Justice Candace Nanton has ruled that a Belize City man who stands accused of murder is insane and unfit to make a plea. Fifty-two-year-old Shedrack White is accused of the July 2020 murder of William Rubio in Belize City. In late January, Justice Nanton handed down her ruling in White’s competency hearing. She deemed him unfit to stand trial for murder. Today, White returned to the High Court to hear the judge’s decision on where he will be placed given his mental state. In handing down her decision, Justice Nanton noted that while Belize does not have any mental facilities to house White, he should not be deprived of the help he deserves. And so, Justice Nanton ordered that, White be detained in a safe place at the Kolbe Foundation, until further notice; that he is treated for his mental disease, namely Schizophrenia, and that reviews are done every six months as part of his treatment. The outcome of those reviews will be made known to the court, including any review that shows he is fit for trial. During the competency hearing, Doctor Alejandro Matus, told the court that after four evaluations it was determined that White suffers from the mental disorder. He explained that it causes him to lose touch with reality and familiar functions and that it can only be treated, not cured. Before handing down her decision this morning, Justice Nanton said that White has not been found guilty of any offense, but only unfit to plea. She further explained that the purpose of the court is to keep him safe until and if he could be found capable of entering a plea at a later date. Notwithstanding the court’s decision, Doctor Alejandro Matus has highlighted that it is likely White could ever be fit for trial. When the crown asked Doctor Matus what it will take for White to be released back into society, he responded saying White has to be on permanent treatment. When asked what would be the outcome if White does not take his treatment, Doctor Matus said he will be a risk to society.
Category: Belize District
Attempted Murder Trial against Former Coast Guard Officer Continues
The trial for attempted murder against former Coast Guard Officer Keyren Tzib is coming to an end with both defense and crown opening and closing their case. Tzib stands accused of trying to kill her former Coast Guard colleague, thirty-seven-year-old Kurt Hyde in April 2015. Allegations are that at the end of a joint maritime operation, Tzib took an M4 Carbine rifle and fired it in Hyde’s direction, hitting him once in the head. On January twenty-sixth, Tzib chose to give a dock statement in her defense. In her statement, Tzib explained to the court that she had no intention of harming Hyde. She stated that the gun had gone off accidentally because she stood up and the waves were rocking the boat at the time. She further noted that she had little experience with handling a firearm and that she is very sorry that it happened. In her defense, her attorney, Darrel Bradley, called two witnesses, Psychiatric Nurse, Ingrid Bennett and Clinical Psychologist Crystal Humes. Nurse Bennett informed the court that she treated Tzib between 2011 and 2019. She stated that in 2011, Tzib had an anxiety and depression disorder for which she was receiving treatment. Nurse Bennett further explained that only days before the incident, Tzib was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which may have derived from an allegation of rape. According to Nurse Bennett, Tzib was on medication at the time of the incident. Humes told the court that she did a test on Tzib in October 2023 in which PTSD was identified as the most pronounced mental illness. At the start of Tzib’s trial, the crown presented evidence in the form of statements coming from several witnesses that were on board the vessel at that time of the incident. Noel Lanza, a BDF soldier, stated that he saw Tzib stood up, took aim and fired a shot. Delon Castro, a boat captain for the Belize Port Authority, stated that he intervened by pushing down the gun after Tzib had fired the shot. Tyrone Young, a Coast Guard officer who has since passed away, said in his statement that Tzib pointed the gun towards the front of the boat then he heard a loud bang.
Michael Baptist Sentenced for Stabbing Eugene “Fat Back” Webster
A man who attacked his stepfather, stabbing him multiple times back in July 2016, has nine years and one month left behind bars to serve for the crime of dangerous harm. Twenty-seven-year-old Michael Baptist Junior, also known as “Chucky” was found guilty of dangerous harm in the High Court by a jury of nine persons, on Thursday, November thirtieth, 2023, before Justice Nigel Pilgrim. In imposing the sentence, Justice Pilgrim took into consideration the aggravating and mitigating factors, as well as a Victim Impact Statement from the stabbing victim, Eugene Webster. His starting point was thirteen years, after he took into consideration the fact that Eugene Webster was stabbed multiple times to the abdomen causing his system to collapse. Justice Pilgrim also considered the fact that Webster now refers to himself as being partially handicapped and the fact that the crime was committed with a deadly instrument. Justin Pilgrim further noted that the stabbing incident appeared premeditated and that the trust factor was infringed upon, as Webster placed trust in him and had assisted him financially on the day of the incident. As a result, Justice Pilgrim increased the sentence to fifteen years. However, because Baptist has a conviction for theft and showed no remorse during the trial, he increased his time by 6 more months, bringing the time to fifteen years and six months. Justice Pilgrim then deducted four years and six months after considering a psychiatric evaluation that Baptist underwent in which he reportedly expressed remorse and a desire to do better. That brought the sentence down to eleven years and twenty-three months. Baptist has spent the last two years on remand, leaving him with nine years and one month left to serve in his sentence. The maximum penalty for the offense of dangerous harm is twenty years.
