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Defense Attorney: Media Was Not Intentionally Barred from Trial

On Monday, the case of the Bladen Twelve – that is, the twelve men, including four policemen who are linked to the landing of a drug plane on the Southern Highway back in November of 2021 – was transferred to another building. The matter was moved at the eleventh hour from the Magistrates’ Court building on Coney Drive to the Charles Bartlett Hyde building on Mahogany Street. The reason for the transfer was space issues. As defense attorney for several of the men, Dickie Bradley explained, the Coney Drive building is just not big enough to accommodate twelve defendants, their team of defense attorneys, the prosecutors and the magistrate. But, in the transfer of the matter to Mahogany Street, two oversights occurred. Media coverage was not given any consideration; hence, it became a logistical problem when reporters arrived at the location, as the building also houses the Belize Family Court. That court is closed to media personnel because of the sensitive nature of family court matters that oftentimes involve children. So, without prior notification and permission, the media was not allowed inside. Bradley told News Five that it was never the intention to shut out news reporters from the Bladen drug plane trial.

Dickie Bradley, Attorney at Law

“Towards the end of last week, the Magistrates’ Court was able to secure the use of the upstairs flat at what is the Charles Bartlett Hyde building. So we ourselves only knew at last minute, so the media would not have known. And I don’t want to say what I think, but I know for a fact that at the end of yesterday’s morning proceedings, it was brought to the attention of the Senior Magistrate, Baja Shoman that the media had been barred from attending the court, and her immediate response was that court trials in this country, by law, are open to the public, which happens to not only include the media, the media has a special protection under the Constitution that you all have a right to obtain information and to disseminate information. There are words of that effect in the Constitution of Belize, so the media is especially to be allowed. So that was the first thing. And as I said, I got no instruction that the media are barred and the media have every right to come.”

Marion Ali

“Even though the conditions with the space issues and all of that did not provide for us to be…”

Dickie Bradley

“Well, that was a separate excuse, reason because she would have sent for chairs to accommodate the media. That’s how high a regard she would have for – as a magistrate, as a judge. As somebody in the legal profession, she knows that the media has an important role to play. Otherwise, second-hand information. and yerisoh and sh—shu-shu will end up ruling the airwaves. So let the media come on here and see for themselves. So that was her first response, which of course is supported by the chief justice and the chief magistrate of the country.

The matter has been resolved. It is my understanding that the formal word has been handed out by the chief magistrate that the media is to be allowed to attend.”

S.I. to Declare Charles Hyde Building the Bladen Trial Venue

But while the media was inadvertently disallowed from entering the building to attend the court session, it didn’t miss out of very much. Bradley said that all that happened was that the attorneys are to agree on which witnesses are not required to testify in person. The witnesses will number at least sixty. Yes, sixty, because the Head of the Prosecutions Branch, Alifa Elrington has indicated that she has sixty witnesses whose evidence they will rely on. And while the trial starts on Monday, it is expected that another oversight will be quickly addressed. A Statutory Instrument declaring that the Charles Hyde building has been assigned for the Bladen trial needs to be put out before the trial begins. That is in following proper procedures, which involve informing the head of the Judiciary and the Magistracy, as well as the Attorney General and the Solicitor General, indicating the reason for such. Bradley explained that efforts have been made to put those procedures in motion, but time was of the essence.

Dickie Bradley, Defense Attorney

“The rules are made to guide us. They are not to be obstacles that you can’t overcome. There is a small little – not even an emergency – there’s a small little problem, and there are two matters which we need to bear in mind: that there are a dozen accused persons. The courts on Coney Drive, which are temporary crisis management situations, cannot really accommodate twelve accused persons, five attorneys, a magistrate, and so on. Yes, there is a law that requires that a publication is made where a court is going to be held in a new environment. The courts in the country are so important to all of us that when you are moving from Albert Street to Coney Drive, the nation should know, people should know where the court is.”

Marion Ali

“Was that done in this case?”

Dickie Bradley

“That was being done in this case, yes. I’m not them, I’m not with them either, I’m with you. If they made a little slip down, it’s understandable, it is explainable. And there is no malice or no attempt to try – I saw a media personality, a journalist, sent me a text making the suggestion that it is deliberate because they don’t want the media to be present. But that is not true. I know what happened here. I was, there.”

