Glenford Logan finally walked out of prison on Monday after spending an unbelievable twenty-one years in pretrial detention for the murder of security guard Kingsford Obeng. Despite being charged with the fatal attack, Logan never faced trial and was held at the Belize Central Prison. During his time behind bars, he was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist. Earlier this week, Justice Nigel Pilgrim ruled that Logan’s constitutional rights had been violated, making him the longest inmate on remand in Belize’s history. Now back with his mother and family, Logan’s case has ignited conversations about justice and the need for legal reform. News Five caught up with seasoned attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley to get his take on this troubling situation.
On the phone: Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney-at-law
“Every time di Supreme Court di close all persons who are awaiting trial must be brought to the courts so that a judge reviews their situation. A person comes up, the judge already has the list from the prison, they know how long he’s in there, they know what is the situation and the judge would say, “but you were granted bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars, why are you still in prison?” And the person would explain that they can’t get two persons to sign or nobody wants to sign or whatever it is. Every person is entitled by law to have their temporary imprisonment reviewed. The first starting point, which means that there has been a terrible failure of the system that a human being can be in prison for so long without a trial. We are a big failure if one human being is kept in prison. It’s a big failure on the prison authorities, a big failure on the police and the prosecution, on the lawyers and on the courts. A huge, scandalous failure. The family of that person needs to sue for depriving him of all his constitutionally guaranteed rights. He’s not a potlicker, he’s not a dog that you can push off the streets and ih noh mean nothing. Da wahn human being who is in prison.”
The High Court of Belize is taking a big step to tackle its case backlog before the 2025 criminal calendar kicks in. Today, fifteen newly trained criminal mediators were sworn in by Chief Justice Louise Blenman at the High Court in Belize City. These mediators bring a fresh approach to resolving criminal cases, offering an alternative to traditional court trials. Through mediation, cases can now be settled amicably if both parties agree. News Five’s Marion Ali was on the scene for the swearing-in and brings us this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Today’s swearing-in of fifteen criminal mediators is set to make a big dent in the High Court’s case backlog. Previously, all criminal cases had to go through lengthy trials, but now, with this new mediation process, selected cases can be resolved more efficiently, freeing up the courts. Chief Justice Louise Blenman is pleased with this addition, though she notes that mediation won’t be suitable for every criminal matter. This new approach promises to streamline the justice system significantly.
Louise Blenman
Louise Blenman, Chief Justice of Belize
“It is impossible to have all of the matters go to trial. And in fact, when the rules were contemplated, it was never the expectation that all trials should go to trial, all matters should go to trials. Mediation is essential and this is so across the commonwealth. In fact, to the contrary, the expectation is usually that 90 percent of matters should be settled either by way of mediation or settlement and not full trial.”
The final draft legislation for criminal mediation is expected to be ready by 2025. This will establish the guidelines for mediators handling criminal cases. Justice Candace Nanton provided an example of a criminal dispute that could be effectively resolved through mediation, highlighting the potential impact of this new approach.
Candace Nanton
Candace Nanton, High Court Judge
“Sometimes there may be a family dispute that the parties don’t necessarily want to continue with the courts, but court proceedings have been initiated, and a better resolution may be something other than imprisonment, for example. So, it would depend on the parties’ consent, it would depend on the views of the Office of the DPP. It would also depend on the selection criteria being met that will be contained within the mediation rules.”
Laura Alvarado, the President of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Association of Belize and a newly sworn-in mediator, explained that if the two parties can’t settle their differences through mediation, the case will have to proceed to trial. This highlights the importance of mediation as a first step, but also acknowledges that not all disputes can be resolved outside the courtroom.
Laura Alvarado
Laura Alvarado, President, ADRAB
“The two parties and a neutral individual will discuss the matters, and then refer it back to the court if an agreement is not settled, then the matter will go back to court and the litigation will take place thereafter.”
Criminal and Civil Mediator, Consuelo Godfrey explained that the training was for a total of eighty hours split in two segments.
