| Today marks day three of the trial against defense attorney Oscar Selgado. It resumed where it left off last week with the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams on the witness stand. He was tasked with downloading recorded phone calls from his cellphone - evidence to be played in court as part of the trial within a trial to determine whether alleged hitman for hire Giovanni Ramirez should be mandated to testify in court. These calls were between Ramirez, the DPP, and the ComPol. In the phone calls, Ramirez is refusing to testify against Selgado in court because he fears for his life, saying that he has been threatened. The DPP tries to reassure him, but to no avail. Ramirez even told them that he had been faced with threats.
During the cross examination however, Selgado's attorney brings up a claim where Selgado was the attorney in a matter of an alleged unlawful seizure and impoundment of a vehicle. The claim was made against Williams, who was at the time an ACP, and the then Commissioner. Lucas's reasoning was to prove malice or motive for bringing this case against Selgado.
Today after he stepped down from the stand, we asked Williams for his take on the examination.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It's part of the vicissitudes of being a police officer. You're bound to go to court and ask questions that you must answer. There is a matter before the court and I have facts within my knowledge that the court need to know. And so I came to testify before the court."
Reporter
"What was your general feeling on the line of questioning presented to you?"
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I felt no way. Just doing what I need to do as a witness who is called before the court."
Reporter
"ComPol, I need to ask something in my mind in relation to electronic evidence and all of that. You recorded this individual without his knowledge. I'm not even sure if you're the person to ask whether something like that can be entered into evidence."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"I'm not going to comment on that."
The next witness called was the defendant, Selgado. He made it clear that he never threatened Ramirez, nor had any sort of correspondence with him, neither over the phone or in person, as Ramirez claimed in his statement. He also denied taking Ramirez in his vehicle to Southern Foreshore and pointing out Marilyn Barnes' home back in 2019, as Ramirez also claimed, and added that he did not know where she lived.
He also denied giving Ramirez any money and added that he was confident that the GLC would not have found him guilty of the complaints made by Barnes.
Selgado stated that he applied for a history of his phone records from the time he got his cellphone from BTL in 2017. However, because the document was not entered into evidence, he was not allowed to go in detail, or it would be considered hearsay.
After the session, Selgado spoke to us outside the courtroom, but with a different demeanor than on the first day of the trial. He apologized for his outbursts, and promised to give a lengthier statement at the end of the trial.
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"I must apologize for being hostile. I think I just used the wrong words last week when I addressed the media. Please forgive me for it. I'm a friend of the media and I will cooperate with the media whenever the case is finished."
Reporter
"Where was your mind at that time when you made that comment?"
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"I was apprehensive because I'm used to being on one side, not the other side in court. I'm used to being the defense counsel, not the defendant. And as I addressed the court a while ago, Friday will be my birthday. I'll be 54 on Friday and I've never been to court as a defendant in my life. So I was a bit apprehensive and I think I lost my cool."
"But my apologies to not only the media, but to the Belizean public, who probably got the wrong impression that I was rough. But as soon as the trial is finished, I will have a word with the media and express what I think."
Reporter
"Can you just clarify how it is that someone who has been charged in your profession gets to continue practicing, notwithstanding the matter not concluding yet?"
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"Thanks to the Constitution of Belize, the Constitution of Belize provides that every person is innocent until proven guilty. So unless a person confesses to an allegation or is found guilty by a court, that person should not be deprived of his means of livelihood. This is my means of livelihood and it will be unjustifiable and it will be punishing me for something that I have not been convicted for. If the general legal counsel was to say, let him be disbarred for the period or suspended, for the period. How would I eat? You see, so it's my innocence, my constitutional right to the presumption of innocence that trumps any allegation and not only for me, for everybody."
Reporter
"Can you provide an update where that matter stands before the GLC."
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"As far as I'm concerned that matter is concluded."
Reporter
"There was a decision."
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"I don't know if there was a decision outright but I know that the GLC discontinued the hearings from whenever it was, 2022, 2021, whenever 2020. I even lost track of it, but I know that I don't want to comment about it because if there was no decision then the matter is before the GLC, but I know for a fact that I have no fear of the general legal counsel as it relates to those allegations."
Reporter
"Could you have chosen to defend yourself?"
Oscar Selgado, Charged With Abetment To Murder
"Never. There is a legal maxim that no good counsel listens to his own counsel, no good attorney listens to his own counsel. So I would never have defended myself in a matter like this. When anybody is on trial he needs to have peace of mind, he needs to have clarity and I think that is why you have an attorney, even a doctor does not prescribe medicine for himself."
And we also spoke with Lucas, who explained the premise of the voir dire, and what can be expected in the next session.
Adolf Lucas, Attorney At Law
"The premises that supposedly Ramirez is in fear, he cannot come to court. But if you heard what he said, let me put in this piece here, that he is awaiting trial for guns. While I agree, it has not been completed yet. And the commission said that a gang man have access to guns. I don't think it would be a gang man without guns. Plus, you heard him saying that if Selgado were to do him anything, he's going way to PG or to cause injury to Selgado's family."
"You are judge and jury, Is that a fearful man? There will be a cross-examination. Both sides must be heard. Both sides must be given opportunity to do evidence from the witness, whether it's their own or opposing witness."
"So the situation now we are adjourn until the DPP is going to cross-examine. But further, we need to get statements from BTL. So a witness or witnesses can come, indicative that there was no communication between the two telephone numbers."
The trial will resume on November 6th.
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