Monica Escarpeta – her name and picture have been in the news for the past week, but she held her head high today when she went to the Belize City Magistrate's Court. She is charged for the theft of over two hundred thousand dollars of pension funds. Unlike the other accused twenty three year old Rhea Pennil who was taken over to court on Wednesday, Monica Escarpeta did not try to conceal her face but calmly walked up the steps and into the court building.
In the courtroom of Magistrate Harrison Huelett she was read a single charge for the theft of $291,022.36 that allegedly occurred between September first, 2007 and may third, 2009. Because the matter is indictable – meaning it will have to go to the Supreme Court, no plea was taken.
The police prosecution objected to bail on two grounds. One, that Monica Escarpeta is a flight risk because they claim when she found out that the police were looking for her she had gone to hole up at a hotel; and secondly that the accused might interfere with the investigation which is still ongoing. But Magistrate Huelett did not uphold the objection to bail and offered it in the sum of fifty thousand dollars but with four conditions. One, that Monica Escarpeta must report to the clerk of court every Monday and Friday; two, she must surrender her passport and other travel documents; Three she must not interfere with any material witnesses and four, she cannot leave Belize without the consent of the Chief Magistrate.
However Monica Escarpeta was unable to meet bail and we understand she is tonight on remand at the Hattieville Prison where she joins her friend Rhea Pennil who since yesterday has been unable to meet her bail of forty thousand dollars. Monica Escarpeta is scheduled to reappear in court on September twenty third. Her attorney Michael Peyrefitte said his client is holding up well under the strain of sudden notoriety.
Jules Vasquez,
"Are you able to speak about the state of mind of your client in terms of obviously she has been under suspicion in the public eye for over a week and her picture has been everywhere and she has been suspended from her work? How is she handling all this stress of the whole nation looking at her and saying thief?"
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney for Monica Escarpeta
"Well I mean it is not difficult to imagine that she is distraught, she is having a tough time with this. I know what it feels like to be called a thief, it is not a good thing but she is handling it well and under the circumstances it is all about me briefing her properly before the police detained her. I told her exactly what would happen, I told her exactly the procedure and she is doing well under the procedure."
