The safety of students is top priority for Doctor Vincent Palacio, President of the University of Belize. Today, we caught up with him in Belmopan to get an update on the investigation into faculty member Doctor Pio Saqui. As previously reported, several students have accused Doctor Saqui of sexual offences. In response, the lecturer has been placed on administrative leave while the university conducts a thorough investigation. Here’s what Doctor Palacio had to say about the situation.
Dr. Vincent Palacio
Dr. Vincent Palacio, President, U.B.
“Not much to share, but an investigation is on. Faculty member is on administrative leave. A committee has been established. They are meeting to discuss the case and investigate. That is what is happening.”
Paul Lopez
“What is the phases of investigation based on protocol here?”
Dr. Vincent Palacio
“The committee will decide the process, so more than likely they will interact with the accused, all the accusers, the students and the faculty member. And, they will come up with recommendation.”
Paul Lopez
“What is your understanding about how far back these allegations are dated?”
Dr. Vincent Palacio
“I am not certain. I am not a part of the committee and I would rather not share.”
Paul Lopez
“How do you deal with what can be deemed a black eye for the university?”
Dr. Vincent Palacio
“We are doing all that we can to make sure that we bring justice to whatever the case is, through the committee and their process and at the end of that whatever the recommendations is will be adhered to.”
Paul Lopez
“The commitment that the university has to students, speak about that, where safety is concerned?”
Dr. Vincent Palacio
“It is paramount, extremely important to me, and every chance I get I let the students know that I am here to protect them, I am here for them as the president and all that we do is to ensure they have a safe, positive environment to come to school. We are very proactive in dealing with the issue and providing workshop for the entire faculty on the issue of sexual harassment and we are serious about protecting our student.”
Last night, we shared the story of the growing tension between the Belmopan City Council and David Zabaneh, the owner of the city’s Market Plaza. Recently, Zabaneh received a cease-and-desist order from the council, stating that the trade license agreement he signed with the previous administration is no longer valid. Since 2021, Zabaneh has been paying for a blanket trade license that covers all vendors in the plaza. However, Mayor Pablo Cawich argues that this agreement contradicts Belize’s Trade License Act. Despite this, Zabaneh insists that the agreement should be honored for the sake of the vendors. Mayor Cawich also explained why the council hasn’t yet approached the vendors to enforce the new regulation.
Pablo Cawich
Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
“It was an issue for us at least. It was more of an issue with the MOU, having the blanket coverage. That was as, as I mentioned, this was the specific issue that was brought to the council. And then the council ended up taking it over after it was brought to our attention. So it wasn’t a case that that we were aware of something in, I will say, inappropriate, for lack of a better word. We were not aware that something inappropriate was happening. But since the specific trade license blanket coverage was brought up to us as an issue, that was the specific case we were looking at. And that could have only been looked at with the proprietors of the Belmopan Market Plaza.”
Reporter
“If it is that the act says the individual must pay trade license, and trade license is paid to the council, how is it that the council does not act on that authority to enforce that and have them individually pay? I don’t know why you’re pursuing the whole MOU aspect.”
Pablo Cawich
“Because if we were to approach any vendor, the first thing based on logic is that they would say, we are already paying the Belmopan Market Plaza. If we were to ask what portion of that goes to what, I am pretty sure they would not know. And when it comes to an MOU, it’s pretty much a contract. So if a contract exists in an area, we obviously would tend to try and tackle or address that contract first before we can approach anything else. We would have to work with the entity who is perceived as the legal person to have the authority.”
Reporter
“Is this matter, to your knowledge, heading to court already or you’re still at a negotiation phase?”
Pablo Cawich
“From my knowledge, we’re still at a negotiation stage.”
Belmopan police are investigating a daring drive-by shooting that occurred on Saturday. Surveillance footage shows a white SUV pulling up behind a Mazda Tribute parked in front of T and J store in the Cohune Walk area. Within seconds, a gunman emerged from the SUV’s backseat and fired multiple shots at the Mazda, forcing the occupants to dive for cover. The incident is believed to be related to an ongoing family feud. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured, but one passenger, Jamal Hyde, was shot in the leg. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero provided more details on the incident.