Accused Robbers Head to Trial Seven Years Later

A case of attempted murder during which Tyrone Scott was robbed and stabbed multiple times in September 2016, is set to begin in April. Elward McKay and Alexander Bainton have been charged with dangerous harm and robbery stemming from the incident over seven years ago. But when the duo appeared in the High Court earlier today when the trial was initial scheduled to commence, Bainton decided to challenge the Crown to prove its charge against him. The matter is being dealt with by Justice Candace Nanton. While McKay pleaded guilty, his alleged accomplice instead challenged the Crown Counsel, resulting in an adjournment to April fifteenth, 2024. In the case of McKay, Justice Nanton reoffered bail in the sum of six thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount.

Progress on IDB Loan for Sustainable Fisheries Sector

Lobster and conch are the bedrock of Belize’s fisheries sector. More than three thousand fisher folks that directly benefit from the sector have been primarily fishing lobster and conch. There is however a growing concern that increased demand poses a threat to the nations lobster and conch stocks. In 2023, the Government of Belize signed a seven million U.S dollars loan with the Inter-American Development bank to support sustainable growth in Belize’s blue economy. Among its primary objectives is the adoption of sustainable technologies and best fishing practices by artisan fishers. News Five’s Paul Lopez was present at an IDB and Ministry of Blue Economy workshop in Belize City. He filed the following report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

For decades, the two most important species contributing to economic growth within the fishing sector have been spiny lobster and queen conch. An Inter-American Development Bank study has found that lobster stocks in Belize may have reached its maximum sustainable yield, largely due to increased production levels and fishing pressures. On the other hand, conch is the most regulated fisheries in Belize, with a catch quota and conversion standards. However, according to IDB, the conch population over all its habit range is Belize is yet to be comprehensively evaluated.

Felecia Cruz, Director, Blue Economy

”Much of the fishing sector is founded on Lobster and conch. Nonetheless there are excellent opportunities with finfish. However, our stakeholders are much more accustomed to their traditional shallow water areas.”

Felecia Cruz, the Director at the Ministry of Blue Economy has been leading the charge in the execution of a fourteen million dollars IDB project to support sustainable growth in Belize’s blue economy sector. The loan agreement was first signed by Prime Minister John Briceño in September, 2023 at the Belize Investment Summit. Parliament approved the loan in October 2023.

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: October 13th, 2023)

“There are a number of challenges we are facing, climate change being one of them. But also, as our population grows, we are having more and more fisher folks and it is important for us to look at what has happened in the region, because there was not proper regulation. We have used our marine products unsustainably. We can’t just say, oh we think we have fifty-thousand pounds of lobster in the sea and you take out fifty thousand when you only should take out thirty thousand.”

One of the main aspects of this project is to support the development of the finfish sector, decreasing the industry’s dependence on depleting lobster and conch stocks.

Felecia Cruz

“The hope is that we can now open access for new markets to have other products such as finfish out there, since traditionally they tend to go for lobster and conch, or stone crab.”

Revenue earned from Belize’s lobster and conch export has doubled over the last eight years with no signs of slowing down. These species act as a primary source of income for artisanal fishers. So if you ask them which of the three they prefer to fish, lobster would be at the top of their lists. Additionally, artisanal fisher folks require upgraded vessels and equipment to practice deep slope fishing for finfish. Investments are also needed to improve business skills and market locations. Mac has been buying and selling fish at the Conch Shell Bay Market for the past twenty-five years. He spoke with us off camera.

Mac, Fish Vendor

“Every time they move the market they don’t put a toilet, they don’t put a sensible water system, dig. So, out here on a whole they need to come wash down the market. The fire station use to come wash it, they don’t come back and wash down the place. Look how the place looks.”

Paul Lopez

“How sanitary this place is?”

Mac

“Out of a ten I would call it a three, because this place needs to sanitize every month, every week. The fire station use to come wash down the place yo got something clean to start Monday morning with. Everything stop.”

Paul Lopez

“Would you say the sanitary concerns takes away from the income you can make?”

Mac

“By far because some people come and look at the place and say, I nuh wah buy from here because I prefer go to the boat. Because, they say what’s in the box is stale thing. So we have to wait until the boat nuh have nothing.”