Public Service Union Reminds Members Of Their Rights
The Public Service Union says that it will not be disrespected or fall victim of harassment any longer. On Monday, the Public Service Union issued a circular to its members reminding them of the proper protocols regarding public officers transferring within ministries. According to the circular, there have been multiple instances in which the C.E.O. of a ministry has either attempted to transfer officers themselves or attempt to refuse the transfer of an officer. It further states that these transfers can only be issued by the Public Services Commission or by the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Public Service as delegated by the commission. As transfers will be occurring between now and March thirty-first, the union felt obligated to issue a reminder to its member that they must report these instances to union if they occur. We spoke with President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers for more information.
Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U.
“Currently we’re dealing with some grievances in which public officers now, are claiming compensation for responsibility allowance, as well as acting allowances, for having been posted or transferred without the permission or without the knowledge of the CEO in the Ministry of Public Service or the commission. And in these cases, while we do enjoy success in being able to prove that these people were in fact performing in a capacity that they are not to have been. And in most cases we do get the compensation that they’re seeking. But we’re saying that we cannot continue always trying to prove these unauthorized transfers because it is important that the commission or the CEO in the Ministry of Public Service calls his colleagues and these heads of departments accountable who continue to usurp the authority by posting and transferring people without any OUT 7:47 vested authority. It doesn’t matter how much we report some of the irregularities that CEOs both past and present may be engaged in. We are yet to see under the previous administration or past administrations or under the current administration where CEOs who have not acted in the best interest of the public service have been recommended. We have not seen that and I am unable to say to you what would be those repercussions because all that the government sees when they come into office is blue and red and each and every administration that comes into government know exactly who are decent CEOs and upright CEOs and who are terrible whether from a human resource management standpoint or whether from an integrity standpoint, they know them and they know them well.”
Mayor Wagner, “Street Works and New Vehicles are not Electioneering”
Everyone who lives in Belize City and ventures out would know that there’s a whole lot of infrastructural work taking place over the past weeks. Some have said that it’s indicative of the election season, based on past trends when major street projects are carried out just prior to Election Day. Today, Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner showed off a new fleet of heavy-duty equipment and electric cars that the Belize City Council was able to acquire. When the question was posed, whether these efforts are indeed political, Wagner said the projects are (quote), “everything is aligning for a big victory,” (unquote).
Marion Ali
“Mayor, how do you respond to comments or the criticism that all of this that’s happening now is just merely electioneering – very nice e-taxis and then all the street works.- your critics have been saying that.”
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“If you look at the concept papers, these were written – [for] the buses were written in 2017, 2018, 2018, when we came in. This program started under COVID. We have been talking so long. Da how long ah di talk bout bus and how long ah di talk bout e-taxis? Dan uh just this year when election.”
Marion Ali
“They’re happening now though.
Bernard Wagner
“But the project takes a long while. You know how these projects are. The buses for instance is an EU-funded grant fund – close to $3.8 million Euros. That’s a big project, and so it took a while. Even me got frustrated sometimes, but, it is here. It’s not electioneering. It’s just that everything is aligning. It’s aligning for a big victory. (Laughs)”
Mayor Wagner, “Parking Meters Are Here to Stay”
Last week when Hofius Store announced that it was going to close down later this year, the word was that the parking meter system in the downtown area was a factor in the company’s declining business. And a number of other businesses in the downtown area have also said off-record that they, too, feel as if the parking meters are a deterrent to business. But today when we met with him, Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner explained why the concept behind the meters was never to hinder business activity. In fact, he said that the metering is to allow all city residents a chance to access the parking area.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“Parking meters are here to stay. It’s a part of the ecosystem of a smart city. You travel anywhere in the world, municipalities control on-street parking. We can’t control off street parking, but the city has a responsibility to ensure that the spaces that are on street are regulated and that me and you and my brother here have equal opportunity to use that space. The shop – the people who were parking there were not going into those stores to shop. They were people who were working in the downtown area and parked there all day. Even if we don’t have parking meters, people will still not be able to access based on what you are implying. Parking meters were placed there not to earn any substantive funds or anything. It was to regulate the space and that is working. If you go to Brodies, I challenge you to go to Brodies, any one of those areas that have businesses in that area, they would say that people drive right up there. I met a lady during Christmas and she said, I’ve never been in the downtown area, but now I’m able to go there and drive right up, pay my dollar, go in the shop, come out back.”
