BELIZE CITY, Tues. July 21, 2020– On Wednesday last, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, Minister of National Security, told the media that the families of deceased BDF airmen, Major Adran Ramirez and Major Radford Baizar and Corporals Reynaldo Choco and Yassir Mendez, had been compensated with $100,000 as an ex-gratia payment. He noted that the payment did not indicate an acceptance of guilt, but was given as a compensation, since the investigation into the crash is ongoing.

The BDF officers were in a helicopter that was involved in a special operation on the day of a major drug bust that was made by police after an illegal plane landing. All four soldiers died when the helicopter crashed that day.

However, Jean Baizar, Major Radford Baizar’s mother, during a conversation with us today at their family house, said that she is the administrator of his estate, and is looking after the welfare of his children, who are living with her, and so far, no communication has been made to her, and no money has been paid.

She is in contact with the other families, she said, and they also have not received any money. She said that she is very disappointed that such a statement was made.

Attorney Audrey Matura, in an interview on Channel 5 on Monday, said she is the attorney for the families of Corporal Mendez and Corporal Choco, and that no money has yet been paid to any of the families.

Matura said that both corporals were married and their wives are the administrators of their estate, and since the corporals were the sole breadwinners for their families, and their wives are unemployed, she (Matura) made an application for an advance payment to be made from the funds approved as compensation for their husbands, to enable them to buffer financial hardships, but the application was rejected, she said.

Matura said that she has submitted the Letters of Administration for both of the families, but the process takes about 2 to 6 months before it is approved by the court.

Jean Baizar told us that she is the next-of-kin for her son in the records held with the BDF, and that she is working closely with his wife, Janine Thompson Baizar, who is also an administrator of his estate, as his wife.

Baizar said that his estate is apportioned between his wife and his children — with his wife being entitled to a third of his estate as his wife, and the remaining two-thirds going to his children, and that she as the administrator is to ensure that they receive the share to which they are entitled.

Baizar also said that she is trying to get the police report on the tragic incident which caused the death of the BDF officers, but so far, she is getting the push-around, and she is very disappointed.

In a further explanation on 7News on Monday, Minister Peyrefitte said that the money has been approved to pay to the families, but since the four airmen died without leaving a will, administrators of estate must be appointed by the families and presented to the Court as the persons who will be given the money on their behalf, and the persons will be held accountable. There is a drawback, he said, because the families have not yet appointed their administrators.

Peyrefitte said that as soon as the administrators are named, the money will be paid or deposited into their accounts.

Minister Peyrefitte said that there is a problem with Major Radford Baizar’s administrator because an attorney representing his wife is claiming to be the administrator, and his mother is also putting herself forward as an administrator, so he is waiting for the court to make a decision as to whom the court will accept as the administrator, before the money is paid.