Felecia Cruz

“We have been receiving a lot of feedback from our stakeholders on a need, to really provide the financial support that initial capital needed, to help them now diversify into a new fishing sector.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

East Indian Cuisine From PG To Belize

From Punta Gorda, all the way to Belize City. This week’s Kolcha Tuesday dives into the world of East Indian cuisine. East Indians are concentrated in southern Belize, but also thrive in other areas as well. Like Annette Ramclam, who welcomed us into her kitchen to watch as she blends the spices she grew up with in her home with traditional Belizean meals. PG Kitchen, which celebrates its twentieth anniversary this month, has been dedicated to bringing East Indian culture to any Belizean with an appetite. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Annette Ramclam, Owner, PG Kitchen

“I don’t go by measurement.”

Britney Gordon

“Just by the feeling.”

Annette Ramclam

“Yes, that’s how my mom teaches so I just keep it like that.”

PG Kitchen, located at the corner of St. Thomas Street and Freetown Road, has been in operation since 2004. The restaurant was started by Estell Ramclam who wanted to share her culture’s cuisine with others in Belize. It was later handed down to Annette Ramclam, one of her six daughters, with a love for cooking.

Annette Ramclam

“The reason why she opened the kitchen is because she wanted to introduce our cultural food and from then on it became a hit.”

Britney Gordon

“So this was originally your mother’s restaurant that you took over?”

Annette Ramclam

“It was. And then before she got sick. She had six daughters. Nobody else didn’t want to take it over. So I left from PG and came over and took it over.”

Britney Gordon

“How long have you been here?”

Annette Ramclam

“I’m here from 2007, but I originally took it over in 2009. From then on, it’s me one.”

Britney Gordon

“So you said that you prepare your culture’s cuisine. What kind of food do you make here?”

Annette Ramclam

“We do regular breakfast, which is Belizean breakfast, but when it comes to the lunch, then we try to introduce our food, which is yellow ginger and our culture. We call it takari. We do different types of greens. We do pumpkin, whatever greens we could get to them at the market. Pumpkin, calaloo, serosi, a lot of people don’t know about serosi, which is something really good. I love it.”

Ramclam explained that she tries to keep the menu rotating with different items everyday so that patrons can get a taste of something different from her East Indian culture on any given day.

Annette Ramclam

“That’s why people come. I never put out a menu for the same reason. Because people think, oh, they got to have this today, they got to have that. When they come, they don’t know what they’ll be getting something different every day, every day. And every day I have to try got at least three or four different meats. Today I will be having regular Belizean cuisine, rice and beans, stewed beans, white rice, stewed chicken, and stewed pork, beef liver, but the special will be yellow ginger chicken with green beans. In our culture, we don’t say green beans, we say yard beans because it’s like a whole yard. This is how it look like. it’s longer than this. So I just cut it up and then we’ll put it in the chicken along with the other condiments and what we’ve done. You could eat it with white rice, but Belizean people love their rice and beans So it’s their choice whichever they want it with.”

Alongside the takari chicken, Ramclam prepared an East Indian side known as Tomato Choka, which is made by roasting tomatoes on an open flame, before chopping and mixing with onions, colantro and pepper and salt. She explained that this side could be eaten with plain white rice and is a delicious meat alternative for vegetarians.

Annette Ramclam

“Majority of our food you don’t have to have food to get a meal. You don’t have to have meat at all.”

Britney Gordon

“Especially with the beans that go into it, because that’s full of protein.”

Annette Ramclam

“Yes and we do the calaloo as well. We do calaloo, we do the pumpkin. Some of the time I would mix the pumpkin in the chicken like that or the pork meat but then other times, I would just fry it down on the side. Because you have a lot of people that doesn’t eat meat.”

Ramclam explained that while she took it upon herself to expand and renovate her business, the Belize City Council reached out to her to rebuild her establishment from the ground up as part of a rejuvenation project with the BTB. She hopes will begin construction soon but until then, she remains grateful for her business as it is, and just hopes to continue sharing her love for cooking and her culture with other Belizeans.

Annette Ramclam

“I won’t complain because in all business you have good days and you have bad days. So I always look forward for the day which is not good, the day which is good, we save what they call a rainy day. The good days, we save for the bad days.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Pomona Gains Digital Center through Taiwan Partnership

Students and residents of Pomona Village can look forward to connecting with others through the use of the newly installed Digital Connect Center. The center was acquired through a partnership with the Republic of China (Taiwan) and was inaugurated on Tuesday in Pomona village. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Shortly after the launch of the Digital Connect Center in Valley of Peace community in late January, another facility has been unveiled; this time, in Pomona Village, in Stann Creek District, as a part of the National Digital Agenda 2022 to 2025. Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics & E-Governance, attended the ceremony to express the importance of the center’s installation.

