And from a convicted cast guard offcier, to an arraigned attorney, last week we told you that after almost two months, the DPP finally gave the police the go ahead to charge Orson "OJ" Elrington for rape. Elrington was accused of taking two women from a club to his home and having intercourse with them against their will. However, today the ComPol said the evidence only allowed them to charge him with one count.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"In terms of the issue with the rape, as I had said to the media before, that the DPP was reviewing the matter. She met the police, she met with the victims, and after having been satisfied that there was sufficient to lay charges for rape against one of the victims, she gave that instruction to the police and we adhere to her instructions."
And while that attorney will be back in court in May, the trial against another attorney, Oscar Selgado ended last week with a guilty verdict. Selgado has spent the last five days at the Belize Central Prison as he awaits his sentencing next month.
The DPP's case almost ran into trouble after compact disc's containing alleged recordings made by the man Selgado hired to kill Marilyn Barnes went missing. But even without that evidence, she managed to win her case.
The Commissioner was one of the witnesses who aided with his testimony. Today he spoke more about it.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Well, again, as police officers, we owe a duty to the state to ensure that we execute our duties to the best of our ability and the matter involving Mr. Selgado was one that there were certain facts that in my knowledge even though I was not within the pool of witnesses to be called. But the minute the main witness decided to not show up because he felt fearful, then the DPP had to invoke the witness in fear provision. Then my presence become necessary. And based on that I had to do a statement. I had listened to the tapes that went missing. I knew what some of the contents were, and I just reduced those to a statement. And then I was called to the court to testify. And I told the court the truth, what I knew of what transpired and what were the facts within my knowledge as it relates to the tapes that went missing."
