Earlier this month, a man who allegedly pulled an assault rifle on a road works crew on the Coastal Plains Highway and then saw the charges withdrawn in court, may lose his licensed weapons. Today the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told reporters that he has instructed the officers who confiscated the guns from businessman, thirty-year-old Efrain Rejon after the incident to not return them. The incident in question happened when, according to a contractor, Rejon threatened him and his fellow workers at a road construction site on the Coastal Plain Highway. The contractor told police that Rejon arrived at the site armed with a high-calibre rifle during an argument over damage that a passing truck had caused. Rejon, the report alleges, pointed the rifle at the workmen. This was one of three weapons that Rejon reportedly has, and while it may raise concern among other civilians how many gun licenses one can hold, Williams says the law allows for it.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have already written instructed the police not to return any of those weapons to Mr. Rehon. And um, even though the complainants have gone to court and will write to the Firearms and Emergency Control Board and seek their intervention to have the license revoked.”
Reporter
“Mm. You had been the one who issued the licenses in the first place. What was your justification to allow Rehan to have these guns? Again, you’re wrong. I, some of them he got under me and he also got under the previous commissioner.”
Chester Williams
“There’s nothing in law to say that a person cannot have two, three, four, or five guns. I have said to you, there is a man who has 21 licenses. None of them were issued by me, none. You are not making an issue out of that. And even though he had, he has 20, nothing wrong with that. They have a number of persons who have 18, 19, 17, and it’s not an issue because there’s nothing in law. So why, I don’t understand why every time there is an incident where a person has more than one, You have a gun license, you are mechanical of it. There’s nothing in law to prevent any person from having that. A person may have a gun license for hunting, um, sports hunting. They may have one for farming. They may have one for special protection. They may have for different reasons. Some people are gun enthusiasts. Some people are collectors. They have guns for different reasons. So we cannot just look at things at the face of it and then we try to impute improper motive on anybody. Seeing as though this is a second case. The first one was Brandon. What was his name? Brandon Gillett, where he also pulled out a 223 and threatened violence in public. Do you feel that there should be some type of limit since you’re saying, you know, some people have 20, so much guns. There should be some type of limit to the amount of licenses, especially as it relates to these powerful weapons. I would agree with you on that. Maybe Parliament should look at that to put a limit in terms of the amount of license a person can have at any given time. That I think would make sense.”
The Association of Defence Attorneys has officially registered as a professional organisation dedicated to defending human rights and enhancing legal practices. In an official statement, the Association declared it is “dedicated to the promotion and protection of human rights, the Belize Constitution, and the enhancement of legal defence practices within the country.”
In its statement, the Association confirmed the election of its first Executive Committee, comprising of:
President: Dickie Bradley
Vice President: Audrey Matura
Secretary: Oj Elrington
Treasurer: John Nembhard
Membership Director: Lynden Jones
Education Director: Leeroy Banner
Communications Director: Rachel Montejo
Ethics Director: Emerita Anderson
Pro Bono Director: Dale Cayetano
Public Policy Director: Arthur Saldivar
Immediate Past President: Michelle Trapp
The formation of the association in March 2020 was aimed at addressing these critical issues. Attorney Dickie Bradley emphasised back then the need for lawyers to advocate for the rights of the poorer population in Belize. “Police officers are in fact peace officers. They are there to protect us. They are not there to chance us and take advantage of us,” he stated.
The Association of Defence Attorneys stands ready to promote human rights, provide continuing legal education, advocate for fair legal practices, support legal aid services, and foster ethical standards among attorneys.
The Transport Department has expressed deep concern following yesterday’s incident at Belize City’s terminal where a part of the roof became dislodged, injuring two women. The Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Transport stated, “Our immediate thoughts and sincerest apologies go out to the affected individuals and their family during this difficult time.”
One of the injured women, Ana Moralez, was admitted to the emergency room at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Moralez’s husband, Filito Chanim, explained that he, his wife, and his son-in-law were preparing to catch a bus back to Belmopan when a section of the terminal’s cement roof collapsed unexpectedly. The piece of cement struck Moralez on the shoulder and injured another woman.
According to the Ministry’s press release, a full investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident. “We are working with structural engineers to assess the overall safety of the building,” the ministry stated.
