A Belize City man who was on trial for the unusual offense of “preparation of a crime” was acquitted this morning when Supreme Court Justice, John “Troadio” Gonzalez, instructed the nine-member jury to return a not guilty verdict.
Rayford Benguche, a resident of Neal Pen Road, was booked on the charge in April 2011, after he was found in possession of a number of materials that police alleged he would have used for the purpose of committing forgery.
Among the items with which Benguche was found are a rubber stamp with the markings of the Belize City Traffic Department; a laminating machine and plastic; and a Belize Diver’s License in the name of Henry Valasquez, whose identification stated that he resided at 6212 Marage Road, Ladyville.
Police stumbled on Benguche and the items accidentally when they were conducting searches for wanted persons and illegal firearms at an apartment building on Neal Pen Road.
On April 3, 2011, a team of police officers, headed by PC 275, Adrian Lopez, visited the building at 4 Neal Pen Road. When they knocked on the door of Benguche’s apartment and he opened it, they saw the materials lying on a computer desk in his room.
Police were of the view that Benguche was in the process of forging official documents and they charged him with preparation of a crime.
But after more than one week of hearings, the prosecution’s case grounded to a sudden stop when Crown Counsel Kileru Awich closed his case and the defense, represented by attorney Simeon Sampson, S.C., opened its case.
Sampson made a no-case-to-answer submission, but Justice Gonzalez ruled that Benguche had a case to answer.
Justice Gonzalez was preparing to sum up the case for the jury today, but he discovered that there was not sufficient evidence against Benguche to allow the case to go to the jury, so he directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict, ending the trial abruptly.
During the trial, Benguche’s defense came from a statement he made from the prisoner’s dock. In his statement, he told the court, “I am a draftsman, and that at the time I lived with a roommate and the roommate had just won boledo, so he said he was going to enjoy himself…”
According to Benguche, it was during that time (in the absence of his roommate), that the police visited the apartment and found him at home.
Crown Counsel Awich several witnesses to testify at the trial, which began on Friday, May 23.
The witnesses included Merlene Diego, the senior transport officer at the Traffic Department; Helen Myles, the administrator at the Traffic Department, Belize City Council, Raymond Myers, the Scenes of Crime technician, and PC Lopez.