2024-12-23 - Channel 5 Belize

Three Arsonists Destroy Half-a-million Dollars in Vehicles

Ladyville police have identified and taken into custody a suspect in the weekend arson of three vehicles belonging to businessman Bob Hotchandani and his son, Sunjay Hotchandani. The suspect, Manuel Morales, was caught on surveillance footage, barefaced, pouring fuel on one of the vehicles and setting it ablaze. Early Sunday morning, just after five a.m., Morales and two other men arrived by boat in front of Hotchandani’s residence on Princess Margaret Drive. They torched a black Cadillac Escalade, a grey Audi SUV, and a brown Chevy Silverado pickup truck before making their escape by boat. The National Fire Service quickly responded and put out the flames. The total cost of the vehicles is estimated at around half a million Belize dollars, but thankfully, all three were insured.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, December 22^nd, 2024, police responded to a report of a vehicle on fire on Princess Margaret Drive. Upon their arrival, they saw three vehicles engulfed in flames, an Escalade, an Audi, and a Chevy Silverado pickup truck. The fire department was called and the fire was extinguished. An investigation was carried out and it revealed that these three vehicles had been parked there from the night and an investigation showed that three persons came to the area, poured a flammable substance on the vehicles and lit them om fire. We have one person in custody in regard to this investigation.”

Reporter

“Any motive?”

Hilberto Romero

“We have not established any motive at this time, an investigation continues.”

Reporter

“Is the suspect cooperating?”

Hilberto Romero

“I cannot say at this time. He was brought into custody last night and follow-up work is being done at this time.”

Reporter

“Do police know if he has any relation or connection to the men that own the vehicle?”

Hilberto Romero

“Not that I know of, no.”

Reporter

“Do you know the value of the vehicles?”

Hilberto Romero

“One is valued at two hundred and fifty thousand, the other one at one hundred and fifty thousand, and one at seventy-five thousand.”

Reporter

“Do police have other names of suspects that they know?”

Hilberto Romero

“We are looking for other persons, we just have one of them in custody so far.”

Reporter

“The other persons, did they show on the surveillance footage?”

Hilberto Romero

“I will not go into details with that. I know we are looking for other persons.”

Isani Cayetano

“Can you confirm that they arrived and fled from the scene in a boat?”

Hilberto Romero:

“Yes, I can confirm that they came in a boat, lit the vehicles on fire and then they left on the boat.”

Another Drug Plane Lands Ahead of Christmas

With just a few days to Christmas, the Belize Police Department is busy investigating the weekend landing of another drug plane. On Sunday morning, the charred remains of an aircraft were discovered in a remote part of the Toledo District. Police and BDF personnel found the plane about fifteen minutes from Dolores Village, near the Guatemalan border in southern Belize. It looks like the plane, which landed on a makeshift runway, was set on fire after its cargo was unloaded. Here’s more from Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, December 22^nd, 2024, police and BDF personnel conducted an operation in the Toledo District after reports were received of a low-flying aircraft. They made checks in the area of Dolores Village, where three miles from the village they discovered a burnt up a burnt aircraft, a jet. It was completely burnt and no cargo was found. Searches were conducted in the area where fuel was found along with some lights. An investigation is being carried out, searches continue and so far no one has been found and no type of cargo has been found.”

Reporter

“Did you get any information from JIOC?”

Hilberto Romero

“I will not say where that information came from. All we know is that it was a report of a low-flying aircraft in the area.”

Fatal Stabbing in Corozal; Was it Over a Teenage Minor?

On Sunday, a fatal stabbing occurred in Corozal involving a man allegedly in a relationship with a teenage minor. Reports say Anthony Lewis visited the girl’s home and got into a heated altercation with her family members. During the scuffle, he was fatally wounded. No arrests have been made yet, as investigators are seeking further directives from the D.P.P.’s office.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, December 22^nd, 2024, police responded to a disturbance at G Street in Corozal Town. Upon their arrival, they found the lifeless body of a male person identified as Anthony Lewis, with injuries to the head. Investigation revealed that Lewis came to that house and he had a dispute with the family members there. There was a struggle which led to injuries being caused upon him. This matter is being investigated and the file will be sent to the DPP for directives.”

