2025-02-26 - Channel 5 Belize

Panton Supports E.B.C. Decision on Colors

On Tuesday, the Elections and Boundaries Commission decided that all forty-one United Democratic Party candidates will use the color red on their ballots for the general elections. As we’ve reported, twenty-five candidates are from Barrow’s U.D.P. faction, while fifteen are under Panton’s leadership. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, running in Port Loyola, isn’t aligned with either faction but identifies as a U.D.P. candidate. Barrow has threatened to file a civil suit if the commission proceeds with this decision. Earlier today, Panton shared that the commission made a fair call.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“I think it is a fair decision. The matter, there is a matter before the court. It has not been resolved. Not that I think the court has any business in the internal affairs of the party. However it is before the court. I do not accept that I and my colleagues were purportedly expelled from the party. We are members of the U.D.P. and it has been traditional that members of the U.D.P. is assigned the color red. I know it was a difficult decision. I understand there was quite a bit of dialogue and debate as to what would be the right and fair thing. At the end of the day, I think they achieve that.”

Paul Lopez

“Is it that there will be no symbols with colors to differentiate?”

Tracy Taegar-Panton

“There will be no symbols as I understand it. It is the color red. In my case it is a little problematic because there is another quote on quote U.D.P. candidate running for Albert. For me the next thirteen days will be about voters education, making sure people understand there is going to be two red squares on the ballot and that it is important for them to look for my name when casting a vote on March twelfth.”

PM Says E & B Had to Make Best of Bad Situation

On March twelfth, forty-one U.D.P. candidates will appear on the election ballot, all using the color red. This marks the first time a major political party is fielding so many candidates in constituencies where they aim to win. U.D.P. leaders Tracy Taegar-Panton and Moses “Shyne” Barrow are standing firm on using red as the party’s official color. While this might cause some confusion among U.D.P. supporters about where to place their X on election day, Prime Minister John Briceno mentioned that the Election and Boundaries Commission had to make the best of a tricky situation.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We need to understand something that the Elections and Boundaries Commission is independent of the Government and I think they’re trying to come up with the best out of a bad situation, where both parties are claiming they’re legitimate U.D.Ps. If you look at it, Mr. Barrow eked out a victory at the convention and when Ms. Panton asked for a recount the chairman said no recount but if you want, go to court. And he won by what two, three votes and she felt that she was taken advantage of so she wanted a recount and the chairman, for obvious reasons, decided end it right here, if you don’t like it, go to court. Tracy continued working the constitution the U.D.P, as far as I understand. I don’t study their constitution and she has followed the constitution and she visited different areas and if you have a number of signatures, from the various divisions calling for a convention it is incumbent on the chairman to call a convention and when he refuses to do so, he can’t contravene the constitution so what did she do. She went ahead, called for a convention and was elected as an interim leader in her mind, Who is right, I don’t know. I don’t interfere in their inter-arty politics. Now here you have two persons claiming to be the leader of the U.D.P. So what do you want the Elections and Boundaries do? I think they’re trying to come up with the best of a very bad situation.”

Dean Samuels, the U.D.P. Nomination Day No-Show

Dean Samuels, the United Democratic Party’s Nomination Day no-show, has finally broken his silence. In a Facebook video, Samuels explained why he backed out at the last minute. His reasons ranged from medical emergency and financial constraints to a fear of being blown out. Here’s a bit of what he had to say.

Dean Samuels, U.D.P Member

“I want to publicly apologize to my party, every member of the United Democratic Pary and its supporters. I want to public apologize to Honorable Shyne Barrow my party leader, to Ms. Tracy Panton and other U.D.P members who supports her. I want to publicly apologize to the people of the Pickstock division, those of you who I took away the chance from giving you your opportunity to protest your vote against the wrongs that this government is doing. You of all people, I took that away from you guys and for me that basically is one of the worst feeling I have, is that. Politics is about finances and the truth of the matter is, everybody understands that the person I was going up against is one of the most powerful, financially viable people in government. It was understood by my party that you know what happened, moving forward the finance will be put in the hand of those seats we have more chances of winning, which I agree. We have no problem with that. It is disheartening but there is no problem with that. The reality is, if I can’t represent people the way I want represent people, or put forward a proper bid then I just the set myself up for one of the worst lose ever in history.”

