Twenty six year old American tourist Matthew Johnson never got to leave the country as planned on Thursday and tonight, he’s not in a hotel, he’s on remand at the Hattieville Prison. Why? Well as it turned out Matthew Johnson was not only leaving Belize with perhaps fond memories but as his luggage was going through the X Ray machine at the Philip Goldson International Airport, the security operator observed a handgun inside the suitcase. When police arrived at the PGIA they found Johnson and escorted him to the luggage area where a search was conducted.
Inside a bag within the suitcase, the police found a prohibited firearm: a black Springfield armoury forty milimeter pistol along with two magazines and fifty six live rounds of ammunition. When Matthew Johnson could not produce the gun’s license he was immediately detained and taken into custody and charged. Today when he appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court he said quote, “last night was my worst nightmare. I was beaten in lock down and subjected to many ugly acts.” End quote.
Matthew Johnson has retained the services of attorney Richard Dickie Bradley. In court this morning the accused was read his two charges and asked what was his plea? He replied not guilty. Magistrate Roberto Ordonez then explained that because of the gun penalty he could not grant him bail. Court reports are that attorney Bradley did ask the court to allow intervention of the amnesty programme because his client who is a tourist did not know better.
Johnson told the Magistrate that he had spoken to a security guard at PGIA who told him that it was okay to board the plane with his firearm. He added that the weapon had already been checked out and sealed and placed into his luggage and that it was not until he was boarding the aircraft yesterday evening that he was approached by authorities and arrested.
Matthew Johnson, who is a construction worker, claims that he does have a license for the weapon but that the document is at his home in Missouri. Nevertheless Matthew Johnson was remanded to Hattieville Prison and that is where he will be until the trial date that has been set for October seventeenth. In the meantime we understand that attorney Richard Dickie Bradley will be applying for bail on Monday in the Supreme Court.