Reporter

“So as of now it’s just a death investigation.”

Hilberto Romero

“It is. Anthony Lewis had no lawful authority to be at that house. He was there and confronted the members there and so the injuries were caused to him.

Reporter: Is it true that, because we received reports that he had some type of relationship with one of the men’s minor daughters.”

Hilberto Romero

“That is correct. He was presently on bail, as he was charged and taken to court. That matter is pending trial at the Supreme Court. Is that a possible motive for why they attacked him. He came to the house and they defended themselves and this is what happened.”

Reporter

“Was he acting aggressive?”

Hilberto Romero

“Yes, he attacked the family members at the house.”

Man Assaults Teacher While Picking Up Student’s Report Card

Tonight, a man who went to collect a student’s report card ended up causing quite a scene. Shane Anthony John Bradley, a twenty-four-year-old former call center agent and fisherman from Belize City, got so angry that he threw a chair at the child’s teacher and damaged a four hundred- and seventy-five-dollar window at Wesley College. Now, he’s serving a six-week prison term for aggravated assault with a chair and an additional two weeks for damaging the property. Bradley, who didn’t have a lawyer, appeared before a magistrate in Court #8 and pleaded guilty to the charges. He explained that while he admitted to causing damage, he didn’t realize he had assaulted anyone since he didn’t physically touch or hit the teacher, Cindy Rowland. Initially, the magistrate was going to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf because Bradley didn’t agree with all the facts. However, after the facts were reread, Bradley admitted they were true. In his plea for leniency, Bradley asked for a fine instead of jail time, explaining that he has children to care for and is the sole provider for his family. However, the magistrate noted the seriousness of the offense, especially since it involved a teacher, who is now protected under a new amendment like police officers and public officials. Given Bradley’s previous convictions for violent crimes and three other pending cases, the magistrate decided that a fine wouldn’t suffice and sentenced him to prison. When Bradley heard that he was going to jail, he begged the court to explain why, saying he thought he would only get a fine. Despite his outburst, the magistrate explained that his previous violent offenses warranted prison time.

No Tax for G.O.B. Million Dollar Lottery Winners

On Saturday, thousands of Belizeans held their breath as the winners of the Government’s ‘One and a Million Anniversary Jackpot’ were announced. Fourteen lucky people had the winning numbers, 3-4-4-6, and each walked away with seventy-one thousand, four hundred and twenty-eight dollars after splitting the prize. The lottery sold one hundred and eighty-four thousand, eight hundred and twenty tickets, just shy of the two hundred-thousand-dollar mark, resulting in a loss of about seventy-six thousand dollars for the Belize Government Lotteries Limited. Despite this, managing director Janel Espat called the event a success. In an interview with News Five, she mentioned that the winners, who came from all over the country, varied in age and gender. Here’s more on that.

On the Phone: Janel Espat, Managing Director, Belize Government Lotteries Ltd.

“It was very successful for the intention that it was done for. We were raffling a million dollars. Our sales amounted to nine hundred and twenty-four thousand, one hundred and forty dollars, so we were just about seventy-six thousand short of breaking even. However, in the larger scope of looking at it our. Payout is usually somewhere around the average of seventy percent. So this is about an eight percent payout for us. It’s significantly low. It is unfortunate that we were not able to make profit from the raffle because we intended to contribute any profits from the game to a charitable organization. So, unfortunately, we’ll be unable to do that. However, the intention was also to give back to Our supporters to the people of Belize and we are very happy with the results. We’re grateful that we have been able to do that. In all there were fourteen winners. So each person will be receiving a total of seventy-one thousand, four hundred and twenty-eight dollars and fifty-seven cents.”

