Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is standing by his choice to take cyberbullies to court. Last week, a police officer found himself in court for allegedly bullying his own boss online. Fifty-one-year-old Barrington Gilbert Mai, also known as Barry Flowers, was charged with using a computer system to publish obscene and vulgar data. Mai paid a bail of five thousand dollars, with one surety of the same amount or two sureties of two thousand, five hundred dollars and is due back in court in June. Some criticize William’s decision to take the officer to court, believing it to be an overreaction. However, Williams, who recently took his brother to court for cyberbullying, says he has every right to do so.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That is the view a view of those persons and I respect their view. I must say that as an individual, people say things about me on social media every day and, I don’t care. At the end of the day, I am a public figure and I am subject to be criticized. But when you are going to call me corrupt, I will not countenance it. I have worked in this department for over thirty-three years and I have done my utmost in my integrity. And so if a person were to say that I am corrupted, I’m a thief. I’m this or I’m that, I’m going to have them prove that to the court, bring the evidence before the court and prove that I am such I am not like the ordinary public who can go and back and forth, somebody on social media, I can’t do that. The nature of my office does not require me to do that. It is going to be unprofessional, and so I have to find other ways to defend my character, and so I defend my character using the code system. The law was put in place to protect against cyber bullying. And if it is that there are people out there who do not wish to make use of the law, that is their business. The law is there for all of us to use, and if anybody believe that they are being cyber bullied by another they have the same right as I do in going to the police making a complaint and take the matter before the court so that the person who is bullying you or whatever can go to court and say, to defend their position. And I, that is all I have to say on that matter.”
Earlier this week, two American fugitives were deported from Belize to the United States to face serious charges, including weapons trafficking and rape. The fugitives were tracked down and returned with help from the U.S. Embassy in Belize. Today, we spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams about Belize’s teamwork with the United States to ensure that fugitives face justice in their home countries.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We continue we continue to work with our counterparts. Occasionally we get information of a fugitive bin here, there or somewhere. And once that occurs, then we get into motion working with the US Embassy in the final location. And then we do surveillance and eventually we move in and apprehend. We have done that recently with with a number of fugitives on the US and once that occurred, then they’re then taken back to the US where they would face whatever charge they may have to face. In the United States.’
Reporter
“Since January, have we had any belief on returnees deported?”
Chester Williams
“I have not been following the deportation much. I can’t really give you an answer, but I know that I have seen lists with a number of persons returning home but very little if any at all as it relates to persons of interest. Those persons that we have seen coming home are not persons of interest to us, and so we just normally go through, just go through the normal routine with them so we are with those who are of interest to us.”
Police are still investigating a string of license plate thefts that occurred in southside Belize City earlier this week. At least nine vehicles on Maris Deena Street were targeted by thieves who made off with license plates and two car batteries. According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, the motive of the theft is still unknown, but police are on the lookout for the perpetrators.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I know its something I know it’s something the police is looking at. I’m not sure if they have received any leads on that issue, but again, they’re working in tandem with the traffic department to see what, if anything can be obtained. I know that many of those persons who lost the license plate in that in that incident have reapplied to the transport department, and I’m speaking about city traffic. And it has been addressed from that standpoint. But again, if you know of anyone who is selling license plates, it’s good to report to the police so the police can go and see if, in fact, those plates are stolen. It seems to be something that is that farms part of the tourism industry because again, I know that sometime tourists may want to buy license plate and take back to their respective country so that they can show I was in Belize and I got this license plate from Belize, it’s something we have to look at very seriously. Because it can also be another issue where the license plates have been stolen with the intent that they be used to commit to place on other vehicles to commit crime. We have to look at it from all angles.”
Reporter
“Were you a case the owners would be safeguarded by the mere fact that the paperwork is at traffic?”
Chester Williams
“Certainly yes. If they report to the police that they had lost a license plate and, license plate is subsequently found or identified on a vehicle that is used in the commission of a crime, then that would absolve them to some extent to verify that it would’ve not been their vehicle that was used in the commission of that crime.”
