Last night, we told you about the latest developments in the police
detention of attorney Arthur Saldivar. He’s already facing a criminal
charge for allegedly spreading fake news, and tonight, he out on bail
for firearms charges because according to police, they found unlicensed
guns, ammunition and a bulletproof vest at his family home in Camalote
Village.
You’ll remember how Saldivar’s friend and colleague, Richard “Dickieâ€
Bradley, harshly criticised the police search that the cops conducted
at Saldivar’s family home in Camalote. Well, police have since released
their version of the series of events. They say that that on Monday
night at around 7:00, a team of officers went to search the Camalote
Village home, and that led them to find a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun,
a 20-gauge shotgun cartridge, 2 rounds of .22 ammunition 74 rounds of
9mm ammunition, twenty-five cartridges for a 12-gauge shotgun, and an
unregistered bulletproof vest.
“Dickie†Bradley told our colleagues from the press last night that
these weapons were duly licensed to one of Saldivar’s family members.
He also accused police of attempting to extend Saldivar’s detention
period by refusing to charge him in a timely manner. Well, police say
that they charged Saldivar yesterday with 4 counts of keeping
unlicensed ammunition, 1 count of keeping an unlicensed firearm and
being in possession of an unregistered bulletproof vest.
We understand that Saldivar has since been arraigned in the
Magistrate’s court, and he was released on bail of $20,000 dollars.
This evening, when we caught up with Police Commissioner Chester
Williams, he told us that he is of the opinion that Saldivar wasn’t
eligible for bail. Here’s how he explained why:
Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police
“As police, we have done our duty, which is to lay charges and take the
person to the court. We know that the amendment to the crime control
and criminal justice act does prohibit the magistrate from granting
bail to person who are charged with a number of offences, one of which
is firearm related offences, of which Mr. Saldivar was charged with.
Notwithstanding that, the magistrate in Belmopan decided to grant Mr.
Saldivar bail, according of what I have been briefed by the prosecutor
was that the magistrate views the provisor in the legislation in
section 16 subsection 2, which states that the magistrate can grant
bail, use his or her discretion in exceptional circumstances. Now I had
also asked, what was the exceptional circumstance that led the
magistrate to have granted bail to Mr. Saldivar and from what I am
told, it was the magistrate said that Mr. Saldivar produced license for
the firearms in which he was charged but my contention with that is
that, this is not the stage where the magistrate should determine
whether or not, Mr. Saldivar has a license, that should be determined
at trail as a part of his defence and even if he have a license, I have
explained yesterday that he licensed the gun, first and foremost,
inappropriately and secondly, after the fact because he was found in
possession of the firearms on Saturday.â€
“His birthday was October 19th last year, the law provides a grace
period of 1 month to renew your license. That grace period would have
ended November 19th, we’re all the way in the month of March, well
beyond the grace period and so, the time he was found with the
firearms, they were unlicensed. One of them is licensed to his brother
but his brother does not reside at his address and therefore, the fire
arm that belongs to his brother, should have to have been there. That
one license is up to date but it does not belong to Mr. Saldivar, it
was found in his room under his bed, so that would prove them
constructive possession and it is on those basis that he was charged.
The ammunition was 22 rounds of ammunitions and he has no license for
those 22, so automatically, again - if the magistrate was saying he
have license for the 22 ammunitions, they have no license for but
despite that, the magistrate still granted bail.â€
Jules Vasquez
“Anyone else would have been remanded sir.â€
Chester Williams
“Exactly, we’ve had police officers who have been charged with firearm
offences and they went to prison and they had to go to the Supreme
Court for bail. Now, while yes we have discharge our duties in terms of
taking the person before the court, we believe that the magistrate
urned and while her actions is one that can’t be reversed now, we are
lodging an official complaint to the Chief Justice on this matter to
show that there is no reoccurrence of this. It is important that as a
society that justice be administered fairly. There are many people on
social media who saying that Mr. Saldivar is being targeted, Mr.
Saldivar is my friend, I would never target the man but the truth is,
he was found in possession of firearms that he does not have a license
for at that particular time and anyone else, would have been dealt
with. We have charged people who are licensed owners, who licenses or
up to date for keeping ammunition in excess, sometimes one in excess.
The public didn’t say that they were being targeted, why now because it
is Mr. Saldivar, he’s being targeted.â€
Saldivar’s case has been adjourned until July 29th, 2020 before Magistrate Merlene Villaneuva.
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