Tonight, two traffic cops are in serious trouble after they extorted money from a security officer and his brother who the police had pulled over for two offences. Preliminary investigations reveal that eighteen year old security officer Giovanni Requena was driving his Mazda car on Fairweather Street when he was stopped by traffic police officers Ervin Tejeda and Walter Leonardo. The police discovered that Requena’s vehicle was not licensed nor insured so he was taken into the Racoon Police Station. Investigations reveal that while Giovanni Requena was being held he called for his brother Denton Requena who arrived shortly after. That is when the brothers told investigators that police officers Tejeda and Leonardo then promised that the charges would be dropped if they would pay them three hundred dollars each.
According to the Officer in Charge of Crimes Investigation Branch in Belize City and the case lead investigator Assistant Superintendent of Police Julio Valdez it is a clear case of extortion that ended in the arrest of two of their own.
ASP Julio Valdez, CIB
“They asked for $600 and he said he didn’t have the money and he said he could give $100. They took Mr. Requena to the ATM at Holy Redeemer Credit Union, there is an ATM machine there. He took out the $100 and gave the officers and then they were released him. This morning they handed themselves in, both from the Traffic section. They have been arrested and charged already for extortion. We will not tolerate any wrong doing, any corruption and we cannot condone that. They were both arrested and charged and they are going to court as we speak I believe.”
Again traffic police officers Ervin Tejeda and Walter Leonardo have been arrested and charged with extortion.
