According to police reports, Ayuso shot Rogers to death earlier this year, on February 12, on Euphrates Avenue around 11:00 p.m. Police maintain that Ayuso shot the St. John?s College Junior College (SJCJC) student and graduate of Wesley College ?in the line of duty.? Ayuso?s defence was that Rogers had pulled a gun on him, and he shot him in self-defence. Rogers was shot in the forehead at almost point-blank range.
Leslie Rogers, Jr., is the grandson of former PUP Deputy Prime Minister, the late C.L.B. Rogers, who was also Minister of Home Affairs (Police). His mother is Claudette Bosch, Green Stripe and All Belize softball catcher for Hall of Fame pitcher, Margaret Usher. He is the nephew of softball Hall of Famer, Patricia Bennett. His father is Leslie Rogers, Sr., a businessman, a well-known former football star and now softball player/manager.
On February 25, the deceased Rogers? file was sent to the DPP?s office, and it took over 8 months for Anderson to decide that there was not sufficient evidence to prosecute Ayuso.
Ayuso, considered a favourite of a high-ranking Government minister, having worked satisfactorily for the minister during stressful times, including a number of outbursts of public unrest against the government earlier this year, was placed on interdiction on February 16 by the then Commissioner of Police, Carmen Jose Zetina.
While Anderson appears to see not enough evidence to prosecute, a number of eyewitnesses at the time say that Rogers did not have a gun and put up his hands in surrender, at which point he was shot at point-blank range.
Because the manner of young Rogers? death is so controversial, and to quell public anger, we feel that Anderson should explain to the public why he believes Ayuso should not be prosecuted.
Amandala had visited the office of the Director of Public Prosecution?s (DPP) Friday afternoon, but was told that Anderson ?was unavailable for comment.?
Today, Monday, on our second visit, his secretary told us that he was out of the country and that she could not comment on the matter.
The last time we called the DPP?s office, back in April, we were told that the file was sent back to police to correct some discrepancies that the office found.
This morning we spoke with Leslie Rogers? aunt, Pat Bennett, who told us that Rogers? father was so distraught over the news that he could not speak to the media at this time.
Patricia said that the first she heard of the DPP?s office reaching a conclusion in the matter of her nephew?s death, was when she heard the news broadcast on Channel 7 on Friday night.
She said the last time they heard from the DPP?s office about her nephew?s case was on November 12, when she received a letter from the office, signed by Kirk Anderson, which said, ?Kindly be informed that this office has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrange, in conjunction with the Belize City Magistrate?s Court, for the submission to the Coroner of the contents of the police?s investigation case file as regards the shooting death of Leslie Rogers, Jr.,??
Pat said that through the family attorney, they had written a letter to the coroner to request a date and time for the inquiry so as to bring the matter to a closure.
She said that since that time, they have not received a response from either the DPP?s office or the Police Department regarding the inquiry, and were still waiting for a date to be set.
Since being placed on interdiction, Aldo Ayuso has been charged in connection with another firearm incident. He, it was alleged, shot at a group of men after a misunderstanding at a nightclub one weekend.
The following Monday, he had appeared in the Belize City Magistrate?s Court, along with his brother, Gary Ayuso, Public Relations Officer at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). They had both been charged, but the charges were later dropped against Aldo.