Consuelo Godfrey
Consuelo Godfrey, Criminal and Civil Mediator
“There’s an introduction to mediation that is about a 40-hour training, uh, time frame. And then from there you have to do an advanced training, which is another 40 hours, and then get sworn in. And then once you get sworn in, you can then do the criminal mediation, which is another advanced course in mediation. Like family mediation, you have to do a specific type of training for criminal mediation because the dynamics and the nuances in, criminal matters is different than civil matters. I can tell you as a as a mediator who practices with the high courts, it does take time for cases to be referred to mediation. But what I really like about the mediation process is that it gives parties an opportunity to talk. It gives parties an opportunities to have their say. Something that doesn’t normally happen in in in courts.”
Justice Candace Nanton said that Belize is among the leading countries in the region to resolve civil and criminal matters through mediation. Marion Ali for News Five.
Prime Minister John Briceño shared that the GST waiver for the two weekends before Christmas was the government’s way of giving shoppers a break from the high cost of living this holiday season. After his presentation in the House, we asked him how much the government expects to lose in GST revenue due to the waiver and what plans are in place to recover those funds.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We decided to find an innovative way how we can keep our people, give them a chance, give them an ease, and at the same time to be able to help them to stay and spend their monies in Belize. And this is how we came up with that idea. We are giving a tax – a GST holiday for Saturday and Sunday of this week. And next weekend, Saturday and Sunday again. So that people can save at least twelve-point-five percent on their purchases. And once we lose on the revenues to us it’s not only about the money. As a government we need the money, but we want to make people happy and that will make people spend the money here and when they spend money here, they spend it in Belizean-owned businesses and they hire people and then eventually we’ll be able to collect the taxes but we’ll still make it up at the day.”
Marion Ali
“The GST waivers that so many people are thankful for, how will the government recover those necessary taxes that you would have collected had you not given this offer? And how much can you say it works out to?”
Prime Minister John Briceno
“It is estimated it’s going to be a minimum of five million dollars that we’re going to be foregoing but we believe that by Belizeans not going to Chetumal, that they could keep their money here, we can make up for a portion of the losses. We believe that by Belizeans, quite likely since they’re saving twelve and a half percent, most of them are going to spend more. to help us to be able to capture that. But also there’s something that you can’t put monetary value. And that is the joy of families and the joy of the children and saying, okay, I could get a gift, you know, or spend a better, happier Christmas than before. There’s no monetary value for that. So, it is something that we, we, we fully recognize and know that, um, we could do with the money. But, at the end of the day, it is about serving people and making them feel good about themselves. When you look at Belize City, the, the, um, when they lit the Christmas tree, it was two weeks ago, you see. I mean, thousands of people are out there. The Mopan had a wonderful one. Tonight we’re going to do one in Orange Walk Town in Las, in Las Banquitas, out there. You can’t put a monetary value on that.”
A severe flood warning for the Belize River and its tributaries, with flooding conditions persisting in the Belize River Valley and downstream communities, has been issued.
The causeway at Crooked Tree is impassable. Additionally, a landslide warning is in effect for areas on the Eastern Slopes of the Maya Mountains for the next 24 hours. Commuters are advised to exercise extreme caution. The next update will be issued as necessary.
In Region 7, above-normal levels are expected on the Rio Hondo, affecting areas from Blue Creek North to the coast, including Santa Cruz, San Antonio, San Roman, and Douglas. Similarly, above-normal levels are anticipated on the New River at Hill Bank, Tower Hill, and Caledonia, extending to the coast.
In Region 9, residents are urged to closely monitor waterways and exercise extreme caution. The Mopan River at Benque Viejo Town is expected to approach bankfull stage, while levels on the Macal River at Fortis Facilities are being closely monitored. The Chalillo spillway is active, but levels at Mollejon and Vaca facilities should remain below the spillway. At San Ignacio, levels are expected to remain below the Low-Lying bridge. On the Belize River at More Tomorrow, normal levels are expected, but decreasing flood stages are expected at Double Run, where levels are expected to approach bankfull. The Crooked Tree Lagoon continues to exceed the causeway, with flood levels slowly decreasing.
In Region 11, the Sibun River at Freetown Sibun is expected to have below-normal levels, while the Southern Lagoon at Gales Point Village will continue to see above-normal levels. On the Eastern Slopes of the Maya Mountains and the Sittee River at Kendal Bridge, above-normal levels are forecasted. Above-normal levels are also expected on branches of the Monkey River at Swasey and Bladen, and on the Deep River at Medina Bank. On the Rio Grande at San Pedro Columbia, normal levels are expected, but above-normal levels are predicted at Big Falls South. The Moho River at Blue Creek South and Jordan will experience above-normal levels, while the Temash River at Crique Sarco is expected to remain at normal levels.
