7 News Belize

Did The Cops Fall Asleep On the Job?
posted (October 29, 2024)
But what happened to the police officers who were ordered to block access to the upstairs - which only Shyne Barrow loyalists had the keys for? Were the cops recalled? Did they shirk their duties?

Peyrefitte believes the police are part of a plot to instigate an all out brawl.

Jules Vasquez:
"The police had intervened to say, okay, we can check them from downstairs. They're UDP's, but we won't let them upstairs until the matter is settled. They are now upstairs. They have taken full occupation of the headquarters."

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"Which means the police lied to us. And the police are playing games with the situation as well. Because we were assured by the highest authority in the police department that they would not be allowed to go upstairs. We see them this morning breaking the locks of upstairs. I repeat, the police department, the real leader of the Alliance and the PUP would love for us to see that and then run the take a crowd, and what? Fight the person who was breaking the lock? No they're never going to have that pleasure. They're not going to get that pleasure. So they clearly broke their word because all that they're doing, they're still not provoking us to take the action that they want for us to take. And it will not happen."

Jules Vasquez:
"Are you concerned, though, that it will have a corrosive or eroding effect on Shyne Barrow, on your national executive's claim to leadership?"

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"No, it doesn't affect that at all."

Jules Vasquez:
"Sir, people will lose confidence, it's the natural course of things, if they feel the other side is gaining the upper hand."

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"I've conceded to you, sir, that we as UDP are the ones losing in this. We are losing."

Jules Vasquez:
"But there's our internal struggle right now for the support of standard bearers."

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"There's no struggle because the general elections will clear everything up. The people will get the chance to tell the UDP who they want to lead. The general elections the people will say that. They will make that very, very, very clear. Until then, the duly convene National Convention of August 2013 said who would be the executive."

Jules Vasquez:
"But you all have requested court action?"

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman
"Yes, because we had to bring the police in. We were hoping that the police could come in, see the real situation and talk some sense into them. But I think the police were praying for more action than they got, so they just backed off, allowed the irritation to continue in the hope that something will trigger us to do some thing stupid. And then they arrest all of us."

When we passed the headquarters today we saw only one police officer on site. We gather he did not offer much resistance to the Panton crew who got into the upstairs and changed the locks.

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