The time is fast approaching when Commissioner of Police Chester Williams transitions to C.E.O. of the Ministry of Transport. For years, the Belize Police Department has been trying to crack down on traffic laws to create safer roads and minimize fatal accidents. According to William’s this is work that he plans to continue at his new post. He also showed his support for the government’s decision to tighten seatbelt laws within the city. Here’s what he had to say.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have seen a number of issues in the transport industry. A number of issues as it relates to the use of our roads, and these are issues that certainly would need to be addressed. I have been in dialogue with my future minister, Mr. Minister Zabaneh in terms of looking at some of the things that we want to see done within the transport ministry, and certainly road safety is a priority. I’m not going to go into details at this time in terms of what my plans will be because I believe that I would need to sit down with the chief transport officer or that is and his deputy, as well as to meet with the persons who are in charge of DOT across the country and get their input, get feedbacks from them. And based on that, they will put together a plan of action that is going to be implemented to make our highway safer. I will leave it at that for now, and when I fully takes over my new office, then we can have an entire dialogue on what the plan is going to be moving forward. The seatbelt issue is something that cabinet have agreed to and it came into law and I think that it was considered for good reasons. One might say why you seatbelt in a city when in fact you, cannot drive at a very high speed within city limits. But that is not true. I’m sure that you have seen every day vehicles within city limits driving at extremely high speed driving reckless, and we have had a number of fatal traffic accidents in the city where we believe that had the victims been wearing seatbelt when those accidents occurred, they may be alive today. So I do believe that it was done in good sense, one and two, it was also done to ensure that we safeguard the lives of our people as best as we possibly can.”
The public feud between ComPol Williams and his brother, Arthur Roy Williams, also known as ‘Uncle,’ is now water under the bridge as the brothers made amends earlier today. As a result, the charges against Arthur were dropped by prosecutor Alifah Elrington this afternoon in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court. Both brothers were present in court when Elrington, the Head of Prosecution Branch, informed the Senior Magistrate that the crown is withdrawing all four counts against Arthur Roy Williams. This decision came after the siblings reconciled and agreed to move forward. ‘I love my brother,’ said ComPol Williams. ‘Uncle’ promised the outgoing Commissioner of Police that he would no longer post anything negative or defamatory about him, leading to the charges being withdrawn.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Basically, Arthur Roy is my brother, we came from the same woman. Yes, there have been misunderstandings in the past with issue, but I believe that as a family we should always be able to work out our issues. And so, him and I spoke about the issue and we decided that it is best that we end it this way, as opposed to going through a court process.”
Reporter
“This is what they refer to as criminal mediation?”
Chester Williams
“No. No. There was no mediation done by the court. Myself and my brother, we discussed the issue and we came to our own agreement that it is best that we put it behind us and move on. Of course, I love my brother and I will always be there to support him. He has been there for me as a child when I was growing up. We have been very close in the past and I think that we can get back to where we used to be.”
Reporter
“So, Mr. Roy, what would you like to say today?”
Arthur Roy Williams
Arthur Roy Williams
“It is what it is bang bye.”
Back on February 7, 2024, Arthur Roy Williams, a fifty-three-year-old driver for the Ombudsman and a resident of Dangriga, was initially arraigned on three criminal offenses, including two counts of using a computer system to disseminate false statements with the intent to cause public ridicule or embarrassment, and one count of using a computer system to intimidate under the Cybercrime Act, to which he pleaded not guilty. Then, about five months later, on July 3, 2024, ‘Uncle’ faced another charge of contempt of judicial order. Allegedly, between April and the end of June 2024, despite being ordered not to post anything about ComPol or the Belize Police Department, he continued to do so on social media.
Earlier this week, we reported that the Belize Coast Guard found a kilo of cocaine on a fisherman in Turneffe. There have been more and more reports of fishermen scouring beaches in that area, looking for wet drops. Today, we asked Commissioner of Police Chester Williams if any charges have been filed against the fisherman and where the drugs might have come from.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I know that a person was in custody and I have to check if that person has been charged.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it a fact that this kilo may have come from a suspected capsized drug boat?”
Chester Williams
“We do know occasionally there would be instances where we have these wet drops. As much as we try to prevent the transshipment of drugs through the country, the maritime domain remain active and when we do have these instances where we have these wet drops it is normally due to these boats capsizing or due to these boats being pursued by law enforcement and in order to lighten the boat they would throw products overboard. So I cannot say if it is a matter of boat capsizing or them trying to evade law enforcement, but we have gotten information that there is a number of drugs floating in the water. The Coast Guard has been very active doing their best to see if they can find these drugs.”
A drug trial in San Ignacio came to an unexpected halt earlier this week when the presiding magistrate recused herself from the case. The trial was related to a November 2021 drug plane landing that resulted in a large drug seizure and the detention of seven alleged traffickers, including the Mexican co-pilot. After years of hearings, the case will now have to start over with a new magistrate. Today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explained why the magistrate stepped down and what the next steps are for the case.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The briefing I got from the prosecutor Ms. Elrington, there seems to have been issue in the court room, where she believe that the case was not going as should and that there may be some degree of bias from the magistrate and she made a submission to the magistrate for the magistrate to recuse herself. That submission was accepted and the magistrate recused herself and we just have to look for a new trial.”
