The burning of the Paslow Building made history in September of 2002 as the symbol and machinery of the lower judicial system in Belize City went up in smoke. At the time police arrested and charged former court employee Ivan Ayuso with the arson of one of the most historic and central buildings in the country supposedly because he was trying to cover up an allegation of monetary wrongdoing. For the past two years he's lived his life with that cloud of accusation looming over his head, but today that cloud cleared after he walked out of Supreme Court a free man.
After deliberations that began at around 12:30 this afternoon a jury of 4 men and 5 women came out and declared Ayuso not guilty of the 29th September burning of the Paslow Building. This after the jury considered the prosecution's key witness, office assistant Jose Lopez who placed Ayuso at the Paslow Building on the day of the blaze. In his defense Ayuso took to the dock and maintained that he had nothing to do with the burning of the Paslow Building and his attorney Ellis Arnold argued that an entry point into the building that was unsecured could have been used by anyone to set the fire. With that the jury declared Ayuso not guilty and shortly after he spoke to us.
Ivan Ayuso,
"I don't know how to tell you I feel man, I really don't. All I got to say is that I didn't do anything like that. Everybody tried to bring me down but I left everything to the good Lord; he works in his own ways."
Alfonso Noble,
Now you're accused of one of the largest events of probably in Belizean history burning the Paslow Building. Do you think that having been exonerated all of this will be left behind you or people will still be looking at you and be thinking he is the guy who burnt down the Paslow?
Ivan Ayuso,
"That is just how the world goes, everybody looks down on you in everyway and in every aspect. That is how it works so I just have to lift my head up and try move on."
Alfonso Noble,
Now you some other charges pending. What do you expect out of those?
Ivan Ayuso,
"I will just left everything to the good Lord. Everybody makes mistakes and nobody is perfect."
Ayuso still has to face other charges relating to improper accounting that he is to face.
