Commissioner Williams also spoke to the press today in Libertad Village, Corozal. That's where he was doing a meet and greet after that community was shaken up by a recent narco style murder followed by a shooting. He gave a detailed response to Marybeth Wade's allegations:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Marybeth did apply for a firearm license. At the time of her application, it was just prior to Tanga's death or prior to her being Famous through social media with Tanga's death and other incidents where she was back and forth with other people on social media. So, I personally did not know who Marybeth was and she applied for a firearm license. Her vetting that came before me was squeaky clean. I think if I was to vet myself, her vetting would be better than mine. Based on that, I did approve the gun license to her. About a week or so after the approval I got a call from someone who said to me commissioner do you know Marybeth? I said, no, I ask why? They said, because Marybeth has a gun license. Did you issue the gun license to her? So, I said to the person, I don't know but I could check to see. So I said, why are you asking? They said, because Marybeth is known as a dur in the Crooked Tree area and I was like, no. I will check and immediately upon getting off the phone with the person I pulled the file and the vetting was squeaky clean. What I did was to call the special branch officer whose name appeared on the vetting as having conducted the vetting and so I called the officer and asked, do you know who Marybeth? He answered and said yes, I know. I asked, who is she? He began to tell me that Marybeth is accused or it is alleged she is one of the dur in Crooked Tree. I said, if you know that then why do you have a clean vetting on her? He said, know I did not vet Marybeth. I said, well I have a vetting here with your name. He said, boss I did not vet her. So, I sent the vetting to him via Whatsapp and asked him to look at it and tell me if he recognized the vetting. I sent the vetting to him and he said boss I was not the one who did the vetting. So it turns out she might have paid somebody to fabricate a vetting with her application form and that came to me and it was approved. Well right away upon getting that from the police officer, I told the police officer as he was the one in charge of special branch in the area, I said go an search Marybeth house now and take away the firearm, I will send the revocation letter. That was done. They went and confiscated the firearm and I sent the revocation letter. When I sent the revocation letter an attorney called and said ComPol I am representing Marybeth about her firearm. I said to him, Marybeth's firearm was obtained by means of fraud, I have revoked and I am not going to reissue. So he said that she was going to take me to court and I said to him well if she want to take me to court, then let her take me to court. I stand by my decision."
"The following day she called me and said Commissioner can you reconsider giving me back my gun, my life is in danger, this that, that. I said, Marybeth I am not going to give you a gun license based on what I have heard about you. You do not fit the criteria to have a gun license. She said, but I paid to get it. I said, tell me who you paid. If you tell me who you paid then I can see what I can do for you. She refused to tell me who she paid and based on that she continued and said if you want, I can give you something too. I told her; well you better pat your brakes right there. I don't want anything from you. I have made my decision and that stands and the revocation letter was sent to her and that was it."
Reporter
"Are you aware then that there is a gun licensed black market operation here in Belize and that some of your senior officers are part of that chain?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I don't know if that is the case, maybe there may be instances where persons might apply on behalf of other persons and maybe they are giving them something under the table, but like I said, if you and somebody are friends and that person applies on your behalf and you give that person something for helping you, that has nothing to do with me. Now, if they were to say well, I give the Commissioner something, now that's a different story and that I can say to you definitively nobody out there can tell you they paid the commissioner of police for no gun licensed, because I do not indulge in those stupidity."
Marybeth Wade says she never offered Williams any money - and claims that it is in fact, he who called her to find out which cop sold her the license. She didn't tell and he says that up to this day, he still doesn't know. As you heard her say - she and the officer collaborated to sell at least 5 more gun licenses.
