Good evening. We begin with growing concerns over the treatment of detainees under Belize’s current state of emergency. A prominent attorney is sounding the alarm, claiming that basic constitutional rights may be under threat. Leeroy Banner, who recently secured a major court victory for sixteen unlawfully detained men, is now challenging the Kolbe Foundation after a client was denied access to legal counsel. The prison says it’s following emergency regulations, but Banner argues that the law is clear: even in a crisis, the right to an attorney must be upheld.
Leeroy Banner
Leeroy Banner, Attorney-at-law
“Just yesterday a colleague of mine shared with me an email from the prison and I cant believe that the prison would put this in writing. One of my colleagues went to the prison to see someone who is detained under this current SOE. And, the prison would put in an email that you can’t see your client because he is detained under an SOE. Like, you really put that in writing. How can you be so bold and misguided to say that your client cannot see and attorney and he needs a court order to see an attorney. That is ridiculous.”
Isani Cayetano
“That, in my opinion, falls under your fundamental constitutional right.”
Leeroy Banner
“Of course it does. You have a fundamental right to an attorney.”
We sought comments from the Chief Executive Officer at Kolber Foundation, Virgilio Murillo, but our calls and texts went unanswered.
Tonight, Azzane Domingo, a well-known figure linked to the George Street Gang, is no longer facing a gang-related charge. On Tuesday evening, he appeared in court, where a Senior Magistrate informed him that the charge of being a gang member was officially dismissed. Domingo is one of several men recently cleared of similar charges. Just weeks ago, Gilbert Wade had his gang charge dropped, and a few months earlier, Tony McDonald saw the same outcome. However, despite the legal win, Domingo isn’t walking free. He remains on remand at the Belize Central Prison, where he’s awaiting trial for a much more serious accusation — the murder of Winston Joseph James, also known as “Tanga,” and the attempted murder of Marybeth Wade. That incident happened on January twenty-first, 2022, in Belize City. Domingo was formally charged with the murder on September twenty-third, 2024, and has been behind bars since. He’s now waiting for a preliminary inquiry to determine if the case will proceed to trial.
It’s been a long road for municipal court bailiff Brandon Vaughan Gillett, but today, he walked out of court a free man. For two days this week, Monday and again today, Gillett was spotted outside the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, waiting for his case to be called. Off camera, he told us he had a feeling the case would be dismissed. And he was right. This morning, Gillett appeared before a Senior Magistrate, alongside Legal Aid attorney Monica Stuart, who was standing in for his usual lawyer. Inside, the prosecutor, a police sergeant, told the court that the case would be amended. Originally, Gillett faced five counts of altering a firearm. But the prosecution dropped four of those charges and stuck with just one. Even that didn’t hold up. The Senior Magistrate dismissed the charge, ruling that the items Gillett allegedly added to his licensed firearm didn’t actually alter it. The prosecutor explained that “altering” means changing the weapon’s function—like sawing off a shotgun barrel or removing a serial number. In Gillett’s case, the additions were just accessories and didn’t change the firearm’s caliber or structure. With that, the case was thrown out, and Gillett was free to go. This case dates back to December 2023, when Gillett was first charged with five counts of altering a firearm without written permission from the Firearms and Ammunition Control Board. At the time, he initially pleaded guilty and asked for a sentencing indication. But when he learned he could face a year in prison, he quickly changed his plea and was remanded—spending Christmas behind bars before securing bail from the High Court. The case was originally scheduled to be heard by Chief Magistrate Deborah Rogers, but in her absence, it was reassigned to Court #2. Gillett’s arrest followed a family dispute at a funeral, where he was seen with an assault rifle. That led police to search his home, where they found his licensed firearm and claimed it had been illegally modified. Today, however, the court ruled otherwise.
A mid-morning shooting has left a government vehicle riddled with bullets and investigators scrambling for answers. Just before noon today, gunfire erupted at the busy intersection of Central American Boulevard and Faber’s Road. Authorities say a confrontation between three men outside the Zan Zan Store quickly escalated when one of them, reportedly concealing a firearm in an arm sling, opened fire. Though no injuries have been reported, the incident caused significant damage to a government-issued Isuzu SUV driven by Assistant Superintendent Francis Williams of the Anti-Narcotics Unit, who was caught in the crossfire. Scenes of Crime personnel recovered four spent shells at the scene, and a secondary location on Gill Street yielded a 9mm pistol believed to have been used in the shooting. Tonight, police continue their investigation as the community reels from yet another act of brazen daylight violence. We’ll have more details as they become available.