Michel Chebat, Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics & E-Governance

“Connectivity to the Internet and the wilder and the wider world is not a luxury in the fast paced digital era anymore. It is a necessity. As such, our commitment to closing the digital gap and making sure that no community is left behind is demonstrated by one thousand seven hundred villagers to this digital technology, to both digital technology and digital skills training through this center. I wish to highlight the forward thinking vision of the area representative, the Honorable Rodwell Ferguson, his steadfast support, commitment and consideration for his constituents. I express my sincere gratitude to the Taiwanese International Cooperation and Development Fund, the ICDF, for their important assistance in bringing this initiative to fruition. Their dedication, along with that of the Embassy of the Republic of China, Taiwan to advancing digital projects in Belize has had a significant impact on how our rural areas are being developed.”

This center was made possible through collaborative efforts with the Republic of China (Taiwan). Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Ambassador of Taiwan to Belize, spoke on the significance of this endeavor.

H.E. Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize.

“This center in Pomona is the first one being inaugurated in 2024 and three more Digital Connect Centers will be set up soon. So I’m very excited that we continue to advance the digital transformation in Belize through the collaboration partnership between our two governments. Now, like every digital connect center we launched, this center in Pomona not only provides facilities like computers and the internet connections, it will also carry out digital literacy training courses so that participants of the courses could be equipped with the tools and capabilities needed in today’s digital era. I hope members of the community, or even beyond in the neighboring villages, young and old, women and men, will all make good use of these facilities and actively participate in the training courses to empower yourselves and embrace the endless digital opportunities.”

The Area Representative for Stann Creek West also extended his gratitude for the donation and hopes for the expansion of the project.

Rodwell Ferguson, Area Rep., Stann Creek West

“And regardless of whichever government is in office, we maintain a relationship with you because we know of your kindness and your one contribution to our small country. It’s a very small country and we appreciate every aspect of your contribution. Minister, you and your staff, when you call me I say, Minister, you want to take one digital connect to Pomona? Right away I embraced it. But I tell you, we got twenty-six villages and if you only bring it to one, then the rest might get jealous. So I’m hopeful that there is more connection to find more funding to do likewise in my twenty-six villages because we all have children and now the old age is over. We used to go to a library and do our research in books. Now all this research is done through computer. So it is very important for us to have that access for our children to gain the proper education they deserve.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Police to Charge Biscayne Father with Murder of Levan Aldana

Police have arrested and charged a man from Biscayne Village with the murder of Belize City resident, Levan Aldana Junior. Twenty-eight-year-old Arthur Hill, a construction worker, is the man who police believe stabbed Aldana to death on Wednesday night as they walked from Hill’s jobsite to a residence where their two girlfriends live. Today, head of the Eastern Division, A.C.P Hilberto Romero told the media that they received a call about the stabbing, found Aldana suffering from the stab wounds and took him to the K.H.M.H., where he died that night. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Tonight, two sisters in Biscayne Village have children whose fathers have been taken away by crime. One is the girlfriend of the deceased, nineteen-year-old Levan Aldana Jr. and the other is the girlfriend of the accused, twenty-eight-year-old Arthur Hill. Both live in the same house and that was where Hill and Aldana were drinking on Wednesday night before they left the residence. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero told reporters today that it is the same information that the police have gathered.

A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Investigation revealed that Levan Aldana left a house in Biscayne along with one Arthur Hill and shortly thereafter, Levan Aldana returned with the injuries. The information we have got is that these two persons have an altercation from way back and every time they see each other and are consuming alcoholic beverages, they get into fights.”

A while after the men left the residence, they arrived at Hill’s job site, a ranch situated a few hundred yards away on the Philip Goldson Highway. His boss, who spoke with the media off camera, said it was apparent that the men were drinking but they weren’t arguing when they went there.

Voice of: Arthur Hill’s Employer

“They never made a argue. The only thing they made a talk about that apparently two of them made a have, two of them made a mad at them. Because he didn’t tell dih, young boy that, if he didn’t get the trip for him. And the young boy didn’t tell him if he didn’t get the trip for him, because he didn’t want to give her no money. That would be the conversation they would have.”