In Region 13, the Sarstoon River is expected to experience above-normal levels.
Joshua Ashburn, the Belize City businessman caught with passports, immigration documents, and stamps, is now facing a slew of immigration charges. Today, Prime Minister John Briceño addressed reporters, stating that, based on the evidence so far, there’s nothing to suggest any immigration officials were involved. It seems Ashburn acquired the fraudulent stamps on his own, and now he’ll have to face the consequences.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“They created their own stamps, so it’s a fraudulent stamp. It’s not from the Ministry, as I pointed out from early and early on is that when this first came to my attention, my first thing was to tell the Commissioner of Police, do your full investigation and go after whosoever is responsible and not going to protect them. Well, yesterday, Commissioner Williams called me to say we finished the investigation, we’ve charged this gentlemen, and they could find no evidence to show that there was collusion within the Ministry of Immigration. But should we find data that there was collusion, we’re going to go after those, people within the Immigration Department, if that were to come out.”
Marion Ali
“My thinking is, how would he have been able to come into possession of passports, visas, immigration stamps, etc.?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well, from what I’ve been told, you see a stamp, you could go somewhere and I could do a stamp for you anywhere – Belize, Chetumal, United States. So he went and, based on the stamp on a passport or wherever he got it, he just copied it. So that’s that one. But secondly, the Commissioner has been trying to find the owners of the passports. The passports are not fraudulent passports. They’re legal and one of the persons whose passport was there and they interviewed, the person’s stories that this gentleman told them, we can get your visa for you. So they gave him the passport, hoping that they can get the visa. At least that’s the story that they’re saying. So we have to go by that until we can have more evidence. But as I said, up to now, there’s no evidence to point that officials from the Ministry of Immigration was anyway involved in this matter.”
Tonight, an elderly woman from Belize City is reaching out for help to rebuild her life from scratch. Gertrude Hunter, a familiar name in the news, first caught our attention earlier this year when police officers tried to evict her from her home under a court order. The Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, even reprimanded his officers for reportedly tossing her belongings out during the eviction. Despite receiving numerous legal notices to vacate, Gertrude stayed put, claiming that her common-law husband had left the property to her in his will. But in August, she was finally removed from the home, leaving her displaced just as the Christmas season approaches. This saga, filled with legal battles and frequent police encounters since 2015, centers on a sixty-three-year-old woman yearning for a fresh start. News Five’s Paul Lopez brings us her story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Christmas season is here, bringing joy and celebration for many. But for one sixty-three-year-old woman in Belize City, there’s little to cheer about. After losing the home she cherished for over a decade, the holidays are looking bleak.
Gertrude Hunter
Gertrude Hunter, Belize City Residents
“I am experiencing a lot of police harassment. Since my common law Benjamin Ferguson was removed away from me by force and then police stay harassing me to tell me get off the place, get off the place and they just keep removing me off the place, saying I am just a squatter, they don’t know who I am, when I was there by my common law, Benjamin Ferguson.”
To grasp Hunter’s situation, we need to revisit the early aughts. That’s when she moved into a home at the corner of Cemetery Road and Amandala Drive with her common-law husband. The house that once stood there is now gone. According to Hunter, her husband’s relatives separated them in 2015. Despite staying on the property, she’s been battling constant ownership disputes ever since.
Gertrude Hunter
“The only time I get to see him is when a friend comes in hospital, and I get to see him in there. His friend gave me the bad news that he was on his last. And so, when I went to the hospital to look for him the security went there said anybody who wants to see him, only the name that was there, was supposed to see him.”
Back in February, Hunter’s legal woes made headlines as efforts to evict her from her home intensified. At one point, she found herself in the Belize City Magistrate Court, facing charges of property damage, two counts of aggravated assault on police officers, and trespassing. Hunter, however, insists that the police roughed her up, leaving her with injuries and locking her up for two days. That case is still ongoing. She maintains that her common-law husband left her the Cemetery Road property in his 2011 will, and she has the documents to prove it.
Gertrude Hunter
“The will state that the property should leff with his common-law wife, Gertude Hunter.”
