On Friday Police told 7News and the court that it is ex-cop Kevin Cowboy Alvarez who killed 38 year old Hui Lin Chen two weeks ago in Orange Walk Town. Well, the news tonight is that it was a hit, a paid execution, and the man who allegedly hired cowboy Alvarez is a policeman on active duty, Constable Manuel Hill of the K9 unit.
And while that revelation is just stunning; hold on, because there’s another: Hill didn’t contract the hit on his own behalf; he was hired by another Chinese businessman, this one from Belmopan - and he’s the one who paid for the hit on an Orange Walk rival. With reportedly thousands of dollars on the table, Corporal Hill then allegedly subcontracted Cowboy Alvarez. It’s enough to make your head spin, and that’s not all. The biggest revelation is that the wrong man was murdered! That’s right, police investigation indicates that the hit was meant for someone else who lives in the Mai building in Orange Walk, but instead Hui Lin Chen was killed; he had only been in the country for eight months. Tonight in Belmopan, Constable Manuel Hill remains detained pending charges.
Jacqueline Godwin went to the Capital where the investigation into the murder conspiracy is centred and spoke to the Commissioner about the disturbing circumstances of this crime.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
Police investigations have revealed that Hui Lin Chen was mistakenly killed. In fact the police have been working aggressively to uncover what is probably one of the most startling and calculated hit involving not only a former cop but one of their own, who up until the time of his detention, was attached to the ADU K-9 Unit. That law enforcement officer has been identified as Police Constable Manuel Hill.
According to Police Commissioner Gerald Westby they have determined is that the hit was not intended for thirty seven year old Hui Lin Chen. It was for another Chinese man who also resides at the Mai’s three storey building in Orange Walk Town. And the hit was allegedly ordered by another Chinese man who lives in Belmopan. Commissioner Westby says it was this man who allegedly first approached PC Manuel Hill.
Gerald Westby, Police Commissioner
“We have substantive evidence to show that a Chinese businessman or a Chinese resident I must say from Belmopan had approached PC 167 Manuel Hill from the Anti-Drug Unit, K-9 Unit, earlier this year, I think it was February or thereabout to make a hit on another Chinese businessman in Orange Walk Town. Our investigation has revealed that Mr. Chen was certainly not the intended target and Mr. Chen was not the intended target.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Who was the intended target?
Gerald Westby,
“I will not want to because the person is still alive and he could still be in danger. But it is certainly another resident from the house that Mr. Chen was killed. We have sufficient evidence and we concluded that Mr. Hill was approached by this Chinese resident from Belmopan.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Can you give us that individual’s name?
Gerald Westby,
“No, not at this time because the investigation is still ongoing and then he had, from our information, been a very good friend of Kevin Alvarez.
As a matter of fact I understand they enlisted together in the Police Department and he arranged for Kevin Alvarez to do the hit.”
But former cop Kevin Alvarez better known as Cowboy who was allegedly contracted by friend PC Manuel Hill to do the job killed the wrong man. It is a grave criminal conspiracy gone terribly afoul and PC Manuel Hill is expected to be escorted over to the Belmopan’s Magistrate Court tomorrow where he is expected to be charged with abetment to commit murder.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Although the police have been unable to substantiate the fact that PC Manuel Hill is involved in someway or the other, you are not at this time able to release his photo.
Gerald Westby,
“No because as I said we are collaborating very closely with the Director of Public Prosecutions and we would like to afford him the opportunity to be on an ID line up, identification line up, that is his right to refuse, but we would like to at least have the opportunity to do that before the photograph. It is certainly, I want to emphasize this, this is certainly not to say that we are hiding any police officer because these sort of misconduct and criminality will not be entertained. But bear with us, we will be releasing the photograph as soon as that is done.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What is PC Manuel Hill saying in his defense?
Gerald Westby,
“Well he gave a statement, a caution statement, saying that indeed to some extent, I don’t want to go into the details, but that he was approached by this Chinese individual to get somebody to do the hit.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Did he say if he physically was handed any money?
Gerald Westby,
“Yes he did in fact say so.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
He held on to the cash?
Gerald Westby,
“Well I wouldn’t want to go into details. From the inception, we have been collaborating very closely. We are not waiting until we have completed the file to give it to the DPP. We have been working with her closely throughout the investigation because certainly these sort of criminality, especially when it comes from police men must be handled properly so that we can get convictions and set an example.
Without prejudice to the investigation, and without calling names, we are having as a matter of fact the DPP is working at securing witnesses, credible witnesses, who can substantiate the allegations against both Kevin Alvarez and PC Hill.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So PC Hill has been detained. What happens now to the Chinese man who allegedly put out this hit?
Gerald Westby,
“Well that is why I said we are working very closely with the DPP’s office and she will determine who will use that witness and where we go from there.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
But is he detained?
Gerald Westby,
“He was detained earlier but he has been released because we will be collaborating with the Director of Public Prosecutions.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So I should safely assume here that he has been providing specific details to the police in helping you guys in this investigation?
Gerald Westby,
“Well he has been in touch with the DPP’s office and they will be working on that too.”
Commissioner Westby says he is deeply concerned about the recent revelation of yet another cop involved in criminal activity
Gerald Westby,
“From the investigation we know that a couple thousand dollars was passed to PC Hill. But what transpired thereafter, we cannot say if it was subsequently passed at this juncture of the investigation, whether it was subsequently passed to Kevin Alvarez. We are still investigating and I wouldn’t want to speculate.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
Because a figure thrown at me was $25,000.
Gerald Westby,
“Well I understand it could be around that amount for the entire hit but a down payment we understand was made.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
In your investigation, have you been able to establish why there was this hit on this unidentified Chinese businessman?
Gerald Westby,
“Well so we understand it is some business transaction that may have went sour between a particular Chinese businessman from Belmopan and from Orange Walk. That is as far as we understand. Whether it is a fact or not, we have not been able to substantiate that at this juncture. Like what I said in Orange Walk last week when I had press conference in Orange Walk, if you can recall Jackie, I had said that when they ask me how I felt seeing that it is an ex-cop, I also said that who knows if policemen are not involved and it is has been my policy, I said it then and I’ll say it again, that I have interdicted more police officers than any other Commissioner in the history of the Police Department and I certainly will not tolerate zero tolerance for criminal activity, especially when it comes from police officers. I am very annoyed and embarrassed about the situation and certainly I will not tolerate these sort of misconduct.
I must say Jackie that we have been investigating over the weekend following from the incident in Orange Walk where Mr. Chen was killed and the arrest and arraignment of Kevin Alvarez and this weekend we collaborated where closely with the DPP we have investigators from Orange Walk, Belize City, and Belmopan working together.”
On Friday Kevin Alvarez aka Cowboy was taken over to Magistrate’s Court where he was arraigned on sixteen charges including murder and the attempted murder of four police officers. The man who allegedly paid him to do it, PC Manuel Hill has been with the police force for some twelve years. Reporting for 7News Jacqueline Godwin.
Hill is assigned to the K-9 Unit and served in the SPU and Dragon Unit before that. Reports that we’ve received say that the hit was contracted for $25,000 and an eight thousand dollar down payment was to have been made before – with the rest paid after.