Britney Gordon

“How much can we expect them to take home after tax?”

On the Phone: Janel Espat

“No, it’s actually tax-free. All winnings from the government lottery games are tax free, so no taxes will be deducted.”

Britney Gordon

“All right. And I know today was a very busy day, you said because the winners are coming in. How has that been? What’s the reception like from those people?”

On the Phone: Janel Espat

“It has been exciting. It has been heartwarming. We’ve already paid out to ten of the fourteen winners. Everyone is so excited and happy to be collecting these winnings and it makes us feel So happy to be able to do this for the people of Belize and it comes at the perfect time right for the Christmas holidays.”

For more information:

Poll Shows Majority of Belizeans Skip One & a Million Jackpot Ticket

Who Will Win the Million-Dollar Boledo on Saturday?

GST-free Shopping is Hailed a Success

If you missed out on the second GST-free weekend shopping spree before the Christmas holidays, you missed some serious savings. Shoppers flocked to stores across the country to take advantage of the twelve-point five percent discount. Earlier today, News Five spoke with the Deputy Director General of the Belize Tax Services. She shared that everything ran smoothly this weekend, with fewer complaints about noncompliance.

Vilma Broaster, Deputy Director General, B.T.S.

“It was much more coordinated. The taxpayers were complying and consumers were aware, so we got less calls this time around as compared to last week. What we did note for this week is that there were more consumers who were shopping. So we saw a lot more activities. It was crowded at several [locations] and a number of business places were overflowing. So that is what we saw.”

Isani Cayetano

“Is there any way that you would, perhaps, be able to give a ballpark figure as to how many shoppers came out and took advantage of the GST-free weekend?”

Vilma Broaster

“No. Honestly, I cannot give that to you because I would not know the numbers and we won’t know any figures until when the businesses file their returns in January next year. The due date to file their returns is the fifteenth. Still the main complaints that we got was the retail/wholesale shops that ff you go into their establishments and you’re buying a case or a sack, they consider that wholesale and so they were charging the GST to persons who were making those purchases. What we did was inform the business places that they know who their customers are. They know who consumer are, as opposed to those that are business places. So if someone comes into purchase a case or a sack of any item, they should be able to sell that to that person with the GST exemption.”

GST-free Shopping – Still Room for Improvement

While the GST-free shopping weekends have been praised as a success, Deputy Director General Vilma Broaster believes there’s still room for improvement. She also mentioned that the initiative has helped shoppers better understand the difference between zero-rated and standard-rate items.

Vilma Broaster, Deputy Director General, B.T.S.

“I’d consider it a success and with everything, there is always more to do. So there is always things that we can do to improve. You have some businesses who would not have been able to partake in it, as they ordinarily don’t open on Saturdays and Sundays. So that is something that we can look into once there’s going to be another free day. So that is something that should be a part of it. Consumers are now aware of what their tax receipts should look like. They know now what the zero-rated goods are, well I will say majority because, as with everything, there is still yet a need for us, B.T.S., to continue to educate both the public and the business community because there are still some products that consumers found that were being deemed zero-rated, as opposed to standard-rated. So those are things that we will look into.”

Government Sends Teachers Missing pay, Some Teachers yet to Receive it

Tonight, teachers are still demanding their overdue allowances and increments from the Government of Belize. Despite years of promises from the Ministry of Education, the issue remains unresolved. On December twentieth, it seemed like a resolution was finally in sight as the government issued the outstanding pay. However, several teachers claimed that the money was being withheld at the managerial level. We spoke with the CEO of the Ministry of Education, Dian Maheia, who assured us that there are no barriers preventing payment. She told News 5, “Payments were issued to the managing authorities last week as scheduled, and the disbursements to teachers happened as planned. The ministry has confirmed that some disbursements are still happening for the larger managing authorities”. Maheia further explained that the Ministry is carefully investigating the cases of teachers with additional concerns. She said, “As of this morning, three teachers had reached out with queries that reflect issues going back more than five years. As is the practice now, those cases are being reviewed and will be addressed as promptly as possible”. The Ministry has committed to providing a full update at the end of the year.