“Any structural damage identified during this assessment will be repaired immediately to ensure the safety of all terminal users,” the Transport Department assured.
Chanim criticised the terminal employees, claiming that no assistance was offered and describing their reaction as unprofessional: “There was a couple of employees sitting at the top, laughing. I don’t know what was funny.” The Ministry did not comment on this aspect of the incident.
The National Assembly is one of the most important features of the country’s governance system. It is the seat of the legislature, one of the three branches of government. The National Assembly is where laws are created in the interest of accountability and good governance. Belize’s legislative history runs deep, from Burnaby’s Code in the late seventeenth century, to the Legislative Assembly in the mid eighteenth century and now the National Assembly in the twenty-first century. But it was not until the mid-nineteenth century that the residents of then British Honduras were afforded the right to elect representatives. Today, the National Assembly houses thirty-one elected members in the House of Representatives and thirteen members of the Senate. Their roles are just as important now as they were centuries ago. News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the roles and responsibilities of the Legislature in this week’s installment of the Five Point Breakdown.
Point 1: (The Legislature)
The National Assembly of Belize was founded on December thirty-first, 1963. Before then, it was called the Legislative Assembly. The first general election was held in 1954 where nine of the fifteen members were elected. Before then, all members of the assembly were nominated. With the right to vote came the emergence of political parties.
Laura Tucker-Longsworth
Laura Tucker-Longsworth, Former Speaker of the House
“The House business is important, the proceedings in both the House and the Senate, because people do listen. What they are listening to hear is how their elected representatives are taking care of them as a people, how they are advancing those initiative and so people should take an active part. It is called participatory role in ensuring that their interest are taken care of by elected representatives, so whether it has to do with water, safety, whatever it is, business, their representatives should be representing their interest from their various constituencies in the House and Senate.”
Point 2: (The Speaker of the House)
The People’s United Party won the first general election. The members who were elected to the then Legislative Assembly include names like George Price, Phillip Goldson and Leigh Richardson, to name a few. The name changed to the National Assembly when British Honduras gained full self-governance and effected the constitution. One role that has remained constant through the transition is the seat of the Speaker. In Belize the Speaker’s role has been traditionally one of a referee.
Valerie Woods
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House of Representative
“It is important because the business that is discussed here by the thirty-one members of Parliament in the House and the thirteen in the Senate, that is what impacts everyday life. They create legislation, they amend legislation, they debate on motions, on loan motions as well, as well as other forms of motions in terms of support for a foreign country program or an alliance with a foreign country. So, it does impact every day lives of Belizeans.”
Point 3: (The Legislature’s Importance to Belizeans)
The Assembly Building in Belmopan was inaugurated in 1970. Fifty-four years later, it is undergoing major renovations. Over the course of the next twelve months, parliamentary meetings will be held at the George Price Center for Peace and Development. At the 1970 inauguration, an ordinance was passed to change the name of the Colony of British Honduras to Belize.
Paul Lopez
“Why do you think most Belizeans lack interest in the business that takes place within the National Assembly?”
Valerie Woods
“Well, have you watched the House meetings? It is up to us, those in the leadership positions and those who are responsible for what goes at the legislature, it is up to us to make it appealing and to encourage our citizenry to pay attention and to be alert of what is happening at your legislature. It impacts them. It impacts all of us. We have to do a better job, the way we debate, language we use, the parliamentary decorum. But we also from the administrative side of the parliament, we have to do a better job in terms of reaching out to the public.”
Point 4 :(National Assembly Administrative Staff)
During National Assembly debates spectators get to see what happens inside the parliamentary chambers. But, behind the scenes there is a National Assembly Staff supervised by the Clerk and the Deputy Clerk, who is appointed by a National Assembly Committee.
Laura Tucker-Longsworth
“The work is not only what you see on TV with people going back and forth, something good, something bad, something we can do better with, but it is what is going on behind the scenes to make sure these meetings take place. But we have a more important role in ensuring that the National Assembly operates at a very high level, a professional level, so that when Bills come to the House, there are systems and committees in place to look at these bills to see if they are ready, to fact check and to be able to offer our legislatures the insights of other laws and bills.”
Point 5: (Encouraging Public Participation in The Legislature)
Essentially, the fabric of the Belizean identity has been woven together, in part, by what happens inside the National Assembly throughout the years. From the freedoms that are afforded to us, aid for the most vulnerable, essential infrastructural development, and the list goes on. But, how can greater public participation in the legislative process be encouraged?