On the other hand, a 2018 land transfer document shows that the land was transferred to one of her common-law husband’s relatives. After that, the legal notices kept piling up, demanding she leave the property. In 2019, a civil suit ruled in favor of her common-law husband’s relative. Hunter, however, claims she had no idea the case was even happening. The elderly woman maintained that she is the rightful owner of the property based on the will in her possession and stayed on the property. But in August of this year, the property was sold to a new owner who sent her a legal notice, ultimately forcing her to leave the home for good.
Gertrude Hunter
“I really hard. It was hard, because it was a constant harassment from time to time nuh. I live in a constant harassment from 2015 is when it really get worse you know. It really get worse.”
Paul Lopez
“What are you doing now, or where are you staying?”
Gertude Hunter
“I stay at my little sister…”
Thankfully, Hunter isn’t completely without a roof over her head—her younger sister has kindly taken her in. Hunter admits she doesn’t have the financial means to continue the legal battle. The Ombudsman’s Office has acknowledged her claims about the property and the alleged police brutality. At this point, Hunter just wants to move on with her life, even if it means starting over at her age.
Gertude Hunter
“I have a phone number, six, two, eight, one, zero, two, nine and I also have my sister number, six, zero, four, one, three, nine, one. And if you can’t get me on those numbers, because I am at my daughter sometimes, that number is six, three, six, one, zero, two, two.”
At least 15 inmates were killed and 14 others injured in a violent clash early Tuesday at Ecuador’s El Litoral prison, notorious for frequent and deadly gang violence. The prison service SNAI reported that the “grave incidents” occurred in the pre-dawn hours at the Guayaquil-based facility.
Security forces have since regained control of the prison, and a comprehensive search of the premises is underway.
El Litoral has a grim history of violent gang clashes; its deadliest incident in September 2021 left over 120 inmates dead. Nearby residents reported hearing gunfire early Tuesday, and police tactical units were seen entering the facility while a helicopter circled above.
Authorities have not yet disclosed details about the identities of those killed, and an investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of the fight.
The prison holds some of Ecuador’s most dangerous gang members, many of whom continue to operate their criminal networks from within. Prison staff often face threats and intimidation from the inmates. In September, El Litoral’s director, María Daniela Icaza, was shot and killed in her car after receiving numerous threats, according to her family.
Ecuador has been grappling with a dramatic rise in gang-related violence, transforming the country from one of Latin America’s safest to one of its most perilous.
The tide has turned in favor of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, as the United Democratic Party’s leadership battle heads to court. Attorney Immanuel Williams from Glenn D. Godfrey and Company LLP, representing Barrow, Michael Peyrefitte, Shary Medina, Albert August, and Hugo Patt, urgently sought court intervention to reclaim the U.D.P. headquarters through an interim injunction. The court granted this request, allowing Barrow and his team to take back the property, although the fixed date claim filed by Williams is still pending. Now, Barrow and his executives have the green light to repossess the U.D.P. building. But the big questions remain: Who is the real leader of the U.D.P., and did Panton and the Alliance for Democracy trespass when they took over the Youth for the Future property? News Five’s Paul Lopez has the details.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Tracy Taegar-Panton and the Alliance for Democracy made a bold move by storming the UDP headquarters, seizing control of the party’s iconic building on Youth for the Future Drive, along with Wave Radio and The Guardian Newspaper. This dramatic takeover happened just days after Panton and her movement held a national convention to appoint a new UDP leader. Tonight, a High Court Order has swung the pendulum back, granting Leader of the Opposition Moses “Shyne” Barrow and his executive team the authority to reclaim the headquarters and resume their operations.
Immanuel Williams
Immanuel Williams, Attorney-At-Law
“This morning was the hearing of an interparty injunction. Our clients, the applicants, filed an injunction in court last week to remove the respondents from the, to vacate from the, UDP headquarters and for themselves to reenter the premises. So, the court heard that application this morning, considers the evidence before it and the submissions on both sides. The practical effect is that the court order takes effect immediately, therefore the applicants, Mr. Barrow and his colleagues can attend the U.D.P headquarters and repossess the property today.”
A few hours after the High Court’s decision, Tracy Taegar-Panton took to social media to express the disappointment felt by her supporters. She explained that the court granted an interim injunction allowing temporary occupation of the headquarters, emphasizing that this injunction is only provisional.
