Belize City police are investigating a double murder that occurred last night near a basketball court in the Jane Usher Boulevard. The victims have been identified as thirty-six-year-old Troy Hyde and fifteen-year-old Lamisha Moody. The shooting happened at around 8:40 p.m. when a silver vehicle stopped nearby and one of the gunmen inside opened fire. Hyde and Moody were rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they died minutes later.
Hyde is a known street figure in the area. Moody was a student at Anglican Cathedral College.
Across the country today, thousands of voters and supporters of the various political organizations paraded through the streets of their cities and towns to usher they candidates of choice to be nominated. In Belize City, Belmopan, and Orange Walk, much like in San Pedro and other parts of the Jewel, the spirit was festive, as motorcades and processions kept the mood energized. Tonight’s newscast is a look at the sight and sounds, as well as the campaigns leading up to March sixth.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Today is significant for politicians, seasoned and novice, because it marks the formal process of being selected as a candidate for a political party. It is also the first step in the election cycle where politicians are officially recognized and supported by their respective organizations to run for office.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor Candidate, P.U.P.
“Nomination Day is always an exciting time for the party machinery, being able to galvanize the number of people we saw out there this morning. Essentially, the horses are now at the gate and we have to dig in deeper as a team.”
It is crucial because it validates the eligibility and readiness for the slate to move advance to the municipal elections on March sixth. It also signals to voters and other politicians that these candidates are the official choice of the People’s United Party.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Area Rep, Caribbean Shores
“It’s an exciting time. I know that the people of Caribbean Shores are waiting for March sixth to deliver another victory for Mayor Bernard Wagner and his team and I think I speak not only for myself, but my predecessor, Santi Castillo, and it’s not often that you get two candidates, the predecessor and the current candidate endorsing a mayoral candidate like Mr. Wagner and so I think that speaks volumes of his integrity as a mayor and the hard work he has put in.”
Nomination Day is one for celebration and commitment, as it sets the stage for the approaching electoral contest. Today, the incumbent administration, led by Mayor Bernard Wagner, shored up the support of as many voters from across Belize City. It began with a procession from Independence Hall, the seat of the People’s United Party, and made its way to ITVET where all councilor candidates, as well as the two-time mayor, made their formal application.
Allan Pollard
Allan Pollard, Councilor Candidate, P.U.P.
“I’m feeling good, and I am amped up. With that crowd today and I was feeling the vibes of the residents of the city was a good way to get here. You know, I just feel blessed, in general, just to wake up and to have the opportunity to run on the slate again, this is my third municipal election so I’m pretty hyped, I’m pretty hyped.”
Isani Cayetano
“What’s different about this time around for you?”
Allan Pollard
“What’s different? For me, it’s like we have a lot of new candidates in it. I think now, for me when I was just coming in, it was sort of a newcomer type. So right now I feel a little bit of nostalgia and also being more senior to it. It’s just a different role now. So that’s kind of the contrast there.”
This is Bernard Wagner’s third bid for the highest seat at City Hall. Is he poised for another victory at the polls?
Bernard Wagner
“I never want to say that you are overconfident, you always want to maintain humility throughout the whole process and ensure that you do what you need to do as a team, as a party, as a machinery and let the other chips fall in place.”
Isani Cayetano
“With that said, how satisfied are you with the work that you’ve been able to accomplish in office over the past three years?”
Bernard Wagner
“I am so amazed at this team and the resiliency of this team. I always stress it, the perseverance and the tenacity of the team, the six years that I’ve been there. We have really faced some tremendous crisis.”
With those challenges, including the setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic behind it, the People’s United Party is once again ready to lead the residents of the Old Capital into the next three years.
Allan Pollard
“I think the residents have received us well. They are excited for the election and of course they have seen the work that we have been doing over time. So, for them, they are excited to go to the polls just as we are.”
