News Five has confirmed that a drug plane was found last week near Graham Creek Village in the Toledo District. News 5 understands that Belize Defence Force soldiers discovered the hidden plane during a sweep of an illegal airstrip in the area on October 23rd. The hidden crash-landed plane, marked with Mexican flag insignia, was partially concealed with cohune leaves about 30 to 50 meters from the airstrip itself. Though no cargo was located on-site, a satellite phone, GPS, and a notebook containing critical information were recovered.
According to sources, the area around the airstrip showed signs of recent use, including a patchwork of cement repairs and vegetation concealing the runway.
Further inspections led the patrol through three abandoned coca plantations, one of which had recently been cleared. We understand that a suspected illegal entry route into Guatemala was also found. This track, appearing regularly travelled, crosses two bridges. It is believed that the route is used for drug and human trafficking.
If you’ve been following our social media pages, you’ll know about the dramatic and hostile takeover of the United Democratic Party’s headquarters in Belize City. That takeover was led by Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar Panton and her supporters against Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who we understand has filed a criminal complaint against those who participated in today’s event. It’s another escalation for the battle for the party and its organs, and as we saw today, Panton and her supporters are not backing down. News Five’s Marion Ali was there in the midst of it all and has the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The U.D.P headquarters building on Youth for the Future Drive was the venue of a ruckus this morning when the Albert Area Representative, Tracy Taegar-Panton, along with standard bearers of the U.D.P and about fifty party supporters showed up and demanded access to the building. It came a week and a day after Panton led a convention at the Belize City Centre at which U.D.P. delegates voted her as the new U.D.P. Today she said she was armed with legal right to claim the office.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“We also sought the trustee for this building to have occupation of the building and to use this building for the work of the United Democratic Party – Philippa Bailey, former Secretary General of the United Democratic Party.”
Reporter
“And this morning, what transpired?”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“We came over and we took occupation of the building.”
Reporter
“Forcefully?”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“No, it was not forcefully. The door was opened for us. A server from the magistrate court was here to serve the relevant documents and the door was open, and we walked in.”
But while the trustee for the building, former U.D.P Secretary General, Philipa Bailey handed over the documents to Panton’s team, and she met an open office on the lower flat, gaining access to the upper flat proved to be a bit more difficult. The group managed to gain access to Wave radio, housed on the right-hand side of the building, but up to the time we left after four p.m., the keys to the hall and other office area on the left of the upper flat had still not been delivered. It was unclear who had the keys to that door. Panton had with her two attorneys, Orson Elrington and Godwin Haylock. Haylock explained the legalities of the property ownership
Godwin Haylock
Godwin Haylock, Attorney-at-law
“We have a sole trustee of the party when it comes to the property, this headquarters, and her name is Philippa Griffith Bailey. She’s actually a former secretary general for this party, a UDP stalwart a no-nonsense secretariat who reigned during the Barrow era, that’s Dean Barrow era to make it clear to you guys. She has been consulted by our party leader. She has accepted the will of the delegates. We are very pleased that the majority of the delegates are now behind this new party leader. What happens is that Miss Griffith Bailey is aware that she has a fiduciary duty, one that she doesn’t just act in haste. She gave it long thought; she didn’t do it before the majority of the delegates, that is, were satisfied that we were under a new leadership. I know she has now given the nod to the new party leader to say she is in full support of the new party leader taking control of the building itself.”
Panton named Lynette Singh-Ross as the new Secretary General. Marion Ali for News Five.
The ruckus between the two sides saw supporter for Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Ian Jones, who occupied one of the offices on the lower flat, leave momentarily and return. He told the media that the locks for which he had keys were removed, but Lake I Standard Bearer, Cecil Jenkins, who was at the office when the crowd went there. We hear from both men and then from Panton on how she wishes the dispute to be resolved.
Cecil Jenkins
Cecil Jenkins, Standard Bearer, Lake I, U.D.P.
“I personally opened this door that wasn’t locked to leave myself out, to let myself out. It wasn’t locked. It was open. You could have just turned the latch and it’s open.”
Ian Jones
Ian Jones, Supporter, Moses “Shyne Barrow
“If I have the only key for the lock, how did they get in? (Ruckus)”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“Sixty-six percent of our delegates is an overwhelming mandate and they have spoken. We are not trying to oust him out of the party, we are not trying to eject him from the party. There is a new party leader. I will take up the mandate and I will lead the mandate of the people. He is free to run in Mesop as a standard bearer for the United Democratic Party in Mesop.”
Former U.D.P Minister, Edmond Castro was also in support of Tracy Taegar-Panton. He told the media that Moses “Shyne” Barrow only needed to exercise humility. Now all he needs to do, according to Castro is to step aside for Panton.