A tragic accident has claimed the life of fifty-three-year-old Raymond Belgrave, a well-known driver for the Belize City Family Court. The fatal crash happened late Monday morning, May twentieth, along the Philip Goldson Highway in the Orange Walk District. Around 11:20 a.m., police responded to reports of a traffic accident between miles fifty-one and fifty-two. When officers arrived, they found Belgrave unconscious behind the wheel of a badly damaged Foton Tunland pickup truck. Investigators say he lost control of the vehicle, veered off the road, and slammed into a fence. Belgrave was rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital, but sadly, he was pronounced dead on arrival. His sudden passing has left a deep void among his family, friends, and colleagues, who remember him for his dedication, loyalty, and years of service.
The Ministry of Transport has floated the idea of creating a single national bus company, but not everyone’s on board. The Belize Bus Owners Association is pushing back, saying the proposal could sideline the very operators who’ve kept the country moving under tough conditions. Transport Minister Doctor Louis Zabaneh and C.E.O. Chester Williams presented the plan to bus owners earlier this month. But just weeks later, the BBOA issued a public statement calling for fairness in the industry. They say their members have been struggling without access to key financial support and outlined four demands aimed at creating a more level playing field. The association believes that with the right support and policies, Belize’s bus industry can thrive long-term. However, Minister Zabaneh says he’s read the release and claims that many BBOA members don’t actually support the demands being made.
Louis Zabaneh
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
“I read their release and the first thing I tried to find out was how many of the bus owners supported the release. After making some calls a number of the larger bus owners are not supporting the release, inf act they are willing to continue with the process we have laid out to revenue the proposal we have made. For those who did support the release, which is a minority we anticipated their would be some concerns. That is natural with something as transformational for them. We have a meeting scheduled for next Friday, the second meeting as we agreed to start to look at some of the details going forward. From what they proposed it is a plan that will still not resolve most of the issues we have. The reason being that the industry cannot attain economies of scale with thirty-one operators along our highway. That is a large number of operators in a very small country, relatively speaking.”
Tensions are rising in the transport sector as the Belize Bus Owners Association (BBOA) pushes back against a government proposal to create a single national bus company. In a recent release, the association accused the Ministry of Transport of trying to replace long-standing, Belizean-owned operators with a government-run model. At the heart of the issue is a power struggle over who will control the future of public transportation. The BBOA sees the plan as a threat to their survival. But Transport Minister Doctor Louis Zabaneh says the focus must remain on what commuters want — better, more reliable service. He insists that current bus operators won’t be pushed out. In fact, he says they’ll have the opportunity to become shareholders in the new national company if they choose to be part of the transformation.
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
“The public is demanding that we improve the quality of service. From the very first meeting in this proposal the atmosphere we have been encouraging is one of partnership. Improving the industry will require that the bus operators and the government realize that we are not what matters most in the industry. What matters most are the commuters, their welfare, they are the ones paying. The difference between what we are proposing now and what happened with Novelo is that all operators continue to be owners. In this case they would be owners by way of being shareholders in this public private partnership. In the case of Novelo there was only one owner. It cannot be said they are being kicked out of the industry. They have the opportunity to remain as shareholders. The second factor is this new public private partnership which will be no different than a B.E.L. a B.T.L. or a B.W.S.L., meaning a public utility which transportation will fall under as a natural monopoly to serve people who need the service across the country. In that setting we ensure that the owners will hire a board of directors, new management, we have structures in place, and we put the necessary legislation in place to protect so that there is no erosion.”
Minister of Transport, Doctor Louis Zabaneh has scheduled a follow up meeting with bus operators for next week Friday. We will continue to follow.
