He's a member of the National Assembly, one of 29 duly elected representatives, but on April 28th of this year the riot squad dragged Patrick Faber across the grounds of the national university like a common thug (See Patrick Faber Wrestles with Riot Squad) after he broke through a police barricade. Despite the uncommon humiliation, the Honorable Faber was the one who ended up getting charged for assaulting Superintendent Rudolph Orio and Senior Superintendent Edwardo Wade.
Today he appeared in Belmopan court to answer those charges. Faber was accompanied by his party leader and Senior Counsel Dean Barrow and Attorney Ellis Arnold. On the other side of the table was a special police prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner and Attorney Eulalio Cantun.
The players were all of famed reputations and the stakes were sufficiently high, but, in the end, the result was deflating. In the afternoon, Ellis Arnold presented a no case submission arguing that the case of assault under the police act had not been established. The charge was based on the assertion that Faber assaulted Orio with the pamphlet advertising the event by waving it under the Superintendent's nose.
Assault with a deadly pamphlet didn't quite cut it and Magistrate Harrison Hewlett agreed with Arnold's submission and ruled that Faber had no case to answer. The police prosecution did not take kindly to the decision and gave immediate verbal notice of appeal. Assistant Commissioner Cantun today confirmed to us that he believes very much in the merits of the case and will push energetically for that appeal which would have to be heard at the Supreme Court.
But right now, that's neither here nor there, Faber stands cleared of charges and cleared of wrongdoing in one of the most memorable and visually disturbing events related to the unrest in the early part of this year.
