Photo: Elmer Nah

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Fri. Dec. 15, 2023

Court proceedings for former police officer Elmer Nah, who is accused of triple murder, were adjourned yet again today, December 15.

Nah, accused of the New Year’s Eve, December 31, 2022, triple homicide of David, Jon, and Vivian Ramnarace, was scheduled to appear for a preliminary inquiry (PI) in the Belmopan lower court. However, the proceedings were postponed until January 26 due to the leave of absence of the magistrate presiding over the inquiry.

This adjournment is just the most recent of a series of postponements in a case that has seen repeated delays since its inception — with almost an entire year having passed with little to no progress being made.

Previously, the inquiry scheduled for October 18 was deferred to November 8, 2023, due to missing documents from the police case file. Today’s delay, attributed to the magistrate’s unavailability, has further intensified the frustration of the victims’ family and friends.

Arthur Saldivar, the attorney/spokesperson for the victims’ family, had previously expressed optimism about the progress of the case, particularly noting the importance of the November 8th preliminary inquiry. However, the recent adjournment is beginning to overshadow these expectations.

In a recent interview, Deon Pascasio, first cousin of victim Vivian Ramnarace, expressed his disappointment at the continuous adjournments.

“It is disappointing. We were hoping that you would have been able to move to another stage … that today would have been a major milestone for the case,” he said, emphasizing the family’s law-abiding nature and their faith in the judicial system.

Nah, represented by Lynden Jones, will return to court in January for the finalization of the outcome of the preliminary inquiry which will determine if the prosecution has successfully laid out the elements of the offense of murder.