7 News Belize

Theft Case Against Ralph Fonseca Adjourned
posted (February 5, 2009)

They are charged for playing different roles in the alleged theft of the same 20 million Belize dollars in Venezuelan grant funds – and last week was former Prime Minister Said Musa’s turn before the magistrate for his preliminary inquiry; this week, it was former Housing Minister Ralph Fonseca. Fonseca and his attorneys Francis Fonseca, Dickie Bradley and Michael Peyreffite appeared before Magistrate Earl Jones for that inquiry this morning – and the trio went ready to do battle.

All three of his attorneys made submissions, and each went for an hour or more, meaning that they continued well into the afternoon. They made the point that on December 28th, 2007 when the theft is alleged to have occurred, the property he is accused of stealing did not yet exist, and their logic was that there was nothing to be stolen because the money did not belong to anyone at that time And after the Fonseca attorneys spoke for close to a combined four hours, the DPP rebutted in about fifty minutes.

The Magistrate made no immediate decision and adjourned until March third when he will announce whether the DPP has established a prima facie case fit to go to trial in the Supreme Court. The decision on Musa’s preliminary inquiry is expected on February tenth.

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