And while Lionel Neal has his story - and a 3 page statement that he gave to police…the Commissioner of Police - who was supposedly named as one of the targets of the hit - also has his account.
The press spoke with him this afternoon in Belmopan at another event. We asked him about the police's investigation into the very serious allegation that Hartin tried to hire members of a Belize City gang to execute a contract killing against him and a magistrate.
He told us that according to the inquiries from the police so far, it appears that, at the very least, there was some sort of discussion about it:
Reporter
"Her lawyer has come forward to say that her house was ransacked, searched and she was detained for questioning but there's no concrete evidence to support that claim. He is saying that allegedly this assertion was made by someone who is mentally challenged. What can you share about that and what's your take on that?"
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
"I would understand that her lawyer is trained in law and not trained in mental health for him to have been able to say that he suffers from mental disability, I'm not aware of that but be that as it may, if it is that she had made the threat or not, it is a matter for us to investigate and to make sure we do not take nothing for granted. As I've said before in other interviews to other media houses, we're not going to take nothing for granted and we will do what needs to be done to ensure that the threat is neutralized and that includes ensuring that the alleged marker of the threat is brought into police custody and properly interviewed. Those who we believe have been hired out to carry the hit, they too have been brought into custody and interview and so everything that needs to be done to ensure that we get to the bottom of this and I don't expect my good friend to say other wise, he's the lawyer for her and he certainly will have to hold the best interest of his client at heart, he's being paid for that, so I don't expect him to say otherwise."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir is there as far as the investigators have seen so far, credibility to the allegation?"
Chester Williams
"Well certainly it would appear there was some talking at the very least and you know things normally start from a talk or you cultivate things in your mind and then from there it comes to fruition and the fact there was some talking, means that there is some credibility to it and that's the reason why I've said it is important for us to get to the bottom of it and do not take it for granted."