Panton Chides U.D.P Nomination Day No-Shows

As you heard, Dean Samuels apologized to Tracy Taegar-Panton. However, she believes it’s a travesty and insists that all four candidates should have stepped aside well before Nomination Day.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Party Leader, U.D.P.

“We have been from the onset fighting and promoting and defending the ideology of democracy. And in a democracy people should have a choice to make a decision. I think it is a travesty that candidates for whatever reason, and I really don’t know whatever those reasons were, decided at the eleventh hour to sit it out. If you knew you were not fit or prepared to lead, whatever the issue is that may have arisen, then you should have stepped aside and allow us to find a candidate to contest the elections. It is only fair and right that as Belizeans we have an opportunity to say who we wish to represent us in the National Assembly. I would not want to win anything by default, because I don’t know If that is a true reflection of what the people feel or what they hope to achieve by making their voices heard.”

PM Says Samuels’ Reason for Quitting Is an Excuse

The day after he missed his nomination in the Pickstock constituency, Dean Samuels took to Facebook Live to explain his sudden disappearance. He claimed he fell ill with fainting spells just before reaching the Belize City Civic Center. Samuels, who was seen in a parade shortly before vanishing, also mentioned that he was up against a strong P.U.P. candidate and that the U.D.P. chose to support candidates with better chances of winning. However, the Prime Minister isn’t convinced by Samuels’s last-minute withdrawal.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Was he strapped to a bed?”

Reporter

“He said he had syncope, fainting spells.”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“How long ih wat ek yoh to sign your name on the form and finish? He never had to ker nobody. It is obvious that Mr. Samuels realized that there’s no way that he could win Anthony Mahler and figured “why I gwein embarrass myself?”

Panton Skeptical About Barrow’s Legal Challenge Against E.B.C

News Five has confirmed that Moses “Shyne” Barrow and his legal team are gearing up to request a judicial review from the High Court regarding the Elections and Boundaries decision. However, Tracy Taegar-Panton is skeptical about the success of his legal challenge. She argues that the court doesn’t have the time, and voters are eager to cast their ballots.

Tracy Taegar-Panton, Party Leader, U.D.P

“I don’t believe it is going to alter the decision. The Elections and Boundaries Commission by law has the discretion of making that call. I think they really took the highroad of ensuring that all U.D.P. candidates are appropriately represented on the ballot using the traditional red that our voters have become use to. And it is his prerogative to challenge what he believes does not work in his favor. I don’t believe the courts will have time for that and certainly the voters are ready to vote.”

Heated Gang Mediation Turned Arson?

Overnight, a vehicle fire at a car wash on Vernon Street is suspected to be arson. The late model SUV, owned by businesswoman Doris Grant, was torched following a heated dispute just hours earlier. The mediation, led by Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, involved members of various Belize City gangs. Tensions have been high since Brandon Baptist’s death, and Grant, who spent three months in jail in 2024 under a state of emergency, was called to the meeting along with other known street figures. Things quickly escalated, and according to Grant, serious threats were made.

Doris Grant, Belize City Resident

“Yesterday morning, I had a team of officers come to my house to speak to me about an intervention meeting with me and the PIV gang. I sat down, I spoke to them and I said to them that I didn’t know about any shooting concerning the PIV gang. The meeting was with Mr. Dawson who was in charge of LIU, a part of LIU. So he said that he would have gotten back to me, that he would have a meeting with the PIV gang and I said okay. So he said he would have called me back and tell me what’s going on. In that meeting there was a lot and I must say the truth that with whatever was said in the meeting, Chester did tell PIV that I had nothing to do with any shooting concerning them. And I could remember keenly, in front of Mr. Williams, well I just know him as “Baby” from PIV, he said, “I coulda mek you cry right now. I coulda mek Bud dead right now da di car wash place pan Vernon Street.” And hours after I came home, I heard my vehicle burnt up on Vernon Street. So what else can I say?

Grant’s Late Model SUV Torched in Overnight Fire

Grant is convinced that the fire was deliberately set to destroy her GMC Terrain SUV, in which she invested nearly fifty thousand dollars.