The United Democratic Party also had its turn this afternoon and, like the People’s United Party that came before it, did not fail to disappoint. The procession began at its headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive and ended at the ITVET a short while later, but it was also energetic and festive. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with another report.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
This afternoon, the United Democratic Party also led a parade of supporters from the foot of the BelChina Bridge to Freetown Road, where its slate of candidates presented themselves for nomination. Notwithstanding the challenges that the U.D.P. has been facing internally, it was able to muster a throng of supporters to rival the numbers brought out by the People’s United Party earlier today. Leading the charge for his party its team of eleven was Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow.
Shyne Barrow
Shyne Barrow, Party Leader, U.D.P.
“I want the Belizean people to see, with all humility, this is my projection, nine, nine municipalities and it is not farfetched. There was a time where the United Democratic Party administered all nine municipalities and no municipality is out of reach because the cost of living, the neglect, as Dr. Mortis Jones mentioned, people just don’t feel the love. They feel abandoned, they feel neglected and maybe it was the over-promising, maybe it was the hardies and brodies that the People’s United Party sold, rather than be practical and give deliverables that they could actually meet.”
Dr. Nelma Mortis Jones is the U.D.P.’s mayoral candidate. She is a first-time politician running under the red banner. She is optimistic about her chances of taking City Hall.
Nelma Mortis Jones
Dr. Nelma Mortis Jones, Mayoral Candidate, U.D.P.
“I was confident from I was in the field because of the expression and the sentiments of the people that I associated or made relationships on the ground.”
Reporter
“While you were campaigning, what were some of the criticisms or complaints you’ve been hearing?”
Nelma Mortis
“Basically, the issues are more of national issues and the people feel that the People’s United Party has no love for them. The relationship was not there and so that was one of the major complaints for them. The local issues were secondary and we can understand that, people’s basic needs come first.”
Of particular interest is the fact that the U.D.P.’s mayoral candidate was endorsed by the sitting party leader, as well as his predecessor. For the most part, they haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a number of issues within the party.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Area Rep, Collet
“At the end of the day, we’re all UDPs and that’s what we have always maintained. I did not want to ever leave my party and so when the election gun is sounded I am here and we are going to do our best to bring victory for our party on March sixth.”
Isani Cayetano
“How practical, in your opinion, has the campaign been in terms of trying to muster the support of voters across the country?”
Patrick Faber
“Well I think there’s been a really wonderful exercise on the part of the UDP. Of course, there are many new candidates and, as I am in those areas and I’ve visited many of them over the last couple of weeks, it is a testing of their machinery, it is putting in place that machinery if it didn’t exist. And I feel that win or lose for the party overall, the UDP will leave on March sixth with a victory and that victory can well be translated into a further victory whenever the general elections are called because we would have had a stronger machinery as a result of going through these elections on March sixth.”
With the possibility of a U.D.P. victory in Belize City on March sixth, a new mayor and a new team of councilors would mean that they would have to work with a People’s United Party central government. Here’s how the U.D.P.’s mayoral candidate responded to that question.
Nelma Mortis
“I am hoping to change that kind of politicking, in the sense that we’re supposed to move towards development. This is for all Belizeans and so I am hoping [that] if my opponents are still the central government and of course we’ll change them very soon, that they will see the relevance of my work and my leadership to serve the people of Belize and not to serve a UDP or a PUP person, but the people of Belize.”
The People’s Democratic Movement, despite the controversy that it faced last week, also turned up for Nomination Day. Led by Estevan Perrera Senior, the P.D.M. arrived at the ITVET compound at midday and proceeded to sign up its slate of candidates who will contest the vacancy at City Hall. After officially entering his name in the political race, we caught up with mayoral candidate Perrera.
Estevan Perrera Sr.
Estevan Perrera Sr., Mayoral Candidate, P.D.M.
“It feels good, it really feels good because I never thought that this day would have come and now that is has come, it even spurs me up more to fight for the people of Belize.”
Reporter
“You’ve been campaigning leading up to today, what’s the sentiment from the residents of Belize City as you campaigned?”