“On Saturday, the fifth day of April 2025, around twelve fifteen p.m., Belmopan police responded to a shooting in Belmopan. Upon their arrival, they learned. But one person received injuries and had been taken to the hospital for treatment. He was identified as Jamal Hyde, investigation Villa Jamal Hyde was in a Mazda vehicle when an occupant from a suburban vehicle fired several shots towards his vehicle causing the injury to him. There were two other persons in the Mazda but they were not injured. Jamal Hyde has since been treated and released from the hospital. The vehicle involved in the shooting has been recovered, and several persons are in custody pending investigation.”
Reporter
“Are the suspects related to the victim?”
Hilberto Romero
“I’m aware that they are known to each other. That’s all I know.”
Reporter
“What triggered the shooting? Is there a motive?”
Hilberto Romero
“Internal feud with these persons involving Jamal Hyde.”
Reporter
“Is it a feud fueled by revenge?”
Hilberto Romero
“Again, that is all the information we have, they have some feud amongst themselves and that is what led to the shooting.”
Reporter
“Do police believe that Jamal Hyde and his passengers were trailed by the persons in the vehicle?”
Hilberto Romero
“At some point the Suburban came upon the Mazda, because the Mazda had been to several places upon prior to the shooting.”
Reporter
Was it firearm used or did we use Inside recovered?”
Hilberto Romero
“There was a firearm recovered. And again, the investigation is being carried out to determine if it can be linked to the shooting.”
Earlier today, Mayor Pablo Cawich addressed the shocking daylight shooting in Belmopan. He expressed deep concern over the incident, noting how it has left residents feeling alarmed and uneasy. Mayor Cawich reassured everyone that the city council is working hand-in-hand with the Belize Police Department to ensure the Garden City remains safe and secure.
Pablo Cawich
Pablo Cawich, Mayor, Belmopan
“Yes it was very concerning to see that action take place in our city. Belmopan is known for being peaceful city, so twelve or thirteen shots being fired in front of a grocery store in broad daylight is very alarming. We tend to regularly meet with the police department. The department and the council participate in a by monthly prayer session with some pastors and during that session the police usually gives us a briefing of what has happened recently, concerns in the neighborhood and city. So, we will be updated on that but I have not been briefed as yet.”
The Belmopan Market Plaza is buzzing with frustration after vendors were informed that they now need individual trade licenses to operate. Since 2021, vendors have been paying a rental fee to market owner David Zabaneh, who covered a thirty-thousand-dollar blanket trade license. However, that agreement is no longer valid. News Five’s Britney Gordon visited the market today to get more details on the situation.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
It’s less than twenty-four hours before market day at the Belmopan Market Plaza, and things are pretty quiet. A few vendors have set up their stalls, hoping to make some sales, but many are worried they might not be able to keep doing business. Recently, the Belmopan City Council told the vendors they now need individual trade licenses instead of the umbrella license that market owner David Zabaneh had been paying for since 2021.
David Zabaneh
David Zabaneh, Market Owner
“We got granted a trade license in 2021 by the Trade License Board. With that trade license, we entered into a five year MOU with the Belmopan City Council to conduct market day activities. And it was something that was, renewable. So in 2023, we went back to the table because we had some, I’d say not really issues, but the landowner at that time, he really wanted to sell. So being that we already had the commitment to our vendors, we decided, we have to see how we proceed to purchase this property and not let it get in the hand of, any other investor because we’ve had a lot of people showing interest in wanting to buy the property. We’re for our vendors first.”
Zabaneh and the city council worked out a new thirty-year agreement for a group trade license, based on a promise to buy the market property. However, this deal was made with the previous administration under former mayor Sharon Palacio. The current mayor, Pablo Cawich, says the agreement is not valid.
David Zabaneh
“We already made our investments and they want to come in and charge each vendor individually when we already have a blanket trade license agreement. So it’s not, maybe it’s new to them, but it’s nothing that’s unheard of to have ablanket or umbrella trade license. They do this kind of arrangements all over the world. If you want to go check in the commonwealth. You could find that being done. For us, I would say, the fee we pay annually, we would see a huge reduction in that. We’d probably see ninety to ninety-five reduction in that if they come in un charge vendors a trade license. But on our end, we can’t allow that to happen because a lot of times the small business owners they get trampled on by, different administrations and we’re just in a position where we have to protect them and their livelihoods.”