Immanuel Williams
“The relief extends until the determination of the main claim which, based on the issues there and how it will be resolved in court, may affect this application today and the orders granted.”
In their main claim, the respondents want the court to determine whether Panton or Barrow is the rightful leader of the UDP. They argue that Panton has no authority under a trust to control the UDP Headquarters and that she unlawfully took over Wave Radio and The Guardian Newspaper. These are just three of the many issues the court will start addressing on January fourteenth. We spoke with attorney Sheena Pitts after today’s injunction hearing. Panton appointed her as interim party chair on October twentieth, and she insists that Panton is still the UDP leader based on the recent convention.
Sheena Pitts
Sheena Pitts, Attorney-At-Law
“What happened this morning is an interim injunction relief, temporary, it is not permanent. What was discussed or argued this morning, has nothing as to honorable Panton party leadership. That has not been argued. And so, there is no room for suggestion that anything changes the validity of the October twentieth convention and the results therefrom. So, the interim injunction does not change the fact that honorable Panton is the interim party leader.”
But Williams contends that no one should be declared leader of the United Democratic Party, not Panton nor Barrow, until the court makes its decision on that argument.
Immanuel Williams
“Because it is before the court I would urge to say it is an opportune time to not in fact declare anyone as a party leader since it is before the court, and it has to be addressed, and I appreciate that the media also wants to protect itself in a case like that.”
So, until the High Court hears the full case, Moses “Shyne” Barrow and his executive team can reclaim the headquarters that Panton and her team took over on October twenty-eighth. Meanwhile, the Alliance for Democracy insists that Barrow has been recalled.
Sheena Pitts
“It is important to understand that this injunctive relief does not change the reality that Honorable Shyne Barrow has been recalled. All this temporary relief is saying, before we determine the validity of that convention, we will grant an order to say, allow him to be there, you are still opened to challenge that order to be there, and we will move forward to determining what the real issue is. It is not that we are trespassers, the real issue is that she is the duly elected interim party leader by the majority from that October twentieth, 2024, unity convention.”
This afternoon Panton issued a release under the United Democratic Party’s letter head. The release says “this order is strictly restricted to occupancy of the building and not a declaration by the Court on who is or is not the Leader of the U.D.P. The court will now proceed to case management and subsequently set a date for the actual hearing of the case at which time attorneys for Hon. Panton and Philippa Bailey will be heard”. Interestingly, Panton showed up to today’s hearing without a lawyer. She requested a postponement, but the court turned her down. Attorney Sheena Pitts also tried to step in as a friend of the court, but that request was denied too. Pitts later explained why Panton appeared in court without legal representation.
Sheena Pitts
Sheena Pitts, Attorney at Law
“That is the thing, why we had wanted, why honorable Panton had wanted an extension of time, her representation is outside the jurisdiction and there are certain things that must be done in order to establish being able to be heard by those attorneys in this jurisdiction and that has not been done. So, what happened today is Honorable Panton from her own mouth was able to indicate to the court and advise the court to appreciate that this is not a matter of trespass, this is a matter of the convention. That is why the court was very clear in saying that both parties must participate and assist the court in identifying what the real issue is.”
With case management for the Barrow-Panton court case set for January fourteenth, 2025, it looks like this legal battle could drag on for months. How will this impact their chances in the upcoming general elections, which rumors suggest might be held early? Will the U.D.P. have enough time to mount a strong challenge against the P.U.P. in any constituency? Today, we asked Barrow’s attorney if the urgency of the situation is being considered.
Immanuel Williams
Immanuel Williams, Attorney at Law
“There is a date of January fourteenth 2025 for a hearing of the fixed date claim form, which essentially will be case management hearing.”
Reporter
“So we are looking at a period of months, because that is just case management.”
Immanuel Williams
“Indeed we are looking at a period of months, because after case management you have orders to be complied with and the court directing the parties to see how best we can handle the case and deal with the matters going forward.”
Reporter
“The parties here don’t have all that time to settle this dispute because an election is likely within the next six months. Is there anyway the court can be, or is it in your clients interest to apprise the court of the urgency of the matter?”
Immanuel Williams
“The matter is urgent. The earliest day the court will address the matter is in January and that is the best time given the circumstances. I think it is an opportune time to see how the matter will be addressed, whether in court or otherwise.”
