2024-03-14 - Channel 5 Belize

St. Margaret’s Village Resident Chopped to Death in Bar

The latest murder victim is a forty-year-old father from Saint Margaret’s Village. Luis Seapas was socializing at a restaurant and bar in the village when he was hacked to death by three men. His attackers are also from the community and known to the deceased. The incident occurred sometime after midnight inside the bar. There is currently no information to suggest that Seapas and his attackers had any prior altercation, in fact they have been seen socializing together in the village. The horrific ordeal unfolded in front of the establishment’s employees, much to their dismay. So, what could have led to the deadly altercation? New’s Five’s Paul Lopez travelled to Saint Margaret’s Village today where we spoke with the family of the deceased and the owner of the establishment. Here is that report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A night out at La Rumba Restaurant and Bar in Saint Margaret’s Village ended tragically for one man. Forty-year-old Luis Seapas was socializing at the establishment after midnight on Thursday, when a group of men, armed with a machete, attacked him. We spoke off camera with the owner of the establishment who says that the entire ordeal played out in front of her employees. They ran from the restaurant and bar to her home nearby to seek refuge.

Voice of: Owner of La Rumba Bar

“I start to receive information around two-thirty when they came here to my house running. The girls were frightened and the one that saw the chopping fainted when she came here. The other girls told me that this was happening, three guys came in and chopped the other one and I asked them if he is dead or just injured. They said they chopped him a lot, on his face, but I didn’t want to believe.”

Julissa Najaro, Seapas’ common-law wife, says he arrived home from work on Wednesday evening, ran some errands and thereafter informed her that he was on his way to purchase gas. But Seapas never returned home. He instead went to La Rumba Restaurant and Bar.

Julissa Najaro, Common-Law-Wife

“Well, he came from work like at around five o’clock in the evening. And he was not very calm. He was happy. No, we never thought that that would have happened. And then went to run an errand with my child, he is fifteen-year-old and then he came back. He came off from the motorcycle and said he would buy gasoline. And then, well, it seems like he bought the gasoline and then it seems like he went to the bar in the restaurant upstairs. And well, I found out how at about one-thirty. And then a neighbor came to tell us and my eldest son, his son who is eighteen-years-old, went to go to the bar with the neighbor. His dad had not died yet. It seems that he, I don’t know if it was at around twelve or twelve thirty, I don’t know, but around one thirty he was still alive.”

Seapas reportedly expressed concern when his attackers entered the bar. But they assured him that they were not there to harm him, according to the owner of the establishment.

Voice of: Owner of La Rumba Bar

“These three guys, Mayans come inside and stand in front of the man they chopped and told him don’t be afraid we are your friends, and the other one was standing, and the other one was beside him and the other one was a little bit far and he told him, don’t be afraid of my son, we are your friends, and he hug the man. And when he hugged the man, the other guy takes out his machete and chopped him. And the guy that was chopped ran, but the next guy came behind him and chopped him on his back. And because he couldn’t open the door, they gave him another one, but this time on the neck and that is when the guy fall.”

Seapas leaves behind four children. His common-law wife says he never once informed her that his life was in danger.

Julissa Najaro

“Well, I don’t know, I don’t know because he never told me anything like that. He was always calm. I never imagined what that would happen to him. You hear things about them but never something like what happened. They lived there. Their mother lives there. She lives. Yes, she is her sister, but nothing different like that has ever been seen.”

Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.

Haitian American Charged with Double Murder and Attempted Murder

Fifty-nine-year-old Haitian American Robert Joseph was today arrested and charged with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Jospeh is accused of killing forty-year-old Laura Fiorito and eight-year-old Megan Klessan with a firearm, while injuring two other minors and firing at a Fiorito’s common-law-husband. Joseph was arraigned today at the Belmopan Magistrates Court unrepresented. He was denied bail, due to the nature of the offense, and remanded to the Belize Central Prison. As we have reported, Joseph and his son visited Paradise Café in the Belmopan Market where they met Fiorito and her common-law wife. He engaged in a brief conversation with them before pulling out a firearm and opening fire. Three primary school children were also with the couple. Joseph turned his focus on the children and fatally injured one. Fiorito’s common-law-husband was the only one who escaped the attack without any physical injuries.

Ishmarley Clarke Had Plans to Help His Family in Life

As we reported in last night’s newscast, a man lost his life in a motorcycle accident on Wednesday as he was driving up the Philip Goldson highway near mile one. The police department has not yet released any information on the accident, but we understand that Clarke was driving up the highway when a van that tried to overtake him knocked him down sometime around two in the afternoon. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story in this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

An auditor lost his life in a motorcycle accident in Belize City on Wednesday afternoon. It happened at the entrance of the Philip Goldson Highway, almost in front of A and R Store, and claimed the life of Ishmarley Clarke. News Five met his brother, Fisean Clarke at the scene of the accident. He told us that he had just spoken to Ishmarley a couple days prior to the unfortunate accident and then tried again to reach him about an hour before he died.

