Joseph Budna, a self-proclaimed journalist, has found himself behind bars tonight after he was remanded for abetment to murder. The case which he was charged for is an old one and Budna believes that he is being set up by the police after he went live on Facebook in front of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
But the cops say this was a regular investigation, and they have the evidence necessary to take him to trial.
Courtney Menzies got both sides of this story. Here is her report.
While it isn't Joseph Budna's first time in a courtroom, today he was arraigned on a single charge of abetment to murder. This is from a 3 year old case, in which Armando Cacao was found dead with a stab wound in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan.
Budna believes the charges are trumped up so that the government can silence him. After court this morning, as he was being placed in handcuffs, he said he is being targeted and persecuted.
Joseph Budna, Charged For Abetment To Murder
"I know that the government is doing a witch-hunt against me, I have been an activist, I have stood up for what is right, I had spoken, I did a live from in front of the Ministry of Police and when I did that, immediately charges started to come against me even though there's not sufficient evidence, they're trying to put me in prison, they're trying everything, they brought charges all of this week to me, and if they find me dead in my cell, it's the government to be blamed. If I am found in my cell, it's the government to be blamed because they're trying to get me to prison, if I don't get my medication it's not that I deny, it's that they don't want to give me my medication, they are trying to get rid of me for speaking what is right. This is after doing a live on Friday afternoon in front of the Ministry of National Security, that's police."
Courtney Menzies:
"So are the charges false?"
Joseph Budna, Charged For Abetment To Murder
"They are false, there's no evidence to the charges, right, there's no evidence so if I am found dead in a cellblock it's the police and- [muffled]… that is why they are trying to keep me hushed, that is why they are hiding Mr Budna from the truth." [muffled]
But the ComPol explained that while they cannot arrest the alleged murderer himself, they do have the evidence against Budna, and another person who aided in the crime.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"The perpetrator or the principal offender in that particular instance from what we gather had left the country and was killed I think in Honduras so the actual perpetrator of that crime, from what we gather has been killed in Honduras so we were only able to arrest Budna because there's evidence to suggest he had something to do with that particular crime and the police do have the evidence so that's the reason he was arrested."
Courtney Menzies:
"And the woman supposedly hiding in Silk Grass?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I'm not going to go into details with that but we are looking for somebody else."
Budna has been remanded to prison - where he has served multiple stints before.
The other suspect was on Interpol's wanted list and was picked up in Silk Grass last week.
