Yesterday, 24 year old second class treasury clerk Monica Escarpeta was marched over to Belize City magistrate’s court accused of the theft of two hundred and ninety one thousand, twenty dollars and thirty six cents from the Government Treasury. She joined her friend 28 year old Rhea Pennil who was accused of handling one hundred and fifty one thousands dollars, nine hundred and sixty seven dollars and thirty three cents. And while those names were being called form a week ago – today another quite unexpected name surfaced in the in investigation. It is Monica Escarpeta’s mother, fifty three year old Yvonne Marie Bevans. Police say they have evidence which shows that even Monica Escarpeta’s mom was in on the scam! Our cameras were there when she went to court.
Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
On Wednesday, fifty three year old Yvonne Marie Bevans, the woman you see in the pink blouse avoided speaking with the media about the arrest of her daughter twenty four year old Monica Escarpeta who was taken over to Magistrate’s Court the following day, but the mother was nowhere to be seen.
Today this was the scene at the Magistrate’s Court building, the mother escorted by police following her arraignment on the charge of handling stolen goods. According to Yvonne Marie Bevans attorney Michael Peyrefitte it was while on Thursday he was representing the daughter Monica Escarpeta that he learned that the mother was in custody and was taken by surprise by the arrest.
Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney for Marie Bevans
“Well I didn’t find out that she was wanted by the police until she was detained by the police. It was while we were in court yesterday for the arraignment of Monica Escarpeta that the mother was detained by police. She was there overnight and she called me from the station a couple minutes ago saying that they were bringing her over here and that is when I found out that they had charged her for handling stolen goods.”
Rowland Parks, Amandala
“Do you believe that anyone else will be charged in connection with this investigation?”
Michael Peyrefitte,
“Well I didn’t believe the mother would be charged Rowland but at this point we don’t know. We just have to wait and see. All we have to do is wait and see who is actually charged and then we go from there.”
Police believe that Yvonne Marie beans, a Belize City librarian sometime between September first, 2007 and December thirty first, 2007 she dishonestly assisted in the retention of twelve thousand, four hundred and seventy two dollars and thirty cents, the property of the government of Belize knowing that such property was stolen or unlawfully obtained.
Michael Peyrefitte,
“I guess the police is going to show us evidence that sometime between then led them to the proffering of these charges.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“How difficult is it for an attorney to handle cases when you guys have no disclosure of the evidence?”
Michael Peyrefitte,
“Well I mean that’s the procedure and there are schools of thought as to how it operates but we believe that if you are going to charge someone, you ought to disclose evidence right away but under our system, especially when its an indictable offense there has to be the process of the preliminary inquiry and the evidence does not have to be turned over to the defense until fourteen days before the preliminary inquiry so come September 23rd the police does not have to give any evidence to us until tenth of September. So under our system, that is how it works and more than likely there will be no PI on September 23rd either. So there will be no disclosure before September 23rd.”
Because Yvonne Marie Bevans is being accused of handling a smaller amount of the stolen money from the Government Treasury, her attorney says that does not mean the mother’s case will be easier to defend.
Michael Peyrefitte,
“Well that would depend upon the evidence. No case is easy, no easy is difficult. It is all about the evidence so when we get the disclosure we will look at the disclosure and based on that we will approach the case from there.”
While both mother and daughter are scheduled to reappear in Magistrate’s Court on the same day, September twenty third according to their attorney Michael Peyrefitte the charges against his clients will be handled separately.
Michael Peyrefitte,
“The prosecutor said probably they will be dealt with together but then that is not what the document says. She is being charged separately for handling stolen goods and there is nothing on the charge sheet to indicate that it is in relation to the charges being brought against Monica Escarpeta.”
Bevans appeared in courtroom number one in front of Magistrate Harrison Huelett. Because the matter is indictable, no plea was taken. The police prosecution did not object to bail and fifty three year old Yvonne Marie Bevans was offered five thousand dollars or two sureties of two thousand five hundred dollars each. That’s far less than her daughter who was yesterday offered bail of fifty thousand dollars but was unable to meet it and was remanded over night at the Hattieville Prison. According to their attorney Michael Peyrefitte – as of this evening, both women were able to meet their bail. Rhea Pennil has also been able to meet her bail of forty thousand dollars.