The two sister’s mother, Delvorine Dominguez said that the incident was not spurred from any dispute involving her daughters.

Delvorine Dominguez, Mother-in-law of the accused & the deceased

“I just nuh want nobody to blame my daughter and say my daughter set it up because my daughter not set it up because right now, my daughter is very traumatized. And they got it on Facebook, the rumors go wrong. They spread that my daughter set it up, my daughter would have never ever set up nobody for kill Levan.”

Both the accused and the deceased have children with their respective girlfriends in Biscayne Village. Marion Ali for News Five.

Elderly Corozal Taxi Driver Goes Missing Without a Trace

A body was found today on the outskirts of Corozal Town. Sketchy reports are that the body was discovered behind a newly-built Mormon church on the Santa Rita Road this afternoon. Police have not released any information thus far on this discovery or the identity of the person as forensic experts left the scene late this evening. They have confirmed, however, that the body is not that of missing Corozal taxi driver, Rosalito Pacheco, who has not been seen since Wednesday when he left home to do a taxi run. Eastern Division Head, A.C.P Hilberto Romero share with the media today what they have on the missing taxi man.

A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Thursday, the 1st of February, 2024, Marli Mo report her Kamala husband, Rosa Pacheco missing. She reported he left in his gold Toyota car to do taxi runs. from Wednesday and has not returned since. Efforts have been made to locate him. His phone has been called and he is not responding. Several searches are being conducted to try and locate him, but so far he has not been found, nor has the car been found.”

Marion Ali

“Did he say where he was leaving to do his run?”

A.C.P Hilberto Romero

“No, he left to do his regular runs within Corozal.”

Marion Ali

“Had he, prior to him going missing, complained to anybody or told the police that anybody was troubling him or had he received threats?”

A.C.P Hilberto Romero

“No, not that we know of. No, we have no such report.”

High Court Hands Down a Life Sentence for Marlon Everett

A life sentence has been handed down by Justice Candance Nanton in a murder case involving thirty-three-year-old Marlon Everett. He was convicted of murder in the shooting death of Albert Johnson which occurred in April 2018. In imposing the life sentence, Everett was informed that he will not be eligible for parole until he has served twenty-eight years in prison. Johnson was shot and killed while he was walking ahead of two other persons on Regent Street. According to the main witness, Everett was walking approximately six feet behind Johnson when he, the Crown’s witness, pushed his hand inside his pants, produced a firearm and handed it to Everett who crept up behind Johnson and fired two shots, fatally injuring him. Despite the murder being captured on surveillance footage, the identity of the shooter was not clear. A police officer was also called as a witness who testified to being able to identify the gunman as Everett, after recognizing him from the footage. Everett’s sentence takes effect retroactively, from April twenty-first, 2018.

Man Charged for Manslaughter After Driving Drunk

Last night, we reported on the tragic passing of Kenrick Castillo, a forty-six-year-old Dangriga resident who died after a vehicle crashed into his home where he slept, causing the building to collapse on top of him. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Michael Logan who has since been arrested and charged for manslaughter and driving under the influence. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, reporting

On Wednesday, a vehicle was captured speeding down the road by surveillance cameras at J-mart Store in Dangriga. The video depicts the black jeep travelling at high speeds and capturing the attention of the security guard on duty. This was later identified to be a vehicle driven by Michael Logan, who was under the influence and accompanied by two passengers at the time. Logan reportedly lost control of the vehicle, crashing it into Kenrick Castillo’s home, resulting in his death. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero stated that Logan has since been arrested and charged.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Wednesday, thirty-first of January, 2024, around eleven-thirty p. m. Police responded to fatal accident on Saint Vincent Street, Dangriga. Upon arrival, they saw a Jeep Patriot vehicle extensively damaged. The driver was identified as Michael Logan, who reported he lost control of the vehicle and slammed into the part of a building in the area. At the time, a e mail person identified as Kenrick Castillo was inside that building and he was taken for medical treatment and he succumbed to his injuries. Michael Logan has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, a drove motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit, a drove motor vehicle without due care and attention.”

Reporter

“I know in America they have, I think Vehicular homicide that I know we don’t have here. But I guess you catch out to anything else. Mr. Castillo… was in his home, is there any other offense that can be put onto the factory? “

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“No. There is no other offense that he can be charged for. That is the maximum that can be done because it stems from a traffic accident.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.