IS THERE JUSTICE IN BELIZE?
Joseph Kee, Taedron Bennett walk free
The murder of the Brannon brothers made headlines more than two years ago. From the onset there was speculation that the accused men would walk and that came to pass today when the indeed the two accused walked free today. The case started in early October and was adjourned due to administrative matters in the Justice system. It was reported that more than thirty witnesses would have testified in this sensational murder trial. But the first blow to the case came when charges against Ricardo Aguilar, the third person charged with the Brannon murders were withdrawn last year. Today, the case was shattered and now Joseph Kee and Taedron Bennett, despite testimony linking them to the murders, are free men. Justice Troadio Gonzalez discharged both Kee and Bennett at the request of the prosecution in the Supreme Court in Belmopan.
Kee and Bennett were charged with the murders of Phillip and Kevin Brannon who were shot and killed in the early morning hours of May fourteenth, 2006, on Albert Street while they were in a car parked in front of their parents’ house. Another brother, Basil Brannon and a friend, Marvin Humes, who were also in the car, were shot but they survived. Basil and Humes testified but they could not identify any of the shooters. However, another witness, Marsha Bailey, identified Kee as one of the persons she saw deliver the fatal shots. The fourth witness Fitzroy Yearwood was to take the stand this morning but Yearwood was a no-show.
Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Tait decided to discontinue the proceedings because of the incapacitation of its chief witness Police Officer Fitzroy Yearwood. She said Yearwood, a diabetic, is sick and is currently unable to testify. Yearwood’s testimony would have provided strong circumstantial evidence against Bennett and supporting evidence against Kee. Yearwood joins a growing list of officers who are unable to testify at trial. Branker-Tait also said that the case can be brought back as soon as Yearwood is well enough to make it to court. Kee and Bennett were represented by attorneys Dickie Bradley, Ellis Arnold and Michael Peyrefitte.
an old MAXIM...
...has it that there r 3 sides 2 any STORY, viz: ur side, my side & d truth!!!...As d NOISE level on d FUNCTIONAL Bze/Guat territorial issue has moved 2 CENTER STAGE in recent times TWO polar disparate STREAMs of THOUGHTs have come 2 d fore...On d ONE HAND there is d disturbingly LONELY position of SEDI and perhaps his GOV that it is vote YES 2 d ICJ or WAR, while on d OTHER it is d now STATUS QUO position that WE have been living at PEACE with d GUATs 4 some time and THEY r NOT likely 2 try anything CRAZY now or in d forseeable future...This latter POSITn is being promulgated by henryGORDON, godwinHULSE and 2 a lesser xTNT sandraCOYE...I am of d OPINION that d PATH 2 b trod is somewhere between THESE two diametrically OPPOSED positions.
I do NOT believe that WE can just BURY our HEADS in d SAND and HOPE that d GUAT issue will just GO AWAY!!!...This is a deFAULT position that is not 2 far from d POSITn adopted by cmndrZERO when HE realized that SEDI had STUCK his proverbial FOOT in his MOUTH when he assumed d 'ICJ or WAR stance'...ZEROs official position is that WE (as in THEY d UDP Cabinet) have NO POSITION, which is NOT surprising given d preELECTION 'imagine d possibilities' PRESS conFERENCE where a ROOM FULL of POLITICOs were SUITED UP in RED TIES and made 2 POSE OFF with NO caption, message or vision - d unwitting MORAL of which was; 'U fill in d BLANKS we will TRY and FIGURE it out LATER'!!!
NOW anybody with ANY knowledge of d VIOLENT PAST of GUAT and d VOLATILE POLITICs of said REPUBLIC will know that THEY would INVADE bze in a heartbeat...The only thing that would keep them AT BAY and which has KEPT them at bay THUS FAR is d potential DIPLOMATIC fall out on d INTL front...The real question 4 bze is WHAT r d SPECIFIC pressurePOINTS 4 GUAT on d DIPLOMATIC FRONT and HOW might these b ENGAGED 2 our advantage RIGHT about NOW!!!
d POSITn assumed by SEDI is PROB not far from d TRUTH...In a sense it is either DIPLOMACY or WAR...d SALIENT question then becomes, OUTSIDE of d ICJ, r there any REAL possibilities???...d OAS seems 2 think NOT!!!...I am no STUDENT of DIPLOMACY or indeed d GUATEMALA question...Apart from HENRY & GODWIN saying that WE have OTHER alternatives, i have NOT seen what those ALTERNATIVES r, and THEY have been terribly SHORT in articulating WHAT xctly these may b...TALKs of TRADE and CULTURAL xCHNGS r periPHERAL 2 d ISSUE and cannot b seen as a SUBSTITUTE or indeed as being substantive enough 2 conVINCE our ALLIES and d intl community that we r SERIOUS about FIXING this PROB 4 once & for all!!!...It needs 2 b borne in mind that it is NOT so much d OAS but also our ALLIES that r SAYING 'no more PUSSY FOOTING around GUYs u have 2 take d BULL by d HORN, we r PAST that TIME in d hisSTORY of this THING where we r willing 2 accomodate d SOFT APPROACH or DOVE strategy'!!!