CitCo to Introduce Electric Vehicles to Taxi Association
Today the Belize City Council put on display a fleet of heavy-duty equipment and two brand new electric vehicles that it will assign to the taxi stand in front of the Battlefield Park. According to Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner, the council has been able to increase its vehicle fleet from one pickup truck in 2018 when it first took office to twelve in 2024. Today, the mayor invited the media to show us three pieces of equipment and the electric vehicles that were purchased at a total cost of over nine hundred thousand dollars. Part of the display was a brand new compactor truck – first of two donated by Japan. News Five’s Marion Ali brings you this report on the new acquisition.
Marion Ali, Reporting
To improve the quality of work it does, the Belize City Council has purchased a fleet of heavy-duty equipment and electric cars. Mayor Bernard Wagner invited the media to have a look at the vehicles.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“We wanted to continue to add to the fleet. And as you can see here, we have backhoes, we have graders, and we want to continue to build along that line.
These equipment are have been purchased by the city. It’s Gili brand. It’s a Chinese made brand. I think each one of them cost about $50,000.”
The compactor truck was the first of two, valued at over half a million Belize dollars, that the government of Japan has gifted to the council, after contracts were signed in 2022. According Kaya Cattouse, the councillor responsible for sanitation, the vehicles will help the municipal government, in improving its efficiency in collecting garbage.
Kaya Cattouse, Councillor for Sanitation, Belize City Council
“The impact of this new equipment at the sanitation department cannot be overstated. With enhanced capabilities and efficiency, we will be able to accomplish more of our mission to keep the City clean. These compactors will enable us to streamline our waste collection processes, improve our response times, and enhance the overall cleanliness of our streets and neighborhoods.”
These two white EUVs, as they are called, will be assigned, in this first instance, to the Battlefield Park Taxi Association. The mayor explained that the taxi drivers and the council will have lease agreements with their members to run the vehicles as taxis that they can someday own. Wagner said that eventually, all taxi associations in Belize City will be introduced to this eco-friendly means of transportation.
“The taxi owners associations all across the city will really benefit from this initiative because our agreement is a lease-to-own eventually. Certainly we look at how we depreciate the vehicle. We want to ensure that we have the financial model, to ensure that we are able to meet the investment that we got for the e-taxis, we want to ensure that we have a maintenance component in it. We also want to ensure that we are able to pay the drivers out of that. And also the city has to get back its little return on investment, obviously. And at the end of the term, we are able to say to the taxi driver, here is this taxi, it’s now yours. The taxis will be run on the type of system that you have in the United States, similar to Uber.”
Wagner explained that the reason for the investment in electric taxis is to promote a cleaner and more sustainable environment.
Bernard Wagner
“We wanted to do this as an investment, right, to ensuring that we drive The e-mobility we build the ecosystem here in Belize City. We are not driving any of the taxi owners. And it’s starting the ecosystem of e mobility of really transforming the, local public transportation in the city.”
Marion Ali for News Five.
Elderly Woman Dragged to Court and “Roughed Up” Over Land Dispute
Sixty-one-year-old Gertrude Hunter was taken to court this morning where she was arraigned on four criminal offenses, including damage to property, two counts of aggravated assault upon two police officers and one count of trespassing. The charges arose from an incident in January during which Hunter was involved in a land dispute. It is alleged that Hunter entered the property of Pauline McFadzean on Cemetery Road. In court, earlier today the elderly woman appeared unrepresented where she pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Hunter was offered bail in the sum of one thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount. After meeting bail, Hunter tearfully recounted her experience at the hands of the Belize Police Department and described an ordeal that began in 2015 and only got worse following the passing of her common-law husband in 2020. Hunter maintains that she is the rightful owner of the property in question and that it was given to her in a will left behind by her deceased husband.
Minister of Land Speaks on Gertude Hunter Eviction
Reporters caught up with Minister of Natural Resources, Cordel Hyde earlier today in Belize City where he was asked to weigh in on the matter involving Gertrude Hunter. Minister Hyde frowned on reports that police officers were involved in the eviction process, a practice he says should not be countenanced. He further noted that the P.U.P. administration has been trying its best to meet the growing the demand for lands across the country.