And finally, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is just a short time away from stepping into his new role as Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Transport. Today, he’s still in his police uniform but mentioned that the day-to-day operations of the department have already been handed over to incoming Commissioner Doctor Richard Rosado. Here’s what he had to say about the transition period.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Myself and Mr. Rosado are going through a transition period. Certainly yes as a part of that transition period I have assigned most of the day to day responsibility of the commissioner to Mr. Rosado and I am just dealing with those issues I have to deal with as the legally constituted commissioner of police. So, we continue that transition period. The objective of the ministry is to make sure we can have a seamless transition where all the activities currently in motion. We have a number of projects and other things I need to bring Mr. Rosado with and so that when he takes over we can make sure those things continue. I have heard the criticism that this has not been in the past where you have transitions like this, but commissioners normally retire at age fifty-five. So, if you know that you are going to retire you prepare for that and obviously someone is going to understudy you so that when you go off that person will become the commissioner. So it is not a situation where you are the commissioner today and gone tomorrow without having ensuring your successor should have some level of experience in the seat. That is the reason why we are doing this. It is not that I want to stay. I indicated I would have wanted to leave Monday gone, but the transition is important and we are making sure it is done the right way. That is the reason why.”
Almost fifty years ago, Juan Chuc started his own hardware store in San Ignacio Town, calling it Juan Chuc & Sons Hardware. It didn’t take long for the store to become one of the biggest locally owned businesses around, cementing Juan Chuc’s legacy in the Cayo District. In today’s episode of Belize on Reel, we had a chat with Chuc to hear the story of how his business took off and what he thinks about the legacy he’s leaving behind.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
It’s 1977, and Juan Chuc has just opened the doors to his very first business, the aptly named Juan Chuc store. What started as a small grocery quickly took off when Chuc decided to branch out into hardware. Before diving into the world of business, Chuc spent over sixteen years working with heavy-duty construction equipment. It was this expertise that helped him transform his store into the well-known Juan Chuc Hardware.
Juan Chuc
Juan Chuc, Founder, Juan Chuc & Sons Hardware
“Lot of people help me though because I remember when I was selling cement, I couldn’t buy no steel. So an American Jamaican come and live in Santa Elena. He told me I need some steel, man. I tell him I no sell, I only sell cement. He say, how can you buy steel? Why you don’t buy? I tell ah I don’t have no money. He said, how much money you need? I tell him about more or less about ten thousand. He say, I will give you the ten thousand. You buy your steel, you gimme my steel, and then you pay me afterwards. I tell him, really? You will do that? He say, yes. I tell him thank you, and man, gimme the money. So I add one truckload of steel.”
Juan Chuc Hardware quickly became a vital part of the community, helping small businesses with financial opportunities. Eighteen years ago, Chuc’s son commissioned wreath maker Maritza Manzanero, and when Juan saw her beautiful creations, he knew he had to share them with a wider audience.
Maritza Manzanero
Maritza Manzanero, Colleague & Friend
“We started chatting and we became good friends and he asked me where I had gotten the wreath from. So I explained to him that I was working with flowers and I started making them. So he said if I would be interested, we could try and place them in his store and sell them. So I spoke with my daddy for the money and my daddy said, well, what you can do is make it for a price, so that he can earn something like a profit. So, I chatted with him and he said, he was so happy with it. So I brought about eighteen wreaths and about two weeks time, I received a phone call that no wreaths were left in the store.”
Things took an unfortunate turn when Chuc contracted COVID and could no longer manage his store. He handed the business over to his sons, but they struggled to keep it afloat, leading to its closure. Undeterred, Chuc kept his entrepreneurial spirit alive by opening a smaller shop, lovingly named Sandy’s Shop after his wife. Through it all, Chuc says his loyal customers have always stood by him.
Juan Chuc
“They always buy with me and they always tell me to keep going. Because they know that I come from working hard in the field, and they know I never have no money and they know how they admire how I’m working and I work good with the people, they help me and I help them. I treat them good. Sometimes when they come, then they buy, and you know the sun hot deh, I bring wa drink. I tell them, unu have this man, take care. Refresh yourself. And when them feel good.”
Chuc’s store has always been a beacon of opportunity for the community, offering hardware supplies at fair prices. Even today, Chuc is one of the few in the area who sells cement by the pound, making it easier for folks to gradually invest in their home projects. The mayor of San Ignacio, Earl Trapp, often highlights the significant impact Chuc has had on the community.
Earl Trapp
Earl Trapp, Mayor, San Ignacio
“He sells sand by bucket, and, a pvc pipe, the length, he sells it by feet as well.So he makes things affordable for people that only needs three feet of pipe, you don’t wanna buy one length of pipe and then just waste the rest. So when he would make sure that he provides for the needy people. So I think certainly it’s impacted Saint Ignacio Santa Elena and the surrounding villages because, on weekends and even during the week, but especially on weekends, you would see buses park in front of his place and the customers getting their goods by sack and take it into the bus and they would go to the villages. He served the community well.”