Doris Grant, Belize City Resident

“So what you want me to think now? Where do I go from here?”

Isani Cayetano

“When this information was shared with you, did the Commissioner of Police or any other officer there intervene, in terms of perhaps looking at this threat seriously.”

Doris Grant

“Well, what I can say is that Mr. Chester took, let me and Mr. Petillo, I think he’s Ronlee Petillo, which is Nino, he was at the meeting too, because he was accused that I am the one who put Petillo to shoot Baby which was… He didn’t even have any knowledge what he was there for. So I believe that it was cleared up from there with a peace talk with Mr. Chester, that Chester had told them that Ms. Grant has nothing to do with what had happened with the previous shooting with which gang area and them. I have nothing to do with that. So why now you wah attack me when I dah noh di gang… I noh shot you, I have nothing to do with that. Now hours later, you wah threaten me front ah di ComPol and said bout I coulda mi kill Bud. This is nonsense because they are doing things over and over. When I was shot, in two days I was sent to Hattieville under the state of emergency and charged for being part of a gang. So why they can’t get charged? Why they can’t get charged?”

Brawl on Plues Street Leads to Disorderly Conduct Charges

Tonight, three of the six men police claim were being investigated as possible members of the George Street Gang were dragged to court to face disorderly conduct charges after a public fight on Plues Street on February eighteenth, 2025. Out of the seven men identified from police footage, only three were criminally charged this morning: Damion Saldano, Jaheim Bent, and Shemaud Nunez. The trio, who had been detained for several days, arrived at court on the prison bus and were finally brought before a Magistrate in Court #4 around noon, unrepresented. Each was read a single charge of disorderly conduct. Nunez, the first to be arraigned, explained that he, Bent, and Saldano were friends and had been smoking weed when they intervened in a fight between some girls down the street. According to Nunez, they were then accused of beefing, leading to their charges. When the Magistrate asked Nunez why he pleaded guilty if he wasn’t guilty, Nunez said he had been in custody for two days and just wanted to get it over with. Upon hearing they would be fined instead of imprisoned; all three men maintained their guilty pleas. They were each fined two hundred dollars, plus a five-dollar court cost, with a payment deadline of March twenty-first, 2025, or face one month in prison.

Bank Robbers will Learn their Fate n Court

In July 2020, a group of men pulled off a daring daylight robbery at the Scotia Bank Belama Branch. They managed to escape with $34,572.33 in cash and cheques, but their getaway was cut short after a shootout with police, leading to the capture of four men linked to the heist. At the end of their trial, the men faced charges of robbery, two counts of aggravated assault on PC Robert Sutherland and PC Robert Parchue, possession of firearms and ammunition, and damage to property. However, they were acquitted of most charges, except for George Meighan, who was found not guilty of damage to property. The men were also acquitted of one count of aggravated assault on PC Robert Parchue, who never testified. The five men initially involved in the heist were Jason McKenzie, then 28; Leon Westby, then 24; George Meighan, then 17, now 22; Anthony Barrow, then 29; and the deceased Gasman Young, who was shot and later succumbed to his injuries. Last Friday, the men were found guilty of three charges, but their sentencing was delayed as the court awaited a Social Inquiry Report (SIR) for Meighan, who was only 17 at the time of the robbery. During the trial, only Westby had legal representation from attorney Ronell Gonzalez, while Meighan and McKenzie were unrepresented. Gonzalez requested a suspended sentence for Westby, highlighting that he is a first-time offender and a new father. Westby’s aunt, Lorraine Elaine Thurton, also spoke on his behalf, asking for leniency. McKenzie, who is awaiting a sentence for murder, asked the court to consider his role as a facilitator and teacher in prison. Meighan, a first-time offender and father of a 3-year-old, pleaded for leniency, citing his young age at the time of the crime and his role as the sole provider for his son. During the trial, PC Robert Sutherland, the only police witness, identified Meighan and Barrow but confused McKenzie and Westby. The families of the convicted men plan to appeal the conviction. In their defense, the men claimed they were at the scene in a boat but couldn’t explain why. Meighan’s father stated that his son was sent to the Seashore area for a fishing trip with Young and Barrow, who never showed up for the trial. Barrow is believed to have fled to the United States.