FORMER PRIME MINISTER TO STAND TRIAL FOR THEFT

UNCLAS BELMOPAN 000057


DEPT FOR WHA/CEN (CHRISTOPHER ASHE)

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV ECON PREL BH
SUBJECT: FORMER PRIME MINISTER TO STAND TRIAL FOR THEFT

Ref: (A) BELMOPAN 130, (B) BELMOPAN 503


1. On February 10, 2009, Magistrate Earl Jones of the Municipal
Court in Belmopan handed down a judgment finding that enough
evidence had been submitted against former Prime Minister Said Musa
for a prima facie case to be heard. As a result he ordered that Musa
stand trial in the Supreme Court on April 7, 2009. Musa was first
charged with theft in December 2007, after a grant from the
Venezuelan government of USD 10 million could not be fully accounted
for (ref A). While this is the third time Musa has faced criminal
charges, it is the first time he will stand trial.


2. Comment: After several high profile cases were dismissed on
technicalities, this ruling represents a major victory for the
prosecution and the judicial process. Within Belize it is
unprecedented for a former Prime Minister to stand trial for any
criminal offense. Given this judgment, we expected that the case
against the former Minister of Housing Ralph Fonseca will also go to
trial, as both cases are linked to the same incident (ref B). End
Comment.

DIFFILY