If SEDI is GUILTY of anything, it is NOT of telling d TRUTH, at least as far as he sees it, BUT perhaps INTELLECTUAL ARROGANCE!!!...Although his PRESCRIPTION was scoffed and laughed at, thus far, it is d only VIABLE game in TOWN in terms of d GUAT conundrum.
On d ARROGANCE Front SEDI & Co has seen it fit 2 apportion unto themselves d responsibility to decide 4 d next 300 THOUSAND of us whether or not WE should go 2 d ICJ...It is plain 2 b seen that THEIR resolve (as in d UDP Cabinet) to DEVELOP and sign d COMPORMI (read comPROMISE) with d GUATs was a tacit INDICATOR of WHAT xctly their POLICY is in regard 2 d matter…d LACK of conSULTATION with d PPL or indeed CIVIL SOCIETY prior 2 COMMITING 2 a COMPROMI is indicative of d ARROGANCE of these POLITICOs…And that goes 4 both side of d political DIVIDE…d PUPs were WORSE in terms of d SECRECY with which they TREATED with d GUAT issue.
WHAT is patently OBVIOUS is that WE have not put our BEST foot forward THUS FAR and if this is 2 change then d conVERSATION will need 2 b BROADENED 2 include CIVIL SOCIETY and John Q PUBLIC!!!
Justice?
unfortunately the only justice in Belize is street justice. Another thing is the streets never forget.
Who seek knowledge deh wisdom increase.
NONE YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Be careful what you wish for.
Go figures, just as i suspected
none of the UDP fanatics have shit to say about this subject matter.
Be careful what you wish for.
jiHAD mcLAREN...
...almost got it COMPLETELY wRITE this mornin' on d WUB when he said that THEY (ostensibly d powers that b) should investigate this MATTER...d HOST querried HOW???, but d AGNRY street PREACHER did not have a comeBACK...ACTUALLY if there was EVER as TIME 4 a COMMISSION of iNQUIRY, this would b it!!!
I will say this about Sedi, from personal experience
He is a lying, thieving sack of fucking shit and how he got that position is beyond me. FUCK YOU SEDI, I hope that money you stole from my family served you well, you will need it a lot more than we. Am sure my family is not the only one he screwed.
Be careful what you wish for.
How come no one is talking bout this!!! Seem important eh?
Be careful what you wish for.
ICJ or WAR!
On Monday, December 8, Belize and Guatemala signed a document in Washington called a Special Agreement or a compromis at the headquarters of the Organization of American States. (OAS), in its Hall of Heroes. Signing on behalf of Belize was the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, and Chancellor Roger Haroldo Rodas Melgar signed on behalf of Guatemala. The Secretary General of the OAS Jose Miguel Insulza witnessed the signing
The Special Agreement is the formal document required for both countries to approach the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to hear the case of Guatemala’s claim to Belize. But that can only happen if the people of both countries give their official nod to the process in the form of a referendum that is to be held simultaneously in both countries. If one country’s voters say no, the entire process will stop in its tracks. The voters of both countries must agree, before the matter can reach the ICJ.
But something strange happened to Belize’s Foreign Minister “Sedi” Elrington after he signed the special agreement in Washington. The foreign affairs minister came back here sounding a strange warning.
Surrounded by the leading members of Belize’s negotiating team - David Gibson, Ambassador Fred Martinez and others at a press conference at the Radisson Fort George Hotel in Belize City, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington told Belizeans that we either vote to go to the ICJ or get ready to go to war with Guatemala. It is not known if his Guatemalan counterpart is spreading that message. That, however, is doubtful.
So why would Elrington be so disrespectful of the democratic process that is supposed to allow Belizeans a voice in the process of his government’s putting an end to the Guatemalan claim to our beloved country, by way of the ICJ?
In a word: desperation. The UDP Government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, knowing that they will only serve one term, is desperate about everything that they do. Since Belize gained its independence, Guatemala has had to live with that reality and our countries have not gone to war. Who is frightening “Sedi”?
Perhaps it does not matter who is frightening Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington. The truth of the matter is that he has disrespected the intelligence of the Belizean people. The talk of going to war, if we vote no for the UDP’s ICJ gamble is unadulterated idleness from a man who will go down in the history books as the country’s worst Foreign Minister.