Valerie Woods
“Every decision taken in the National Assembly of Belize, both the House of Representatives and in the upper house, the Senate, it is about people’s lives, about the direction of the country and ultimately will impact your life. They should pay attention. I readily admit, some of the language is not user friendly, it can get very legalize if I can use that term and some of the procedural can be a bit monotonous, I dare say boring.”
Laura Tucker-Longsworth
“We do not pay enough attention to our history, where we are coming from and our children, likewise, do not really know how important it is to know how bills are passed, how to lobby for their own environments. If they are going to school and the traffic is preventing them from walking across the street, do they know they have an area representative who can address those things. So, we as a society have to shoulder some of that responsibility. That is one of the reasons why people don’t pay attention. They go in there and people have already decided what they want to do and it is just a quarrel to show who is how. It is much more than that.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is grappling with escalating economic challenges as his administration rapidly depletes the nation’s dollar reserves. Following his controversial declaration as the winner of the July presidential election, Maduro has faced significant international criticism, widespread protests, and a noticeable distancing from former allies.
The bolívar has weakened significantly in unofficial markets, trading up to 20% below the official rate, the widest gap since 2022. This drop highlights the shrinking dollar reserves, partly drained by Maduro’s election-related spending on rallies and advertisements.
Economist José Manuel Puente from the Institute of Higher Education in Administration in Caracas noted, “The government decided to keep the exchange rate anchored for political and electoral reasons. The imbalance will end as it always does in Venezuela: with a large exchange rate adjustment, probably with an inflationary shock, and with an economic slowdown or recession.”
Maduro defended his expenditures, saying, “That is not waste. It’s the necessary investment for the country to continue its course.”
Rising inflation is causing severe strain on businesses and contributing to the hardship of 82% of Venezuelans living in poverty. This economic pressure is likely to worsen the migration crisis, which has seen nearly 8 million people leave the country since 2015.
Attorney at Law, Norman Rodriquez is tonight speaking out against what he says is an abuse of police authority. Rodriquez is representing a Belize City man who has been charged for discharging a firearm in public. According to Rodriquez, one of his client’s family members was being attacked by a knife-wielding man. In response, his client reportedly pulled out his licensed firearm and fired a single shot to the ground. When police arrived on the scene, both the knife-wielding man and the individual who fired the shot was detained. Rodriquez contends that his client acted in a manner deemed appropriate to deescalate a situation that could have turned fatal. Rodriquez’s complaint, however, has to do with the manner in which the case is being handled by the police.
Norman Rodriquez, Attorney-at-law
“He was supposed to be brought to court for arraignment and when I was informed that the court book had to be sent back to the police station for amendment. My understanding is that the want to charge him under the Firearm Act which would have led him to not be granted bail under the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act. So I waited and they brought him this afternoon. I was then informed that the facts does not support the charge, so they have to take him back to Queen Street. It is an abuse of process. It is an abuse of authority that the police is given. There is no right for them charge this man. He should be brought to court within a reasonable time. Yet they have delayed, in that they have gone to amend the book and now they are taking him back to the police station. I take issue with that because if we expect the remainder of the society to respect the police and its procedure they must adhere to the laws and rules that govern them. I mean you have no right to defend your family in a case where their life could have been taken? I mean the man had a knife and could have harmed her with it. This is what the family believes the police was wrong. They believe the man should have not been charged.”
Thirty-seven-year-old Andrew Alexander Smith pleaded guilty to theft after racking up a bill of one thousand, two hundred and seventy dollars from a stolen Belize Bank credit card. On August twenty-third, Lucilla Garcia, a retiree from Orange Walk, reported to Belize that while shopping at Golden Bay Store, she lost her purse containing a Belize Bank ATM card, as well as an Atlantic Bank ATM card, among other personal items. When she visited Belize Bank on September second, to cancel the card, she discovered that the card had been swiped multiple times in Belize City, at Mirage Store on Albert Street and Twins Supermarket on Saint Thomas Street. Smith was subsequently arrested, and he appeared unrepresented before the lower courts this morning. Despite being remorseful, Smith was remanded to the Belize Central Prison where he awaits sentencing.