While the Juan Chuc store is no longer as big as it once was, the namesake is still well loved.
Maritza Manzanero
“His heart is of gold. Many people have chanced him, I know. And he doesn’t even talk about it. Like he used to have this shop with whatever you needed, like zincs, the roofing things and whatever you need, tiles you would go and he would even give you credit and people like wouldn’t even pay him. And do you think he would be looking for them? He said everything is in God’s hands.”
Chuc says his business is on the rise again, taking him back to the early days of his journey nearly forty-eight years ago. Despite the ups and downs, he’s content with what he’s achieved in his career, even if it’s not quite how everyone remembers it.
Juan Chuc
“It is kinda lee hard, but then like how I was sick to me it is very good for keep moving. I can’t walk, so I keep moving and talk to people, to friends and I feel good with that, because it let’s me to know what is going on out there, because I can’t go there. So I feel very good and my business is growing lee bit by lee bit and. And I don’t want to grow big again, but I just want to survive and have something in my table for eat, so I feel very good.”
A new proposed DNA law aims to make cases involving scientific evidence clearer by setting rules for collecting, filing, and using DNA evidence to prosecute suspects. Today, a draft of this legislation was shown to key groups. This draft would let the court decide when a suspect must provide DNA samples for testing in criminal cases. The United Nations Development Program, which held consultations earlier this year, created the draft bill and hosted today’s meeting with forensic experts, prosecutors, police, and the Ministry of Health. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Today, key groups from the justice system met to review a proposed draft law focused on DNA evidence. According to UNDP Representative Amilin Mendez, the goal of the bill is to improve how DNA evidence is collected, filed, and used.
Amilin Mendez
Amilin Mendez, Representative, U.N.D.P.
“With D.N.A legislation in place, it embodies the National Forensic Science Services to be able to create a D.N.A database. What does that mean then for you? If you have a matter on hand, if you’re the victim, you’ll be able to get justice in a more timely manner. If you’re a suspected person of a crime and your D.N.A does not match, you would not have to be on remand because it’s clear that you’re not guilty of any of these crimes.”
The UNDP has been a long-time partner of the National Forensic Science Services. In 2024, the U.N. agency helped upgrade the lab’s information management system, making the evidence process digital. Executive Director Gian Cho explained how the system will work according to international standards once the law is passed by the end of this year.
Gian Cho
Gian Cho, Executive Director, Belize National Forensic Science Service
“When you collect people’s genetic data, when you store it, when you search it, we need to make sure that we have regulations or laws in place that governs how that’s used. So how a national D.N.A. database is established, how D.N.A. samples are collected from individuals suspected of committing offenses in a manner that respects their bodily integrity, their privacy, their dignity, how searches of that database is conducted, who has access to the database, what we do with any matches that come from the database, who are authorized to enter profiles into a database, how profiles are generated – all of these requirements to ensure that the safeguard of human genetic data, the standards of searching and how we determine a match are in line with the international requirements and what we know other countries have in their legislation as well as oversight for such a database.”
Cho explained that even though the system will be in place, for investigators to get certain DNA samples from suspects, a judge would have to decide whether the sample will be given by force. Cho emphasized that it’s crucial to ensure people’s constitutional rights are respected throughout the process.
Gian Cho
“The process or the procedure to obtain a D.N.A. sample from an individual, when consent is not given by the individual, what would be the processes that the authorities follow would be to obtain a court order. Once certain thresholds are met, the investigator – a senior rank inspector or above would have to issue or make the request to a magistrate to issue a court order to collect a D.N.A. sample the person does not give consent.”
Ultra-sensitive issues, such as how minors are treated, whether they are the victim or the perpetrator, are also covered in the legislation.
Gian Cho
“When minors are victims or when minors are suspects or when appearance of minors might be involved we have to look at court orders given individual. And the bill speaks all of those different circumstances when a court order would be needed, or what would be considered reasonable cause to obtain a court order, what would be instances where reasonable force can be used to obtain the D.N.A. sample and in most instances, it would be a cheek swab that is obtained.”
It’s still unclear if this new legislation will boost conviction rates. The reform of the justice system through this bill is just one part of a larger project called pH Justice, supported by the UNDP and funded by the European Union, with a budget of over three million dollars. This project also included digitizing the Magistrates’ and High Courts. Once the relevant parties agree on the draft bill’s contents, it will be presented to Cabinet for approval before going to the National Assembly. Marion Ali for News Five.