Belizeans have come to know the Guatemalan claim as unfounded. But now, thanks to the UDP’s diplomatic haste, Guatemala now has a legal claim, according to the special agreement that “Sedi” signed on Monday.
But, more alarmingly, the Guatemalans appear to have gotten one up on Belize, because Belize is not aware of what the Guatemalans are claiming in the so-called Special Agreement. The agreement speaks of “every legal claim” that Guatemala has against Belize. As any student of history will tell you, Guatemala does not have a legal claim against Belize. While they may have a legal claim against Britain, the same cannot be said about Belize, so why is “Sedi” huffing and puffing about war with Guatemala?
This is perhaps the reason why. Do you remember the “not one square centimeter” concept that successive PUP governments adhered to when dealing with the Guatemalan claim? Well one does not hear that coming out of this ICJ thing.
In “Sedi’s” own words, the ICJ is being asked to re-draw the boundaries of Belize with Guatemala. But when Belize got its Independence, it did so with the exact boundaries that we now enjoy.
Belizeans, be warned. The UDP Government is dead wrong if they think that they will frighten our people into voting yes in a referendum for something that is not clearly explained to us. Come referendum day, they will know exactly who is frightened of “Sedi’s” reckless; scare mongering, nonsense about war.
Be careful what you wish for.
Belize justice system is f'd
Belize justice system is f'd up because everything in bze is like my tag line at the bottom of all my comments. Said and Ralph are going to walk and the DPP was just geting the hopes of law abiding bzean up for nuttin. Deh mada rass jus happen everyday. If people weh hav gun and plastic explosives could get free and Banks can commit so many atempted murders b4 being remanded, then what can Said Musa and Ralph not do? U dig. Da li gyal DPP da wa fool weh have iself inna wa f'd up legal system.
Pockets are phat man the guap lookin scoop.
MONEY$$$ passed!!!...
...d ONLY question is "2 WHOM all" and "How Much"!!!
murder SHE wROTE off!!!...
...LITERALLY!!!...brankerTAIT...Sic Transit...wRITE off this ONE 2 d "ONLY in Bze" footNOTE!!!
Justice? Belize?
LOL
"Drink Up, Smoke Up, Juk Up...nothing else really matters"
on d TWELFTH day...
...of CHRISTMAS my trueLOVE gave 2 me...ONE comPROMI...TWO nol
PROSUCI...THREE terms in OFFICE...FOUR bla, bla, bla........!!!
no SURPRISES here...
...d PROBABILITY of being SNAGGED by some obscure BITCH accusing U of rAPE, which U thought was conSENTUAL sexualCONGRESS 3 yrs 2 mths & 15 dys ago, is infinitely GREATER than being conVICTED of MURDER in BROAD daylight on d steps of d SUPREME COURT...If u want 2 SAMPLE d WORST that bze has 2 OFFER d justICE system (or d LACK thereof) would b a good place 2 START!!!
It is like MURPHY took over d whole SYSTEM...Everything that CAN go concievably WRONG has GONE fukkin WRONG!!!
AND then THEY wonder Y there is no PEACE!?!?
THIS IS A REAL SLAP IN THE FACE.
this is a real indication of the kind of management that goes on in the DDP Office.the DDP is directly blaming the police officer of not been honorable for not presenting himself at the courtroom for the Brannon trail. it is not widely known that Mr Yearwood is a diabetic and has been ill for some time now and on her directive he was told that. his presence with held by no other that the DDP herself and that she new he would not have had him there as she inform him that she would get bad to him if it was critical for his appearance just days before that trail this week. He has gone on record on a certain media house that if he had known that he had to be there he would have drag his self there to do his duty not just as a police but as a citizen to testify. i wonder y we are still acting in these backward manner with the live of our fellow countrymen and women and with the level of increase in educated people with in our country is that dignity honer and self respect is not a common thing. i mean that if the youth is to take the call to be responsible and respectful as we ask of them. y is it that there is no justice to protect the innocent and to strengthen the confection of good. instead of condoning and glorifying the art of being illusive, Dishonorable, and bought out and not to mention to tempered and of course a murders. really cause there is a myth that no with in the youth that is of to murder a person if you are angry with them, due to the fact that the worse thing that could happen to you is that your remanded for a time then free to continue with your life without that conviction hanging over your head so you ans society can easily for get about tit and move on with your life. and live on. it just not right. but i guess that does not matter anymore. right or wrong has a Grey line in our country.
o by the way that whole thing with Said and Ralph is a joke. she will drop the ball again on that.
no watch no face...


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