhouse for their child, or they want to build chairs, or tables, or doghouse, whatever they want to do with it, I prefer for people to have it so that they can utilize it, use it to the best of what they have.”
Miller shares that people often request other recyclable items like zinc, tires, and spare lumber. Instead of letting these materials end up in a landfill, he finds folks who can put them to good use. Having been in the sanitation business since 1999, the satisfaction he gets from cleaning up his community is what has kept him going all these years.
“It means a lot to me because I’ve been living in this community for the last 50 years. And I’ve seen the transition take place with Ladyville. And I realized that garbage is a big thing for us. It’s a cultural thing for people like to throw garbage on the street. So we try to do it different here by trying to have bins at all the bus sheds, right? And try ask people to work with us to bag their stuff. If they have problems getting it to us, give us a call. We’ll go back and get it just to accommodate them so that the garbage go at the right spot.”
Once Yestrau gets her hands on the pallets, she meticulously removes the nails, then cleans, sands, and treats the planks. This process transforms them into high-quality wood, perfect for crafting affordable furniture for her clients.
“There’s a lot of people that don’t have beds or tables and stuff like that. And when I started the business, I said, you know what, these pallets are good. These pallets are, you know, and they don’t catch termites or anything. Why can’t we turn this into something? And they’re beautiful tables, portems, picnic tables.”
Miller stands by the belief that trash is everyone’s problem and goes out of his way to pick up trash from those that may not have the resources to dispose of it themselves.
“What happened is you have people that can’t afford for one reason or the other. And so what we will do, if we could carry it, if we know that we have to pass at that street and help one person on that street to get the garbage out, we do that. And that help, rather than the garbage going on the street side in some corner, we prefer to take it away.”
Melany Yestrau
“That’s the reason I like recycling. My thing, I love recycle. Those chairs you see right there, I turn into a bench. I love it, because if you can find, get something and do something out of it. Why not? You know, instead of having it thrown right there and, and just getting it waste.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
Meet the Candidates Vying in Albert
The Albert constituency is one of the oldest areas in Belize City, with roots stretching back to colonial times. Before Mark Espat claimed victory for the PUP in 1993, this area was a stronghold for the UDP, with Philip Goldson consistently winning the seat. After Espat’s win, the constituency swung back to the UDP, with Herman Longsworth taking the seat in 2012, followed by Tracy Taegar-Panton in subsequent elections. Today, News Five dives into the upcoming March twelfth general election, taking a closer look at three of the four candidates vying for the Albert seat. Marion Ali reports.
On March twelfth, the ballot paper for the Albert constituency will feature three names: the incumbent Tracy Taegar-Panton, the PUP’s Kaya Cattouse, and the UDP’s Jose Luis Uc Espat, who is running under the leadership of Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Each candidate brings their own perspective on the key issues facing the community. Tracy Taegar-Panton believes that the people of Albert are looking for a significant drop in the cost of living, along with support for housing, skills training, and more job opportunities.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“The big, big issue of course is the high cost of living. That’s the major one, the cost of fuel. In Albert, housing and housing repairs is a big issue – a need for greater support for entrepreneurship initiatives, whether seed capital or training, so that they can find ways to earn an income and not have to be dependent on a government job or for the market, so to speak, to open up because the productive sector is growing. People want to – I think it’s really important for them to be part of the solution in terms of their income earning.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton’s PUP rival, Kaya Cattouse, shared with News Five that she kicked off her campaign in the area back in mid-2024. She says the response from the community has been incredibly encouraging, fueling her drive to make a difference.
Kaya Cattouse, P.U.P. Standard Bearer, Albert
“People are looking for a change. People in the constituency have been living in uncomfortable situations for a very long time. It has a lot to do with the current area representative in the constituency and the lack of work, the lack of effort for the people in the constituency. I mean, it’s simply giving people a more comfortable environment to live in, more comfortable housing, and that may be something simple like that. assisting people with their roofs, or their siding, or their flooring, or just making their homes more livable.
The other UDP candidate is Jose Uc Espat, who is running under the leadership of Moses “Shyne” Barrow.
Jose Uc Espat, U.D.P. Standard Bearer, Albert
“Jobs, the economy, cost of life, health, all these things are issues that are in the community of the Albert Division, different communities, and also national issues that affect this entire nation.”
Espat says that even if he is not victorious at the polls, he will show the constituents that his bid to serve them is genuine.
“I will not, at the end of the day, look at who vote for PUP, look at who vote for who vote for me. When election is done, if given that opportunity by the people. For me, every single one of my constituents is equally important. If you voted for me, if you did not vote for me, and if you abstained, you, I need to let you know, and show you, as I always show through leadership, through action, an example, why, why you should vote for me, or why I’m here, and I will show you with action, and like I always tell everybody, I’m not going to talk this, I’m going to fix this.”
One of the issues of any election is that of campaign financing and Panton says the monies she receives are just enough to spread around to her campaigners.