E-taxis have officially hit the streets of Belize City, but not everyone is celebrating. Local cab drivers are voicing strong concerns, worried that this new, eco-friendly service could drive them out of business. If this sounds familiar, it’s because we’ve seen it before; just last year, the launch of e-buses sparked similar backlash from traditional bus operators. Now, with only a handful of e-taxis in operation, tensions are already rising. So how are cab drivers coping with the change? News Five’s Britney Gordon hit the streets to find out. Here’s her report.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
It’s been one week since Belize City rolled out its new e-Ride service, marking another step forward in clean, modern transportation. After the debut of e-buses in 2024, many Belizeans were eager to see what would come next—and now, electric taxis are here. But just like the e-buses, the new e-taxis are stirring up controversy. Local cab drivers say the service threatens their livelihoods, fearing that the sleek, eco-friendly rides could soon replace traditional taxis.
Albert Robinson
Albert Robinson, Belize City Taxi Driver
“Any plus affects the business any plus when it comes to being in business. Anything that comes. Competition is good, but to a certain extent, you have to be careful as to how much you overflow or you flood the situation, right? Because it creates a problem sometimes it even get personal with people. It become violent. I have seen hotel since I started to operate, that people have gone to the extreme of fighting over client and wounding one another.”
Albert Robinson, a local taxi driver, told us that a ride in a regular cab costs around ten dollars, though the price can vary depending on how far you’re going. To compare, we tried booking an e-taxi through the MiDriva app—but it was down. So instead, we called e-taxi driver Abigail Westby directly. She’s currently offering a promotional rate, and our ride came to just eight dollars. Westby shared that business started off slowly, but things have picked up so much that she’s now turning down ride requests. It’s a sign that e-taxis may be gaining traction, even as traditional drivers worry about the competition.
Abigail Westby
Abigail Westby, E-Ride Taxi Driver
“ They love it. They love it. I’ve been getting a lot of tens out of tens. People are sharing and posting their thoughts and I’ve seen it on my WhatsApp, so it’s been good. “
The Belize City Council rolled out four electric taxis as part of its push for greener transportation—but right now, only two drivers are on the road. One of them, Abigail Westby, says demand is growing fast. When she’s fully booked, she sometimes refers customers to her mother, who drives a traditional taxi. It’s a unique family dynamic in a time of change. We asked Westby whether she thinks the e-taxi service poses a threat to drivers like her mother. Her response reflects the tension many in the industry are feeling as the city shifts toward cleaner, tech-driven transport.
Abigail Westby
“It will be balanced because it is still going to price within the range. I believe that people are mis misunderstanding the promotion that I am doing this week. This week alone. The price, they’re saying that we’re charging eight for the runs, but it’s. It’s actually a promotion. It’s not going to be the set cost. It will start at a base price of as low as seven dollars. But as time goes and as your distance change, the prices will change in the app.”
E-taxis may be the future of transportation in Belize City, but for many local drivers, owning one remains out of reach. Right now, e-taxi drivers pay a daily fee of sixty-five dollars to use electric vehicles. If they meet that fee, they can stay on the road. But the veteran cab driver says the original pitch to local drivers was very different. He recalls being told they could buy an e-taxi for between sixty and seventy thousand dollars, a price he says is simply unaffordable for the average taxi operator.
Albert Robinson
“ We were taken into a meeting at the city hall where we were introduced and these taxes were mentioned to us. We were given preference and if we wanted to drive one of these taxi to own, but when they gave us the price of one of those vehicles, we told them at all age, especially me right now, I am seventy-six years old. No shame in my game because I’m gift, I’m still operating. I still take care of myself as much as I could, but it’s the only way out. People like us at certain age are not employable. They don’t employ us. Right, because of our age. So we find our own industry and we try to make a living the best way we could.”
Voice of: Belize City Taxi Driver
For many taxi drivers in Belize City, making ends meet is becoming harder by the day. Between the rising cost of fuel, constant vehicle maintenance, taxes, and other fees, several drivers say they’re barely scraping by. One frustrated taxi-man didn’t hold back, saying the government should focus on developing new industries instead of crowding already saturated ones like the taxi sector. With competition growing and expenses piling up, many drivers feel they’re being left behind in the push for progress.
Voice of: Belize City Taxi Driver
“ The government di take away job from the local people and then the e-taxi business di benefit the government and not the people. You need to look fi jobs to create for your people and do not take away job from them. The same thing with the e-buses because then the target, the whole taxi and bus system. And another five years from now, Belizeans a see the effect of it.”
While only a few electric taxis are currently operating in Belize City, traditional cab drivers are already worried about what the future holds. Could their way of life be on the road to extinction? Not so fast, says e-taxi driver Abigail Westby. She believes there will always be a place for cab drivers in the city’s transportation landscape.
