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In October of 2022, there was a huge embarrassment for the Belize Coast Guard, after a Boston Whaler vessel valued at $664,000 dollars went up in flames. At the time the story was that a coast guard officer was stealing fuel from the vessel when it ignited and burnt up the vessel.
Emmanuel McFadzean was the coast guard officer accused of the outrageous arson and he was dismissed from the Coast Guard.
But today, the father of two girls had a reversal of fortune when a jury found him not guilty, here's what it looked like at the courthouse.
It was an emotional moment outside the court this afternoon.
Former coast guardsman 32-year-old Emmanuel McFazdzean clutched his girls and sobbed after he was was declared a free man after a jury of 9 found him not guilty of
burning up this half a million dollar vessel at the Coast Guard headquarters in October of 2022.
His attorney says the jury got it right
Bryan Neal, Attorney for the Accused
"I haven't done a jury trial in quite some time since the legislature had abandoned jury's but I can tell you that this jury trial really considered the evidence in this case and returned the not guilty verdict because simply put there was no evidence of arson against this coast guard."
"If there was any evidence I didn't see it and that was our submission. Mr Arnold and I represented Mr McFadzean. There was no evidence that he was stealing gas there was no evidence that he was lighting any fumes there was no evidence that he did anything negligently to cause the fire and the jury considered it. The only evidence came from the fire expert and he conceded quite honorably that the fire was accidental and that nobody could have started the fire so I think for the jury that weighed heavily on the jury's mind and they returned the right verdict justice has been served."
McFazdzean said plans to take legal action against the Coast Guard for wrongful dismissal.
The vessel was a donation from the US State Department.