Edmond Castro, Former U.D.P Minister
“I was one of the persons that voted and lobbied for Shyne and lobbied my colleagues in the Caucus for Change, lobbied to give Shyne a run. If I and any of my colleagues was in a two percent situation as he was, none of us would have had the opportunity to run for this party or be a representative of this party, none of us. And so Shyne was given a great opportunity and he had all opportunity to humble himself and do right, knowing his past and his background, and the party bend over ethics-wise, backward, and allow him to become the leader – not become the leader – allow him to even run as a member of this party. And so all the brother needed to have done was just humble himself.”
So while both Tracy Taegar-Panton and Moses “Shyne” Barrow claim they are the legitimate leader of the United Democratic Party. News Five checked with a reputable attorney at law who said that Barrow has clout in terms of who makes the decisions for the party in the legislature and that Barrow could argue the chairman of the U.D.P. was not there to approve the delegates list. He said the U.D.P. Constitution says nothing about when there is a U.D.P. event that the chairman does not attend to officiate. He did say, however, that Panton and her supporters had all rights to hold a convention that was triggered by a majority of the delegates. How this matter ends will likely end up in the courts.
The struggle for control of the U.D.P. headquarters stretched on for most of the day, with police maintaining a vigilant watch for any potential unrest. Amid the chaotic takeover, Tracy Panton and her supporters insisted they had full legal grounds to occupy the building, citing trustee Phillipa Bailey’s approval. However, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams suggested that the situation might not be so straightforward. We asked Williams which legal processes might be overlooked, and here’s what he had to say.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I look at the situation from a legal standpoint. If you have a landlord and the landlord wishes to displace his tenant, the landlord cannot just bring a new tenant to the building and say to the current tenant, you need to leave. There is a legal process that you must follow. And the legal process cannot be circumvented by some other process. And it is sad to see that we have instances where people who are trained attorneys and should know better, um, that certain documents do not carry the force of law. And if it is that Philippa Bailey was the trustee of the property and she was holding on trust for the UDP, The question then lies as to who is a UDP? Shyne is a UDP, Panton is a UDP. And so there’s a dispute there. In order to resolve that dispute, the police must not be the arbitrator of that issue. That is an issue that ought to be resolved in a court of law. And so if the Panton fraction believe that They have all rights to the building. Then the proper thing for them to have done as to take the matter before the court, perhaps request Phillip Bailey, who is a trustee to issue shine with a notice to quit perhaps a month if after the one month period expires, he do not quit. And notice of quit simply means notice to leave. That’s a legal term. He did not leave within that time. Then they will then take that to the court and apply for an eviction order. If the court sees it fit after having heard all the evidence and then the court issue that eviction order, then the police can then act with them to forcefully evict him from the building.”
While the police were actively working to stop Tracy Panton’s supporters from causing physical damage to the U.D.P. headquarters, Commissioner of Police. Chester Williams says that it was simply a matter of protecting the safety of the public and minimizing property damage. In an interview with Williams, he explains that the police will not choose sides in the matter and stresses the importance of the matter going before the court.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“In the absence of that, then the police do not have the legal authority. Now, we are in a very difficult situation because one fraction now occupies the lower flat of the building. I have again said to the police that we are not going to ask them, or we’re not going to force them out of the building. Yes, they can be asked by the police to leave, but if they don’t leave, we’re not going to force them out. At the end of the day, we do not want to have any sort of confrontation with anybody unnecessarily. So, I have since advised Shyne that he can go before the court and seek the court’s intervention to have the matter corrected. If the court were to find then that the actions of the alliance is wrong and that of Philippa Bailey, who I see, I saw a second document came out. The power of attorney. The power of attorney as far as the law is concerned has no effect for the simple fact that, she can only transfer or assign the power that is given to her as a trustee and nothing more than that and the power as a trustee is for her to hold the property on trust for the UDP. So she she cannot act outside of that or she cannot transfer more power than what she has. So then, again, this, the power of attorney would still not fully address the issue as to who da dih UDP, right? That has to be addressed. And I think that only the court could address that issue. Having looked at the convention that was held, if the court would see that it was a legally held convention or not. The truth be told, both sides can argue that they are,they are UDPs. So how can you displace one in favor of the other? That’s an issue that they will have to deal with. So we, we will just hold forth and be as neutral as we can. One might not like Shine, but the truth is he is the constitutionally elected leader of the opposition.”