Fisean Clarke, Brother of deceased

“I spoke to him on the phone about 2,3 days before this incident, asking him if I could stay at his house. Because I wanted to move from Orange Walk back to Belize [City]. I never did get an answer. I can’t do it again. I can’t do it again. I just, I will try my best to be for my brother and mi niece and nephew them. I got one more brother and niece and nephew right deh soh, so I have to try my best you know. I have to try my best. I neva know this mi wa happen and I di try call ah from one o’clock yesterday afternoon, yeah and he never answer his phone. I suppose to ketch the bus and come to Belize [City] yesterday. I didn’t know all this was going to take place, mein.”

Clarke did not die at the scene. A security guard who works near the location where the accident happened told us off-camera that immediately after the accident, Clarke appeared to be motionless, but then he sat up before the ambulance took him to the hospital.

Voice of: Witness

“I mi deh right ya da work, so I mi just gone tek a lee patrol and I just hear something gone Bang! I never conscious da wa accident. I mi see lotta students right deh and I see a student and I ask what happened and they say it’s an accident. I come and I see the bally motionless on the ground. A lee bit afterwards, like before when the ambulance reached the individual get up, he get up and he sit down and watch his foot.”

Marion Ali

“As in stand up?”

Voice of Witness:

“No, he only sit down right there. He sit down and then when he see ih foot, it’s really bad injury. And then they told him not to move, but then he was touching his foot that bruk, he was touching it. And they told him, don’t move ’cause the ambulance is coming right ahead. And then how it’s a lot of traffic, the ambulance couldn’t get a break to pass. Then finally the ambulance came and then they managed to assist him.”

Marion Ali

“So he was still sitting up when they took him?”

Voice of: Witness

“Yeah, the ambulance, when the ambulance reach he was sitting down and he lay down back again.”

Clarke suffered a badly broken right leg and a gash on his head. His death is a lesson, his brother told us, and a reminder of how fragile life is. Ishmarley, he said, had plans to help his siblings.

Fisean Clarke

“His plan was to get a – get some more land for the family that we don’t need to go through a whole heap of problems in the future, assist the family with land and stuff like the properties and things that we need to achieve. Fi this happen to he and my family, I hope everybody could see that ih nuh impossible, ih nuh impossible, ih nuh impossible.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Keyren Tzib Posts Bail After Attempted Murder Conviction

Former female coast guard officer Keyren Tzib is out on bail tonight after being convicted of attempted murder on Wednesday by High Court Judge Candace Nanton. On Wednesday, Justice Nanton found Tzib guilty of an attempt on the life of a colleague, Kurt Hyde, as they were returning to the Belize Coast Guard Headquarters here in Belize City. The incident, as we’ve reported, took place on April sixth, 2015. Tzib spent the night in lockdown at the Queen Street Police Station before posting bail in the sum of fifteen thousand dollars, plus three sureties of five thousand dollars each. The conditions of her bail include that she must sign in at the Orange Walk Police Station, as well as report to the High Court once a week. Tzib was represented in court by attorney Darrell Bradley.

Anke Doehm’s Sentencing is Adjourned

Sixty-three-year-old Anke Doehm, an American national who was found guilty in the High Court last week for cruelty to a child, appeared in court today after being on remand at the Belize Central Prison. This morning, Doehm alighted from the prison bus that brought her back to Belize City. She appeared fragile and ill, visibly affected by her imprisonment. There was, however, a delay in her sentencing and she was returned to prison until April eighth when Justice Derick Sylvester is expected to deliver a sentence. As we’ve reported, Doehm stood trial following the death of thirteen-year-old Fay Lin Cannon back in 2017. The tragic incident involving the abused teenager happened in San Pedro.

Walkout by Stevedores Cause Significant Loss in Port Revenues

The Port of Belize Limited has taken on significant losses in revenue since last Friday. That’s when stevedores walked out after demanding higher payment for lost wages when bulk sugar was rerouted to the Big Creek Port. During Wednesday’s stand-off between the stevedores and the Port, C.E.O. Arturo Vasquez told reporters that while the figures cannot yet be tallied, the losses have been significant. The stevedores, led by the Christian Workers’ Union, returned to work by day’s end, but on the premise that the Prime Minister, John Briceno will meet with their union representatives next Monday to discuss their concerns. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The tally on the losses that the port and the government have suffered as a result of the five-day walk-out from work has not yet been calculated, but it is quite a lot. Port of Belize C.E.O., Arturo Vasquez told the media on Wednesday that when there is an interruption of work at the facility, it has a trickling effect on everyone.