Belize is making strides to improve its judiciary system by hosting the country’s first-ever criminal justice reform conference. This conference focuses on advancing the Needham’s Point Declaration, which is a pivotal framework for criminal justice reform in the Caribbean, underscoring the need for swift and fair justice for the guilty and protection of the rights of victims. The five-day conference began today in Belize City. News Five’s Britney Gordon was there for more information.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
For years, the backlog of cases in Belize’s criminal justice system has weighed heavily on the shoulders of those seeking justice for themselves or a loved one. As of last year, over fourteen years’ worth of cases were yet to be finalized in court, but now that number has been reduced to just five years and is decreasing by the day. This change is due, in part, to the Needham’s Point Declaration, which is a framework adopted in 2023 meant to encourage more efficient and fairer justice systems. Justice Derek Sylvester, Chair of the Judicial Education Institute, explained how the declaration is accomplishing this goal.
Derek Sylvester
Derek Sylvester, Chair, Judicial Education Institute
“What it seeks to do is to reform the complete criminal justice system. Reduce backlogs and delays. It seeks to examine police, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, judgment writing, every facet wherein delays are likely. Because we have had delays, persons on remand, persons awaiting trial, and the reduction of the backlog. If we were to accept the 39 articles in the Needham’s Point Declaration, I could assure you that Belize would be on an upward trajectory. And we have adopted them. I’m happy to say that thus far, we have reduced the case backlog from fourteen years in the criminal court to five years. And we’re on a trajectory to adopt the Needham’s Point Declaration, Article 19, which states that criminal matters should be completed in the high court within one year and in the lower court or the magistrate court within six months. So it is that trajectory that Belize is on and Belize is leading the way in the Caribbean.”
Belize is on track to have a manageable number of backlog cases by the middle of next year. The recent passing of the pleas discussion legislation which allows the defense and prosecution to discuss alternative sentences and plea deals. Justice Winston Anderson, a judge on the Caribbean Court of Justice, says Belize is spearheading the movement towards a more efficient system, with the implementation of a Criminal Justice Board.
Justice Winston Anderson
Justice Winston Anderson, Judge, CCJ
“It is headed by the Chief Justice, but it has representatives from the Attorney General’s Chambers. It has the Director of Public Prosecutions. It has people from the police, people from the prisons, people from just various sectors in social in the social community and forensic department as well. And these four persons come together with an aim of trying to streamline the process for investigating crimes, for prosecuting crimes, and also for sentencing. I think that the fact that they’ve all come together in this way has meant that there has been a vast increase in the rate in which these criminal trials have been prosecuted. We had this morning information that in seven months, one judge in Belize has completed thirty criminal cases. Another judge completed twenty-nine and another twenty-seven.”
The conference is partially funded by the United Nations Development Program. UNDP resident representative in Belize, Khishan Koday explains how the organization has been building capacity for countries in the region to reach their collective goals.
Khishan Koday
Khishan Koday, Representative, UNDP
“This conference in Belize is the first of its kind here, where we’re building capacity of about one hundred and twenty judges, magistrates, prosecutors, Colleagues from the forensics office, the police, et cetera, on various aspects of criminal justice sector reform to enhance capacities of individuals, but also those institutions that they’re working in. This is done through the support of judges and other experts from around the Caribbean as well as from the UK, and that’s a great platform, really, of capacity development to get that goal of efficiency and more effectiveness of the judicial system.”
Belize’s efforts to modernise its Criminal Justice System takes a step forward with a ‘first of its kind’ conference on Criminal Justice Reform from September 2nd to September 6th, 2024, in Belize City.
The Conference, hosted by the Senior Courts of Belize Judicial Education Institute, is titled “Advancing the Caribbean Court of Justice Academy for Law Needham’s Point Declaration.” The five-day event will focus on implementing the Needham’s Point Declaration and addressing backlog issues in the criminal justice system.
The Needham’s Point Declaration covers key areas related to criminal justice reform, including policy and legislative interventions, prosecution, police representation for the accused victims’ rights, and judicial interventions. The declaration emphasises the need for swift justice for the guilty and protection of the innocent.
According to an official statement, the event will bring together judges, magistrates, crown counsel, defence counsel, police prosecutors, forensic analysts, and other stakeholders.