“Where’s the campaign financing coming from?”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
”Where our campaign finances have always come from, from the business community within our constituency, from the families in the constituency that can afford to lend their support financially or otherwise to the campaign. That is where we garner our support. Most of our campaigners volunteer their time. The people who are in charge of our callback and we do offer a stipend, but it’s nothing significant. It’s really a token to say thank you for lending your support to the campaign and that’s how we’ve done it in the last two elections and that’s how we expect to do it again.”
Kaya Cattouse
“In the Albert constituency that people can see that they have not been receiving love any at all for the past three terms. You don’t need to buy their votes. The people will come out and support us regardless.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
Four Attorneys Elevated to Senior Counsel Status
Four distinguished attorneys have been elevated to Senior Counsel, a recognition that many say was long overdue. These legal professionals have dedicated over two decades to the field, and with this new title comes a greater responsibility to uphold integrity, professionalism, and ethical leadership. The elevation also means they can charge higher fees and enjoy increased respect from both the bench and their colleagues at the bar. News Five’s Paul Lopez attended the Special Sitting of the High Court and filed this report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Chief Justice Louise Blenman and the Senior Courts of Belize held a special sitting to celebrate the elevation of four distinguished attorneys to the status of Senior Counsel. Congratulations to Melissa Balderamos-Mahler, Ashanti Arthurs Martin, Priscilla Jennifer Banner, and Attorney General Anthony Sylvestre on this well-deserved honor.
Chief Justice Louise Esther Blenman
“This multifaceted position demands not only your continued understanding of the law, but exceptional leadership, analytic skill and communication to safeguard your client’s interest which you are called upon to defend, while upholding the constitution and serving as a steadfast guarding of justice. You are expected to continue to lead the profession with integrity, intellectual rigor, compassion, kindness, dedication, and humility.”
Senior Counsels Edwin Flowers and Eamon Courtenay were on hand to speak on behalf of the newly elevated attorneys. Flowers praised the dedication and hard work of Melissa Balderamos-Mahler and Anthony Sylvestre, while Courtenay highlighted the achievements of Priscilla Banner and Ashanti Martin.
Eamon Courtenay, Attorney-At-Law
“They must understand there is an new begging, a new beginning between their relationship and the bench. They will be looked at and spoken to and the expectations from the bench will be different. Ti is a new beginning with other colleagues from the bar. The elevation signals that they have distinguished themselves and they will be expected to behave as senior counsel and the public will expect them to behave as senior counsels. You will no longer wear what is referred to the English as suffered robe with that pocket on the left at the back. That pocket was used by junior counsel so that they could be paid as they walk along the streets by the client. That money was put in their and these two strings would hold so that it does not fall off. You will now wear silk.”
Each of the four newly elevated attorneys had the chance to address the bench and express their heartfelt gratitude. Attorney General, now Senior Counsel Anthony Sylvestre, became emotional as he shared that he lost his mother exactly ten years ago on this very day.
Anthony Sylvestre, Attorney General
“This moment where I have come, coming of age in the 1990’s when gang warfare emerged and started to engulf the streets of Belize. There is no doubt that I would not have been here, and this could not have been possible without the many intersection of the heavenly father. As you would have witnessed it was an emotional time for me, a very emotional moment. As I related the twenty-seventh actually marks the tenth year of the passing of my mother and as I related as well, it so happened that at the time I could the news I was in the precinct of the court downstairs. So, who could have imagined ten years later I would be in the same place , at the same time, literally, being elevated to the Senior Counsel status.”
Paul Lopez
“Does this mean your fees as a public official increase.”
“No, no the fees remains the same. One of the things is that as attorney general it is service to the public and it is to be accepted that service to the public differs than if you are working in private practice.”
We also heard from the newly minted Senior Counsel, Priscilla Banner. She expressed her heartfelt gratitude and pointed out that it had been eight years since the last elevation ceremony. Banner acknowledged that there are many other deserving attorneys who should also be elevated to Senior Counsel.
Priscilla Banner, Attorney-At-Law
“An attorney has a lot of responsibility to their clients, to the court, to ensure the court can trust the way you present yourself and the cases that you argue. They have a responsibility to their clients, to ensure they treat their clients reasonable, but the integrity in the profession is foundational. And I can count at least five to ten attorneys right now who has not been elevated and it is time for them to be elevated. It has been a long time and I trust that going forward these elevations will occur more frequently so that those persons who should be elevated are recognized by the courts.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Multiple UDP Candidates on Ballot—Could It Confuse Voters?
The Elections and Boundaries Commission ruled that all 41 United Democratic Party candidates—aligned with either Moses Shyne Barrow or Tracy Panton—will be assigned the colour red. The decision comes as the High Court is not expected to rule on the UDP leadership dispute until after March 31, well past the general election.
The colour red became a point of contention as both Barrow and Panton assert their leadership over the fractured party. When voters head to the polls on March 12, the ballots will display a red block with candidates’ names, without distinguishing between UDP factions.
Sample ballots have been distributed. News Five got an early look at the Port Loyola ballot, offering a glimpse into what’s shaping up to be a highly unusual race. Multiple U.D.P. candidates are competing for the same constituency—each proudly wearing the party’s signature red. But with this unexpected scenario unfolding, could it end up confusing voters and ultimately hurting the U.D.P.’s chances?