Arturo Vasquez, C.E.O., Port of Belize Limited

“Significantly. If no cargo is going out or coming in, you can imagine the effect it has on the business community and the public and the prices and all of that.”

Marion Ali

“How many ships have sailed so far?”

Arturo Vasquez

“The one that’s here today came on Friday and came back yesterday. Physically only two have sailed, but, in addition to that, two have cancelled – one on Monday and one on Tuesday.”

By the end of Wednesday, however, the stevedores had returned to work following a cell phone conversation between them and Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde who promised to do his best to lobby on their behalf and have them get what is due to them. The stevedores want the government to pay them four point nine million dollars in compensation for their lost wages since bulk sugar was rerouted to the Big Creek Port for export. C.W.U President, Leonora Flowers is representing the stevedores in the process.

Leonora Flowers, President, Christian Workers’ Union

“He indicated that he’s willing – he’s going to try his very best to get the stevedores what is rightfully theirs, and what we have been trying to get for a while. That’s as much as I can say.”

Marion Ali

“So on Monday, you’re going to meetings with the Prime Minister and with the Deputy Prime Minister?”

Leonora Flowers

“Yes, we should on Monday.”

Marion Ali

“And what will be discussed then?”

Leonora Flowers

“Hopefully the sugar money only and then we progress on to the C.B.A.”

The Collective Bargaining Agreement is the new terms of reference that will govern the way the port and the stevedores work together going forward. But before the port and the CWU can sit to discuss that, the stevedores want a favourable meeting with the PM on Monday.

Marion Ali

“If you don’t get what you want on Monday, what happens next?”

Leonora Flowers

“The stevedores will be back at it again. Unfortunately, it will be up to the stevedores at that time.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

B.C.C.I. Says Inquiry Not Needed to Resolve B.S.I./B.S.C.F.A. Dispute

As we reported on Tuesday, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, B.C.C.I., has written to the Prime Minister, sharing its view that there need not be a Commission of Inquiry to delve into the private and sensitive business information of the Belize Sugar Industries Limited. The chamber was in agreement with B.S.I.’s attorney, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, that such an inquiry would be invasive. The chamber’s Chief Policy Analyst, Joshua Pott shared with News Five that there are other ways to sort out a dispute of that nature between two entities.

Joshua Pott, Chief Policy Analyst, B.C.C.I.

“The parts of the Commission of Inquiry that deal with looking into the commercial dispute between the B.S.I and the B.S.C.F.A is not necessarily for the realm of the Commission of Inquiry. I think the other thing that needs to be understood is that what’s going on between the B.S.C.F.A. and the B.S.I is really a commercial dispute between two private entities. They’re both private sector entities. As a matter of fact, they’re both members of the Chamber of Commerce. Their welfare is equally as important to us. Where a commercial dispute exists, there are mechanisms to deal with it. The parties can resort to a variety of alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms. Those things exist and we feel at the Chamber of Commerce that’s the better route for resolving the commercial dispute between these parties than having a commission of inquiry look into it.”

Cost of Living Still Driven By Global Inflation?

We also asked Pott, who works at an organization that represents the business sector, to shed light on what is driving the cost of living so high in recent months. While he said there could be several factors, he alluded to the cost of goods internationally.

Joshua Pott, Chief Policy Analyst, B.C.C.I.

“We’re encouraged to see that the Statistical Institute of Belize is reporting that inflation rates, at least per month, is lower than what it was a couple months ago, or a couple years ago. But prices are still going up on the shelves, and when you look at inflation as a broader topic you’ll find that it’s being influenced by a variety of factors. So it’s very difficult to pinpoint what are the largest contributors of inflation, but we can point to the usual suspects being the cost of acquisition for the goods that we import. We import a large quantity of the goods that we consume, especially groceries. So really the prices that we see on the shelf tend to be dictated by how much those goods are being acquired for, from the manufacturers or from the primary wholesalers.”

Bravo Motors Celebrates Thirty Years of Automotive Excellence

Tonight on Belize on Reel, Bravo Motors celebrates its thirtieth anniversary in the local automotive industry. Ahead of participating in an expo this weekend in Spanish Lookout, we teamed up with the company to look at its fleet of Nissan and Isuzu vehicles and what you can expect if you’re interested in purchasing a new ride this weekend. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with that story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Founded in 1994 by Albert Bouloy Jr., Bravo Motors continues to lead the way in auto sales across the country. Over the years, the company has grown significantly. It is presently staffed by thirty-nine employees and they are all dedicated to providing the best customer service experience. The team is led by Zac Bouloy.