Estevan Perrera Sr.
“Well a lot of the sentiments from the Belizean people is that they are tired of thered and blue and it’s time that they leave them. And while we are in this movement right now it’s because and why we strongly believe that we will make it is because these people like in Gungulung and you got the other places like Ghost Town and you have Jungle, these are the places that I think the UDP and the PUP have really neglected because these people are living in some deplorable conditions and I think the government should take a walk behind there and see what’s happening. And I think it’s because of them that I really want to defeat the PUP and the UDP because they have to understand that they preach these things about everybody fi win and if they go behind there, it proves that not everybody wins, only a few groups win. So we are here for one thing, I want to stamp out corruption and that’s one of the main things I’m aiming at and also the wasteful spending of the taxpayers’ money.”
A woman, who used the name of Minister of Natural Resources Cordel Hyde on Facebook to scam a woman out of five hundred dollars, has been taken before the Belize City Magistrates Court. Thirty-seven-year-old Ada Ethel Toro is accused of obtaining property by deception. Toro appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate where she was read two counts of obtaining property by deception. She pled not guilty. Allegations are that on February twelfth and February thirteenth, Toro obtained three hundred and two hundred dollars, respectively, from Natalie Gotoy who claims she paid into an account belonging Toro in exchange for assistance in acquiring a business booth on Mahogany Street. But Gotoy said after she got a response from the person posing to be Minister Cordel Hyde to make the deposit, she later found out it was not the minister and so she reported the matter and requested court action. In a statement to Police, Minister Hyde indicated that he gave no such authorization for any business to be conducted on his behalf, nor did Toro work for his ministry. Furthermore, according to Hyde’s report, he never gave Toro permission to use his picture on any Facebook page. Toro was granted bail of one thousand dollars and is set to return to court on April twenty-second. But, when Toro met bail she could not go free because personnel from the Crimes Investigation Branch were outside the court waiting for her. She was once again detained and escorted to the Queen Street Police Station where further charges are expected to be levied against her. More victims of Toro’s alleged scam have surfaced and have made reports against her.
In May 2022, two men, who had never been before the court on any criminal allegations, were charged in connection with a shooting incident that occurred outside of Icon Call Center. Those shots were fired into a vehicle that was being driven at the time by former Belize City Councilor Micah Goodin. As a result, Kenyon Tillett and Tarique James were arrested and slapped with four charges. But today, the crown withdrew three of those four charges leaving only one charge against the men. That is one count of discharging a firearm in public. Instead of the trial kicking off today, as was scheduled, the prosecutor informed the court that they will not be moving forward with the offenses of aggravated assault upon Tae Medina and Micah Goodin and one count of wounding upon Tae Medina. In court, Tillett and James’ attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley had issues with the prosecution wanting to proceed on the discharging a firearm charge because the alleged victims no longer wanted to take court action against his client. But the sitting Senior Magistrate told Bradley that it is the crown’s case and that she is prepared to commence the trial. The matter has been adjourned for a later date.
It has been just over a month since Santos took over the reins as C.E.O. of the Ministry of Immigration. Contrary to reports suggesting that she took the post with great reluctance, Santos says she embraced the challenge. She was asked about her experience working at the ministry over the last six weeks. Here is what she told us.
Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration
“I realized the big challenge it would have been. I also recognized that it is a big vote of confidence on my part from the Prime Minister and the leadership of the government. Therefore I embraced the challenge. I am not somebody who looks to be wasting time. I take my job vey5r seriously. I know there are struggles in this ministry. I know that there are challenges within the ministry but also with the service the public receives. I am also on the receiving end when I go for services in the Ministry of immigration and I have expressed to the staff as well that I have been the recipient of bad treatment and service. I absolutely embrace this challenge and it is one day at a time, one challenge at a time, one problem at a time. It is a big, big cake to eat but a little of it day by day.”