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
“I don’t know all the details and so it is hard for me to comment. I would only say that the police ought not to be in the business of evicting anybody from their homes. You can’t evict anybody unless you get a court order. So the police, I suspect is acting on some favor or friendship kind of thing. That is not how it works. There is a process you have to undergo to get someone evicted from a house. As I said, I don’t know all the details but I will find out and see how best to remedy that because in this day and age there has to be a process of working things out. And we have tried as best we can to provide land for first time land owners. WE have really gone hard at that. Lots of sleepless nights, late night, working overtime to try and provide land for our people. We can’t really keep up with the demand, because now more than ever before people are realizing you have to get a piece of the Jewel. Once you have land you won’t be poor. So we have to keep up with that demand. But, off the top of my head the police has a lot more matters to deal with and I don’t know that is one of them.”
A New Loan Opportunity at DFC for Fisher Folk
Today, licensed artisanal fisher folk were drawn into a pilot project with the Development Finance Corporation and key conservation NGOs. Before today, fisher folk could only access loans if they possessed land title collateral. But through this project, financing is being made much easier for these micro businesses that rely on marine resources to earn a living. News Five’s Marion Ali was at a meeting involving the relevant parties and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The room full of NGO representatives, licensed fisher folk and the C.E.O. of the Development Finance Corporation discussed a new initiative designed especially for fisher folks. It falls under an upcoming Resilient Bold Belize project. This new loan program will support licensed small-scale fishers who wish to switch to more sustainable equipment, new boats, and other capital needs assistance with diversifying into non-traditional fisheries.
Henry Anderson, C.E.O., Development Finance Corporation
“What we did was to look at different levels, different collateral requirements, and at some levels it doesn’t require collateral, it requires a promissory note. At other levels, you take a bill of sale, it’s over the engine, and then you could get a guarantor. And then for the much bigger loans, then you get into, you must provide collateral. So that’s to make it more inclusive. The interest rates are between eight and a half to 12 percent. The lower end is for women.
We’re trying to get more women into the fishing industry.”
One of the organizers of the initiative is the World Wildlife Fund, represented today by Juliet Neal. She said that part of the loan program would be based on character, hence fishers who break the law will be monitored.
Juliet Neal, Conservation, Finance and Policy Officer, W.W.F.
“Demonstrating good character is a person who does not break the law, who does not have a history of doing so. And as you will hear from a lot of the fishers in the area, they want fishers to be fishing in grounds that are following the law. So I believe that even fishers would be pointing to, encouraging the fisheries department to ensure that those who are getting licenses are compliant with the law.”
Norman Castillo is the President of the Hopkins Fishermen’s Association and the President of the Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve. His association also includes women. Castillo expressed frustration over the fact that prior to now, fisher folk have been left on their own to fend for their livelihood.
Norman Castillo, President, Hopkins Fishermen’s Association
“There are nothing given to the fisher folks in this country with the exception of meeting, meeting, meeting, consultation, consultation, but nothing back to the fisher folks. There are several people in this country that get grants, but fishermen do not get anything. The protection is that is our livelihood. We have to protect that for us to survive. We have to protect our area. The loan itself now is a great initiative and I hope you go to, in terms of saying, as I have just said, for minimal percentage of rate, but fishermen are eager and honestly wanted to get that loan going forward and we need that loan because this will be the first time again in history of fishing that we get something, if we do get it. Cooperatives are no help to fisher folks in this country. Cooperatives only buy and sell.”
D.F.C’s Chief Executive Officer, Henry Anderson explained that this project is a part of a much bigger initiative which involves the development of a Project Finance for Permanence, or PFP, a financing mechanism aimed at attracting resources to take care of protected areas.
Henry Anderson
“The PFPs that you find you have, I think Costa Rica has, you have for Brazil, like in the Amazon, there is none in the blue space. So what Belize is doing right now, this is a first in the world, that PFP will come alive perhaps at the end of this year – early next year. But the testing of this pilot is to give the loan, give training, work with the conservation of the area to ensure that the fishers are adhering and providing data in terms of the sustainable fisheries management of that area. And you’re getting training in how to manage your loan, how to make your business more profitable, how to understand their numbers and everything like that. So, it’s a holistic approach aimed at improving firstly the livelihood of the fisher folk, because it’s about people, and then obviously to get them to protect the area where they live from.”
The loans will extend for periods of twelve months to seven years with interest rates up to twelve percent, with lower rates for women fishers. Marion Ali for News Five.