Tonight, a woman is detained after allegedly attempting to kill her husband during a domestic dispute. She is forty-four-year-old Elvira Mulholland, who is accused of shooting her husband, fifty-nine-year-old Jeffrey Mulholland, with his own gun. Reports are that on Friday, October twenty-fifth, around three p.m., the couple argued, after which Jeffrey left the house and drove away. He claims that he was pursued by his wife in her vehicle and driven off the road. That is when Mulholland alleges that Elvira seized his licensed nine-millimetre gun and shot him. She has since been charged with attempted murder, harm, and use of deadly means of harm and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until December thirtieth, 2024. Here’s ACP Hilberto Romero with more information on the incident.
“On the the twenty-fifth day of October 2024. Police responded to a shooting incident on the coastal road. On the arrival, they saw a vehicle in the ditch. They received information that one male person had been shot. Police made checks of the KHMH image where they found Jeffrey Mulholland with a gunshot injury. He reported that while on a Coastal Road, he had a domestic dispute with his wife, Elvira Mulholland, who took his licensed nine millimeter pistol and fired a shot at him. An investigation was carried out. Elvira Mulholland has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, grievous harm, and robbery. was taken to court.”
Reporter
“Sir we understand that she fled the scene on the back of a motorcycle with the assistance of another man. Was that man detained and requested by police?”
Hilberto Romero
“No, we’re looking for that person. Thereafter, she was apprehended.”
Reporter
“Where was she apprehended?”
Hilberto Romero
“Somewhere on the coastal road.”
Britney Gordon
“Has there been any other reports of violence between the two?”
Hilberto Romero
“Not that we know of, no.”
Britney Gordon
“Did she seize the gun from him or had she brought the weapon?”
This weekend, two men were hospitalized after being shot in Lord’s Bank Village. The victims, Jaden Young of Bermudian Landing and Cyril Banner, a Coast Guard member from Lemonal Village, were found injured in a vehicle near the Belize Water Service compound. According to reports, around ten-thirty p.m. on Saturday, an assailant in an SUV pulled up beside their vehicle and opened fire. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams was asked if this incident reflects rising tensions among groups in Lemonal, Bermudian Landing, and Double Head Cabbage. Here’s his answer.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“From what seeing is that this is the result of the ongoing feud between the two rivaling groups in the River Valley area. We know that earlier in the year we saw an increase in shootings in the Belize River Valley area. And then we recently saw that Miss Flowers was also shot on Starstoon Street here in Belize City. And we also believe that her shooting was also a result of those feuds in that area. I have since instructed the operations team under the command of ACP Greenwich to make sure that we go after all those persons concerned. We have done a lot in terms of mediation, meetings, even with the various village councils trying to find a lasting resolution to the issue. But somehow it seems like those young men who are a part of this beef do not want to give up. And there seems determined to go at each other. And so we will intensify our operational efforts at them. And believe you me, they will come to you all the media and they are going to complain. I trust and hope that when the complaints come to you, that you do not entertain them. Because there comes a time when we have to stop talk and people have to begin to feel. Talking don’t seem to be working. We are also seeing that for the most part. The, some of the women in the area have been busy on social media posting things and those things that they post could also lead to the escalation of the problems in the area. I intend to meet with the villagers of all sometime this week I’m waiting for them to give me a date and time as to when the meeting can be had, and myself and my team will go in and listen to what their concerns are. But in the time being, we’ll spend time in there going after those people and yesterday we started .”
On Friday, several individuals were arrested and charged following an extensive investigation into a series of robberies that took place across Western Belize between June and October 2024. They are forty-seven-year-old unemployed Belmopan Jonathan Cruz, twenty-five-year-old labourer Robert Tillet, eighteen-year-old call centre agent Elijah Cruz, and forty-one-year-old police officer Eva Dawson. Businesses targeted by these individuals included Country Meat Products Limited, Gas Tomza, and Lopez Pharmacy. ACP Hilberto Romero provided more details on the arrest.
“Based on several robbery reports that were made over a period from June 2024 to present, police have since arrested and charged Jonathan Cruz, forty-seven years for the crime of robbery, and Jonathan Cruz, along with Eva Dawson, a police officer have jointly been charged with seven counts of conspiracy to commit to robbery.”
Reporter
“Sir, we understand that, the last of those robberies, the one that took place on Wednesday, twenty-third rd October, that at least one of the robbers had on a police uniform. Is that a concern for you? Are you looking into that element of the crime?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, that is a concern or several searches were conducted items were recovered and that is what led to the charges being levied at this time.”
Reporter
“At who’s residence?”
Hilberto Romero
“At the residence of Jonathan Cruz and Eva Dawson.”
Britney Gordon
“So all of these robberies were connected to each other?”
Hilberto Romero
“That is correct.”
Reporter
“So can we get your commentary on the fact that it was someone within the realms of the department that’s conspiring to commit these serious crimes.”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, an investigation was curtailed. This police officer has since been charged and taken to court.”