Zac Bouloy, Director, Bravo Motors

“We have gotten here by building our business on a foundation of customer service. So, with customer service comes excellent parts support and supplying the vehicles that we have, Nissan and Isuzu. And we’re really proud to be the distributor of these brands here and we have a team that focuses on that customer service.”

Among them is Gerald Faux. He is the head of the Parts Department and has been employed here for the past twelve years. Since landing a job at Bravo Motors, Gerald has worked his way up the ranks within the company.

Gerald Faux, Parts Dept., Bravo Motors

“I’ve been here for the past twelve years. I started out as maintenance, cutting the yard, washing the vehicles. I also work with the mechanics and I worked my way up through the, you know, the Parts Department and I managed to take it over, you know, and it’s been a great learning experience so far.”

Along with years of experience comes positive recognition for the work that the team has been able to do when it comes to selling vehicles and automotive parts. Bravo Motors was recently acknowledged by Isuzu for boosting its sales over the past year.

Zac Bouloy

“These awards bring a lot of pride to us and our team because we work very hard every day to ensure that we are serving our people well and to see this recognition come from an international business like Isuzu, it brings a lot of pride as this is an award that’s shown to the entire region, including South America, the Caribbean, and Central America.”

As the Sales & Marketing Manager, Michael Berry is chiefly responsible for driving the sale of vehicles at Bravo. Efficient inventory management ensures that vehicles move off the lot quickly. The company boasts the largest inventory of vehicles of any auto dealer in Belize.

Michael Berry, Sales & Marketing, Bravo Motors

“Actually, we just got a major award from Isuzu for sales increase in volumes. So that basically means [that] we’ve been ordering more units. As you know, COVID hit basically everywhere and that really decreased the overall volume of ordering vehicles and getting vehicles into the country. And with that, we surpassed that and now we’re at the stage where we’re ordering more vehicles and that gave us a great increase with Isuzu for that particular award and we are happy to say that we have inventory.”

On the lot is a fleet of vehicles, including an Isuzu dump truck. It’s new to the country.

Michael Berry

“We are very excited to launch this new truck. This is an Isuzu SVR Dump. It’s the first of its kind in Belize and we are happy to be partnering with Isuzu to promote this truck. Gone are the days when you used to see old dump trucks running around Belize costing expense. Now we have the new Isuzu line which is going to be good for Belize in terms of low cost maintenance. We stock parts, availability, everything for these vehicles so you could rest assured that buying a product from us that you have our support.”

Having the right cars available at the right time is crucial. It helps to maintain a diverse selection while minimizing costs.

Zac Bouloy

“We focus on what we do best. So we look at what our suppliers do best and we ensure that we import our products in volumes and we import our parts in volumes so that we can support our customers as best as possible. With our competitive edge, we look at what our competitors maybe can’t supply and that has led us to be one of the number one suppliers of pickup trucks in Belize, the number one choice for commercial vehicles in Belize. The Isuzu commercial truck is second to none and Isuzu diesel vehicles are second to none. And in Belize, the road shows that. There are a lot of Isuzus on the road and we are proud to say that we have built that brand here in Belize.”

And this weekend, Bravo is taking its vehicles on the road.

Michael Berry

“We will be at the Spanish Lookout Expo, so lookout for our inventory out there.”

Zac Bouloy

“Out at the expo, we’re going to be bring out our A-game. We’re bringing out our full lineup of Isuzu D-Max, MUX, and commercial vehicles, well as the Nissan lineup. The Nissan Frontier and Nissan Kicks. We’re also going to have our exciting merchandise that we have introducing this year which is going to be the Nissan and Isuzu Bravo thirtieth anniversary quencher mugs.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

4 Years Later, 3 Interdicted Cops Await Trial in High Court

A trio of policemen on interdiction and awaiting trial for willful oppression appeared before Justice Candace Nanton in the High Court where the case against them was further adjourned to April twenty-second when the matter will continue in a case management conference. The three officers, including Corporal Jason Shaw, Constable Leslie Martinez and Police Constable Anthony Viamill, are accused of coercing a man and a woman into performing sex while being videotaped.

The shocking incident took place in April 2020. Viamill appeared in the company of attorney Hurl Hamilton, while Leslie and Shaw are said to be represented by attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley who was absent from the matter. The cops were initially charged and arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court where they all pleaded not guilty and were offered bail in the sum of one thousand dollars each which they met.