Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08BELMOPAN325
2008-07-10 21:18:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Belmopan
Cable title:  

BELIZE: OUTSTANDING EXTRADITION REQUESTS

Tags:  PREL CJAN ASEC BH 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBE #0325 1922118
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 102118Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY BELMOPAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1374
INFO RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000325 

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CEN - R.BEAL, L
PASS JUSTICE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CJAN ASEC BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: OUTSTANDING EXTRADITION REQUESTS

UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000325

SIPDIS

FOR WHA/CEN - R.BEAL, L
PASS JUSTICE FOR INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL CJAN ASEC BH
SUBJECT: BELIZE: OUTSTANDING EXTRADITION REQUESTS


1. Charge and Poloff called July 10 on Attorney General Sedi
Elrington to discuss outstanding extradition requests for Mark and
Gary Seawell and Rhett Fuller. We sought assurances that the recent
change over of the Solicitor General would not add additional delay
to the cases.


2. Elrington said that the cases would proceed as scheduled and
that he would personally follow them to ensure that they received
correct handling. The next Seawell hearing is set for the end of
July. He told us that Fuller (whose case goes back nearly a decade)
was scheduled to receive a decision from the Court of Appeal at its
next session in October.


3. Elrington placed the blame for the slow pace of the extraditions
on the judiciary, saying that judges had no pressure on them to
produce timely decisions. Complaints about delays were coming from
both the public and the bar, and the government was considering how
to improve the situation. Elrington said he favored legislation to
make judicial salaries payable only on completion of timely
decisions.


4. Separately, Charge and RSO met with National Security Minister
Carlos Perdomo July 8 and raised the Seawell extradition case among
other issues. While the judicial aspect of Mark's hearing was not
in Perdomo's mandate, we noted that the hunt for Gary seemed to have
died out and his trail had gone cold. We urged a renewed effort by
the police to arrest Gary so that he could face extradition
proceedings.

HILL