Traffic lights are crucial for controlling traffic flow at busy intersections worldwide, including in Belize. However, many motorists in Belize City frequently bypass these regulations, often due to being in a rush or disregarding the rules. The Belize City Council employs traffic enforcement officers to detect and ticket offenders, but limited resources and equipment mean many violations go unnoticed. This not only undermines traffic safety but also results in lost revenue for the city from fines. News Five’s Paul Lopez investigated the frequency of these violations at the city’s main intersections.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Traffic lights are established to manage the flow of traffic, especially at busy intersections. A total of seven traffic lights are established across Belize City.
Mauricio Gonzalez
Mauricio Gonzalez, Enforcement Manager
“As you guys are seeing. We are moving towards stop lights, parking meters, we just launched the E-Bus. We are trying to establish a safe city. It is not only for motorists. It is for pedestrians for the safety of pedestrians.”
The rules motorists should adhere to at a traffic light are simple: Red light means ‘stop’; yellow light means ‘prepare to stop’; and green light means ‘go’. And then there is the arrow system that directs motorists wanting to make certain turns at an intersection.
Voice of: George Lucario
Voice of: George Lucario, Enforcement Coordinator
“It helps because whenever one section is in the red in the other section traffic can flow, so without the lights it would have been more chaos. So, the lights do help, share the traffic in all different directions.”
Mauricio Gonzalez
“The areas where we see strategy stop lights is because we have studies. We have been out there; we have seen traffic congestion, and this is why the city council paved the way to have stop lights at these junctions. A lot of people, a lot of residents don’t know that when the lights is on yellow, speeding is a violation.”
The penalty for disobeying a traffic sign or a traffic light is fifty-dollars. So, how many people in Belize City obey the rules of traffic lights? And how much money is the city missing out on daily as motorists violate traffic light regulations? We went out on a covert operation to investigate. We spent at least ten minutes at four different intersections to capture as many traffic lights infractions as possible within that time span.
Our first stop was the intersection between Freetown Road, Douglas Jones, and Wilson streets. Two minutes in, this vehicle speeds up at the yellow light instead of slowing down. That warrants a fine of fifty dollars. Three minutes in, these two pickup trucks do the same thing. That is an additional hundred dollars in fines. This red SUV daringly sped past a yellow light. The light turned red while the vehicle was in the middle of the intersection. That is another fifty dollars. Within ten minutes on this side of the intersection alone we recorded at least eight traffic light violations. That is a whopping four hundred dollars in fines for the city.
And those violations only became more egregious at the Central American Boulevard and Neal Penn Road intersection. Within three minutes of recording, this government vehicle sped up at a yellow light. An SUV followed behind and barely made it across before the light turned red. That is one hundred dollars in violation fines. Here, this car makes a left U-turn on a red light to go in the opposite direction, another ticket and fine.
At least, Belize’s first cyber truck adhered to the traffic light rules. But only moments later, this city bus runs a yellow light that quickly turns into a red light. The motorcycle behind it certainly ran a red light. That is two fifty-dollar fines. On the other side of the boulevard, these two SUVs completely ignored the red light as they drove across the intersection, resulting in another hundred dollars in fines. And the infractions only continued. With all that our cameras captured, fines that would be due to the city now stand at a thousand dollars. Unfortunately, no traffic officers were in sight to ticket these violators. And even though a police booth is situated at this intersection, its presence does little to stop these violations from occurring.
Another set of traffic lights is situated at the Central American Boulevard and Albert Hoy Avenue intersection. Only a minute into us being there, and already our cameras captured a pickup truck running a red light. The driver of this white car also did not appear bothered as the vehicle ran the right lights. Risking his life, this motorcycle runs a red light.
And, even at the intersection between Vernon Street and Chetumal Boulevard, traffic light infractions kept occurring. Within forty minutes at four different intersections, we documented at least thirty traffic light violations. That would amount to at least fifteen hundred dollars in fines that the city could receive. But, with limited human resources at the Belize City Council’s Traffic Department, catching the rule breakers is not as clear-cut.
Mauricio Gonzalez
“We do have operations at these lights. It is something we try to do at least three to four times a week. In the mornings we have officers at different lights ensuring that people are following the light system. At the moment we are not equipped to have officers at every stop light, but we try our best to have them at three out of the six, sometimes four out of the six in the morning.”