Abigail Westby
“Not in the near future. Things take time to adjust and upgrade. If they want to upgrade the country or the city with electric vehicles, it won’t change right away. So it will have some time, If it’s the plan that. We want to be, become a fully electric vehicle, country or as city, then it won’t happen right away.”
Veteran cab driver Mr. Robinson says he’s not against progress—but he believes development shouldn’t come at the cost of people’s livelihoods. With e-taxis entering the scene, he’s urging the government to find a way forward that supports innovation without sidelining those who depend on traditional jobs to survive. Britney Gordon for News Five.
At the Seventy-eighth World Health Assembly in Geneva, Belize is making its voice heard on the global stage. Health Minister Kevin Bernard reaffirmed the country’s strong support for Taiwan and emphasized Belize’s commitment to building a fair and resilient healthcare system. Speaking to delegates from one hundred and ninety-four member states under the theme ‘One World for Health,’ Bernard highlighted the importance of equity, community engagement, and access to quality care for all. He also called for Taiwan’s inclusion in the World Health Organization, recognizing its valuable contributions to global health innovation and knowledge.
Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness
“This year, Belize has made significant strides in expanding digital health, enhancing mental health services, and combating non-communicable diseases. We are improving public health surveillance and emergency preparedness, recognizing that in today’s interconnected world, no country is truly safe unless all are protected. We are also prioritizing the health workforce, investing in training, retention, and supportive environments for the professionals who sustain our health systems. Climate resilience remains a key part of our strategy, particularly as we confront the health impacts of rising temperatures and extreme water events. Mr. President, one World for health must mean access to health, knowledge, innovation, and cooperation for all. In that spirit, Belize emphasizes the importance of international solidarity. We value our collaboration with PAHO, SICA and WHO, which has strengthened our capacity to meet both national and global health goals. Belize also believes that the Global health dialogue must be inclusive. We therefore support the meaningful participation of Taiwan in the World Health Assembly and all the WHO technical meetings. Taiwan’s contributions to global health are significant, and it’s twenty-three million people deserve representation in shaping the global health agenda. In Geneva stands a broken chair, a symbol of incompleteness. With Taiwan’s inclusion, that chair and our global health efforts can finally be made whole.”
An internal investigation at the Ministry of Transport has uncovered troubling signs that money collected for services may not be making it into government accounts. Minister of Transport, Doctor Louis Zabaneh, says that shortly after stepping into the role a few weeks ago, he noticed irregularities in operations across the country. The ministry quickly launched a formal investigation, and now, a detailed report outlining the findings is on the desk of the Director of Public Prosecutions. So, does this mean former Transport Minister Rodwell Ferguson is in hot water? Not necessarily. According to Doctor Zabaneh, the investigation isn’t pointing fingers just yet. This development comes just a week after Public Service Union President Dean Flowers publicly called on the ministry to investigate how things were run under Ferguson’s leadership. Doctor Zabaneh confirmed the investigation is ongoing and says more details will be shared as the process unfolds.
Louis Zabaneh
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
“When we came in we found irregularities across the country and we have a case with the DPP who we are looking at scenarios that we have seen and are investigating. So I cant speak to it specifically, so we are taking steps that is our responsibility. We feel that until we are able to make an example of rogue employees whoa re there stealing the resources of our people, that maybe until then it continues business as usual and hopefully people get the message we are serious. We are aiming to do precisely what we need to do to make people understand that these things will not be tolerated and there are consequences to that type of action. What we are seeing is that there is collusion between various levels. What happens is when you don’t have system in place where there is clear terms of reference for people in terms of who is responsible for what then there is always a setting where people can point fingers and say it was not me it was that one and the other one. So these are things we need to ensure that we make it clear. There are persons from different levels that we are investigating.”
Paul Lopez
“The obvious question would be if the former minister could find himself in some hot water.”
Dr. Louis Zabaneh
“At this point what we are looking at is in the hands of the DPP. These are things like people coming for services at the window. Certain amount of money is collected at that level and it does not reach into the coffers of government. There are schemes that they use to take these monies into their own pockets, those types of things.”
We wait to see what the outcome of this investigation will be and if anyone will be criminally charged based on the findings.