Twenty-nine-year-old Wenjing Lei, a Chinese businessman, appeared before a Senior Magistrate earlier today where he was read two criminal offenses, including one count of use of deadly means of harm and one count of wounding. It is alleged that on February eighteenth, Reno Castillo was standing in front of Guan Fa Store along with another individual when an argument ensued between Castillo and the shopkeeper. According to the welder, during the exchange of words between himself and the grocer, Wenjing Lei, who was inside his uncle’s place of business, produced a firearm and fired a single shot which caught him in the foot. In court this morning, attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley appeared on Lei’s behalf, where he informed the court that the virtual complainant was present to address the matter. The Senior Magistrate explained that there was no such instruction to the court and briefly adjourned the matter. This afternoon, Lei’s attorney did not return to court and his client was subsequently told that since the allegation made against him involved the use of a firearm, he would not be granted bail. With that, Lei was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until March first, 2024. We understand that Castillo has provided an additional statement to police in which he requested no further court action, however, that information has not been forwarded to the court.
An American National is to undergo a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation in order to have her plea taken in court. She is thirty-eight-year-old Adeola Lara Ade-Ekisola, who was brought to court after allegedly assaulting a police officer. The mother of three appeared in court this morning where she had to be forcibly restrained for her safety and that of the others in the room during her arraignment. According to Ade-Ekisola, she is currently unhoused in Belize. She also stated that she is fearful of returning to the U.S. because of a threat to her life there and is seeking refuge in Belize. She demanded to speak to the U.S. Embassy to which the magistrate stated that they will be making contact on her behalf. Not much more could be made out from her statement, as they verged on incoherent. The court ordered that she undergo the evaluation as she in unable to give a plea. Until then, she has been remanded to Belize Central Prison.
It has been six days since the Board of Governors at Belize High School took a decision to terminate former Principal Jamie Usher. But, is the school prepared to settle with Usher for alleged damages as a result of her termination? News Five is in possession of a leaked letter that was furnished to all board members on February sixteenth. The letter was written by Barrow and Williams LLP and signed by Dean Barrow, acting on behalf of Jamie Usher, their client. In the leaked letter, Barrow suggests that his client is entitled to a substantial damages award and would prefer not to litigate. News Five understands that Belize High School has scheduled a meeting with parents for Wednesday to discuss these developments. And today, the school issued a press release denying suggestions made by the United Women’s Group that the termination was based on issues of gender. In its release, the school state, “Neither is the issue about women being supported in leadership positions, and, as testament to this, the interim principal is another female leader at the school. It regrets that UWG, a political organization, would take a stance on an internal private matter without knowing the facts”. The school has also sought the services of attorney Audrey Matura. When we spoke with her today, she was not at liberty to share any details in relation to a legal challenge. She noted that the school is preparing to meet with parents and that the matter will first be discussed with them. She did however expound on the school’s latest press release.
Audrey Matura
Audrey Matura, Attorney
“It is only the United Women’s Group from the PUP that has said it is a gender issue, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, BES and BHS would not survive if it was not for all the women who are leaders there in the classroom, even the principal, administration, the women outnumber the men. Definitely it is not a gender issue. I can tell you it is a deeper issue than that. It is a pity that is a red herring and it has taken a political slant but like I say it is a private company and we would have preferred the matter stay in house. But I can categorically say that it is not a gender issue.”
Paul Lopez
“Are you able to speak whether from a legal or parent perspective what those deeper issues might be?”
Audrey Matura
“Now you wanted to know what are the deeper issues, again speaking legally, under the Labor Act, if you terminate someone with reasons and if that reason amounts to gross misconduct and like matters it simply means you are telling the person they have to leave now, you get no severance, especially if you work for more than five or ten years there is something for you to get. You get your notice pay only and your salary and your vacation pay. Your severance is usually your package. So I think the best way to put that is what is the lawful and legal position, that the high school acted in the law and whatever internal matters as juicy as it may be and people dying to hear, the board has taken a very professional stand saying the interest of the children comes first and putting their dirty laundry out there will help.”
