He's the former UDP Deputy Chairman, but Alberto August's real job seems to be as a social media gadfly, constantly provoking the PUP and taunting their ministers with sly posts about their public failings.
But on Friday when he made a post mocking the Belmopan area rep Oscar Mira for the shocking murder of Dr Naum Bonilla, he drew the ire of the Police Minister, who quickly posted back that he would use "all legal recourse available to him to make sure August quote, "pays for this attack on my name."
And on Saturday he made that all too real for August:
On Saturday at noon, 20 hours after he made this post, police pulled up at Alberto August's home in Santa Elena
Mike Peyrefitte, August's Attorney
"Since Saturday afternoon, whilst the police were at his home, that's when Alberto called me and asked me for my assistance. And when he explained to me the purpose for the police visit, six policemen, in his house with a search warrant, looking to confiscate all his phones and all his computers or whatever electronics he may have in the house."
They detained August and held him for 24 hours before he got a charge for "used a computer system to disseminate a false statement."
The post he made mocked Mira for a statement he made back in January when Zemar Alvarez was murdered in the Capital:
Mike Peyrefitte, August's Attorney
"He was mocking him to say I am saying this in his voice, and he says something that was kind of reflective of what they had said months ago about an incident in Belmopan. But at no time did Alberto August, said Oscar Mira said this exactly in quotation marks."
"So that's a nonstarter to begin with. But even so, if you feel offended by that or you see, like somebody is putting words into your mouth, take them to civil court. Sue him for defamation or something to that effect. You don't send six policemen threatening the man's family. And It was not a question. You're coming with us to the police station."
"You're going to be locked up. You're going to be charged."
And while his family and friend mounted a small protest outside, Peyreftite tried feverishly to get him station bail:
Mike Peyrefitte, August's Attorney
"Cesar Franco who heads up the police department in Cayo was not available, out of the country. The Commissioner of Police was out of the country, so, on behalf of my client, I'm trying to say: Listen, if you want to charge, you charge him. But, please, it is the weekend. It is Saturday. Can we get station bail? Which is a standard thing for attorneys to ask for people who are charged with nonviolent crimes over the weekend. None of those two were available. Not answering your phones all of a sudden, the CEO will not be involved. And of course, I could not call Oscar Mira, right?"
"But it was completely unnecessary to do that in a normal situation. Unless it is what it exactly was: A hit sent out by the Ministry of Home Affairs to lock up Alberto for the weekend because he hurt the minister's feelings."
"You don't put a person in pisshouse for a post."
August was held until Sunday afternoon, a total of 28 hours.
Alberto August, Charged for Cybercrime
"Mentally sir it is not an easy situation, you hear something crack sir, you come to the door to see what is happening right so it is, psychologically, sir, yes I spent 28 hours in that cell but sir you can't sleep."
"Being in detention for that kind of period of time, It certainly has an effect on you. Ahm, but I consider myself to be strong."
"But if the intention of the minister was to humiliate me, and to cause anxiety and stress for my family, he succeeded. He succeeded in doing that because the trauma that my partner went through, my friend is unbelievable."
"I'm still, like they say, they knocked you off your horse but they carried the horse. And I need the horse my friend, because I need to continue riding."
He's talking about his two phones - which police still have but August is undaunted:
Jules Vasquez
"Do you regret making the post?"
Alberto August, Charged for Cybercrime
"Not for a day sir. Not even for a second. Not even for a second. And, more will be made. These little things here can't stop me, it will take for bigger things than these to distract me, because I'm not easily distracted."
Mike Peyrefitte, August's Attorney
"Alberto August has been having an effect on them and they want to silence him. And they want to tell anybody we could do what we want and unu can't seh nutton bout it. Don't criticize us. Don't make a mockery of us. Don't be sarcastic with us. Don't be cute with us because we wah lock you up. Now what type of society do we listen? When you can't even go on social media and criticize someone in government?"
"So what the PUP did over the weekend is scary because they are saying that if I don't like your criticism of me, I will lock you up!"