Veronica Barcenas has been selling tacos at the market for over eight years. She shared that the old trade license setup was a huge help for her and many other vendors, making it easier for them to keep their businesses running.
Veronica Barcenas
Veronica Barcenas, Vendor
“I feel very happy here in this place, and I don’t want the City Council to invade our market plaza because I worked with them for many years. At first, it was fine, but later, it seemed like they wanted to do something, I don’t know what, and they took away our selling space. So, we moved here with Mr. Zabaneh at Market Plaza. I know that this place is very nice, and there are a lot of sales of clothes, food, and I am happy about that.”
Zabaneh explains that the city council’s cease and desist order was not shocking, since he has faced several hurdles with the new administration.
David Zabaneh
“In December they the city council, they called us into a meeting and told us their intention. And, we stood our ground saying, hey, we have an MOU have an agreement in place already, probably paying a significant amount of blanket for vendors. And they would just make it difficult, for small business owners to operate. We have a lot of seasonal people. We have a lot of farmers that come in here and they can’t afford to go through the bureaucracy, probably rather just not getting business.”
The cost of a trade license varies based on the business’ size and location. To get one, vendors must first register their businesses and then have them assessed by the city council to determine the fee. Elizabeth Garcia, a fruit and vegetable vendor who has been selling at the market for about four years, is worried she won’t be able to afford both the annual license fee and the rent for her spot in the market.
Elizabeth Garcia
Elizabeth Garcia, Vendor
“ I am a single mom and I don’t understand why since we paid the owner of the markets, we already paid the City Council trade license, so now they want to come in and charge individual. To me, that’s not fair and everything goes up, product doesn’t, the price doesn’t come down and we have to try keep a standard balance for the customers, but business are low right now.”
According to Zabaneh, about three hundred vendors will be impacted by these changes in regulations. The council remains firm that the previous MOU should not have been enacted and has no plans to reinstate it.
David Zabaneh
“For communication wise. I think we’ve reached out a few times. I reached out a couple times over the last week and I’ve had no response, so I don’t think they want to negotiate. I think they’re pretty firm on their position, so I have to be firm on mine and we’re gonna do whatever it takes to protect our vendors.”
Although the vendors at Belmopan Market Plaza are unhappy with the new individual trade license regulation, Mayor Pablo Cawich believes it’s actually in their best interest. He explained that the decision to cancel the Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) between market owner David Zabaneh and the previous city council was due to concerns raised by the Belize Tax Service. According to Cawich, the M.O.U. contradicted the Trade License Act of Belize and shouldn’t have been signed in the first place. He mentioned that the city council reached out to Zabaneh late last year to discuss these issues, but they still haven’t found a solution that works for everyone. Here’s more on that.
Pablo Cawich
Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
“This MOU particularly just for us to be clear, was signed in 2021 with Maypr Palacio and it had agreements for a five-year term for a thirty thousand dollars anual trade license fee. I would like to point out that based on historic records that we saw, market stalls market, areas used to generate over three hundred thousand dollars a year for Belmopan, that has now been cut to just thirty thousand. When we started the formal or written communication with Mr. Zabaneh, we got a response in writing as well with a second, MOU attached. We did not have knowledge or any record of this second MOU. This second MOU changes two portions. It changes the term of the MOU, which is now based on the second MOU, thirty years. It also increases the rate to thirty-two thousand a year. At which point I would like to mention that in the previous years, up until now, April, 2025, the maximum funds we have received from the Belmopan Market Plaza are thirty thousand dollars annually in installments. So for now I think we have received their first payment for the 2025 year. And it’s only the first installment, which is a five thousand dollar install.”
We asked Mayor Pablo Cawich if canceling the Memorandum of Understanding between David Zabaneh and former mayor Sharon Palacio was part of a broader effort to reverse her decisions. Recently, Belmopan residents were upset about the retraction of the Innovabel land distribution project. Cawich firmly denied these claims, stating he’s simply following the law. The M.O.U. with Zabaneh also included writing off over one hundred thousand dollars in debts owed by the city council. Cawich addressed whether the council is prepared to handle these costs if the M.O.U. is nullified. Here’s more on that.
Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan
“I have not focused any at all on the previous mayor’s actions, any of the previous mayor’s actions. We are ensuring that we analyze operations, we analyze documentation, and we move forward with that in mind. Obviously, if irregularities are found, then they need to get dealt with at that point in time. Obviously the land issue was not something that. The city council brought up as a problem. It was individuals who brought it up as an issue to the media. Similarly, this market plaza situation, it is not a case where we are trying to undo anybody’s work. As I stated, clearly it is to legalize the operations. We have taken on many liabilities that previous mayors have committed to. Once proper proof can be provided to the council, if it is a valid statement that Mr. Zabaneh had provided funding to the council, then there should be a record of it. And once the proof is found, we always live up to our liabilities. As is obvious with the amount of work and advancement this develop council has done in the past year.”
A tragic road accident in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan on Thursday afternoon claimed the life of Carlos Romero. The incident occurred around 3:00 PM at the intersection of St. Jude and St. Peter’s Street, involving a 1998 Ford 10-wheeler truck and a motorcycle.
Witnesses report that the truck driver stopped after hearing a loud bang and discovered a red motorcycle and a man trapped under the rear right wheel. With assistance from an off-duty officer, the driver freed Carlos Romero, who was rushed to the hospital but tragically died from his injuries later that evening.
Romero, a former player for Medina’s FC, was fondly remembered by the club. In a heartfelt statement, the team expressed their condolences: “We are glad we got to know a bit of you, Carlos. Our deepest condolences to family and friends. May his soul rest in peace.”
A woman police officer and her common-law husband are currently being questioned by police in connection with a series of robberies in Belmopan. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams revealed that authorities are investigating at least seven reported incidents in the city. The investigation led officers to the woman’s residence, where evidence allegedly linked to the robberies was discovered. Here’s what the commissioner had to say about the case.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“As I said to you all yesterday in my interview, we were narrowing down on those persons who we believe are orchestrators of the spate of robberies we have seen in the Belmopan area. I said a police officer was also being looked at. We went after those persons. A woman police officer was detained and her common law husband. From the information we are gathering, the two of them are the masterminds behind the robberies and there are some other persons who are players with them who are also detained. A search of the police officer home led to the discovery of a number of police uniforms for male officers and she is a woman, that includes the number one and the B.D.U.’s. Interestingly, many of these robberies committed, persons committing them were wearing either police uniform or the B.D.U.’s and found clothing matching those at the police officer house. We are putting together the files, gathering all the evidence. We also found the vehicle used, a rental vehicle that was used by them in committing the robbery that took place three days ago in Belmopan. We also found the motorcycle that has been seen at these robbery scenes and a number of other things, so I believe that by now and Monday we should be filing charges against a number of persons.”
This afternoon, reporters caught up with the Commissioner of Police, Chester Willaims, in Belize City. He clarified that the police became aware of the kidnapping incident in Belmopan after the victim escaped the pastor’s home. According to ComPol Williams, the pastor, his wife, and their son are all accused of physically assaulting the victim. Here is what he told us.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Police received the information that the young lady on the sixteenth of this month visited her family but when she got there she could not find her family. Upon returning home where her husband lives she was tied up and kept captive under an inside stairs and she was tied up. She managed to escape from them last night and the police encountered her. She has since made a report and the persons are in police custody at the time.”
Mation Ali
“What charges are they facing at the time and was she pregnant?”
Chester Williams
“I am not sure if she was pregnant, but the police are looking at the entire case and hopefully by the end of the day today we will be able to levy those charges.”
Reporter
“Was she assaulted by her father-in-law, mother-in-law and their husband?”
Chester Willams
“Yes, all of them yes.”
Marion Ali
“Has she needed additional help, therapy, medical help?”
Chester Willams
“Certainly, we are looking at that and whatever help she may need then we will seek from other agencies, maybe even getting her a safe house if her familywould not be able to keep her safe. We can see if we can speak to Haven House or some other institution until she can get herself back together.”