For more information:

Teachers Still Waiting for Payments Despite Promises

Gales Point Finally Gains New Bus Service

Today, the Ministry of Transport launched a new bus route to help travelers along the Coastal Plain Highway. For months, residents of Gales Point village and nearby areas have been vocal about the difficulties of getting to Belize City from Dangriga. Despite the upgrades to the Coastal Plain Highway, no bus company was willing to take on the route—until now. Alma Bus Service has stepped up to fill the gap. We spoke with Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson to find out who will benefit from this new service.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport

“There has been a request for several months from the village of Gales Point and Maldiva to facilitate a bus run through the coastal area. But those are the only two communities on the highway and they are very small. And so when they check with some operators, they are saying, I don’t know if it’s going to be profitable. So a couple months ago, a gentleman came to me, who lives in the middle of Santa Cruz, Town Creek. But he’s originally from Gales Point. He she want to take up a challenge to try a bus run through the coastal highway from Santa Cruz to Dangriga, past Molngeva, past Gales Point, into Belize City. Right away, I welcomed the idea and I ask him to apply to the Belize Transport Board to see if were going to get their approval. Right away, they welcomed it because they said, we are waiting for somebody to come to take up this challenge and this route. Because most people believe it’s not going to be profitable, but even if Santa Cruz were to pass Hopkins Junction, Mile Center, Silk Grass. he believe that he’s going to pick up passengers along that road into Dangriga into Belize City. So the bus leaves Santa Cruz at 4 30 in the morning. Should we should reach police about 7 45 for those who want which in time for work and return from this at three p. m. in the afternoon. So let’s hope it’s gonna work. Because we have Gilles Point, and Malingeva is the dining of some kind of transportation mode. It started this morning. And so myself and the chief transport officer went to Dangriga this morning to see what would have been the first impression. I guess people don’t know about the bus as yet. And so only four passengers left Dangriga this morning, but I believe in time is going to pick up.”

Britney Gordon

“You said that the first bus is at 4. 30 a.m. Do you know when the last bus is and how frequently they move off?”

Rodwell Ferguson

“There’s only one bus for right now on the trail. It leaves Santa Cruz at 4:30 a. m. and should reach Belize at 8 a. m. in the morning more or less. It’s to see what would be the requirements and needs.”

Britney Gordon

“Right, I know it’s in its trial. He’s trying it out for now. Do you know how much it costs to, to do this route? And what type of bus it is? If it’s like one of those repurposed school buses, or if it’s a similar to a Floralia bus.”

Rodwell Ferguson

“I will send you a picture of the bus. It’s a 2005, I can’t remember the brand, but it’s a beautiful bus in and out. I got into the bus this morning. Even the air conditioning was very cold.”

For more information:

https://edition.channel5belize.com/gales-point-residents-want-public-transportation-in-village/

More Rural Bus Routes to Come in 2025

After months of complaints from residents of Gales Point Village, a new bus route has been launched to connect travelers from Dangriga, Gales Point, and Belize City. The Ministry of Transport says this new route shows their commitment to improving connectivity and ensuring everyone has access to public transportation. Minister of Transport Rodwell Ferguson elaborated on this commitment earlier this morning. Here’s what he had to say.

Britney Gordon

“A while ago there were some people that were stranded in Gales Point along that route. So we can see this avoiding future instances like that, right?”

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Transport

“Definitely after the gentleman told me it was going to start on Monday, I call the chairman of Gales Point excited because people are really stranded on the highway and they are more connected to Belize City. So once the bus goes in that direction, they can go to Belize City to do their shopping and come back. I also want to concentrate in January 2025, regarding Transport Planning Department. I am going to ask them to look around the entire country to see where what source can be made available once it becomes profitable to the operator.”