_{Photo: PC Jairo Daniel Amador, convicted}

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 31, 2024

A police officer who told a Canadian tourist at a checkpoint in Hattieville that she had no insurance for the rental vehicle she was driving, and that since it was a weekend, she would go to jail until her court appearance on Monday in order to scare her into giving him the $100 US he demanded, has been charged with extortion.

Shortly after the officer, 38-year-old PC Jairo Daniel Amador, had been paid the $100 and had allowed the tourist and her husband to drive away, the police were informed about what took place, and the officers who went to look into the matter, found $100 US inside PC Amador’s holster.

Late this evening, after more than 3 hours of deliberating, a jury of 9 persons—7 women and 2 men—found Amador guilty of extortion.

The jurors had stepped into the deliberating room at 11:57 this morning, three minutes before lunch; and returned at 2:47 p.m. with a unanimous verdict of guilty.

Justice Derick Sylvester, who presided over the trial, has deferred sentencing of Amador until November 25, 2024.

The judge has ordered that both sides provide the court with their written submissions by November 21, 2024, and also ordered that a social inquiry report be prepared for the convict including: a psychological assessment; a psychiatric report; his antecedent; a prison report; and a victim impact statement.

In the trial, Amador was represented by attorney Norman Rodriguez, while the Crown was represented by Shanell Fernandez of the DPP’s office.

The Crown called 7 witnesses, including the Canadian victim.

The 52-year-old woman took the stand and said she was visiting Belize and looking for a property to buy.

She had arrived in Belize on September 28, 2022, and they rented a vehicle on October 1, 2022; and whilst driving on the George Price Highway heading from Hattieville to the airport, they were stopped by police at a police checkpoint at Mile 15.

According to the woman, the police pulled her over for expired insurance, and that’s when a police officer took her into a booth.

The woman said she told the officer that it was a rental vehicle and that she wasn’t sure about the insurance, but she could clarify it; but when she asked the officer to allow her to call the rental company, he denied her that call.

The woman further told the court that whilst inside the booth, the officer told her that it was a Saturday, and that the expired insurance was an arrestable offense, and if he arrested her that day, she would be jailed until Monday when the court opened.

The woman said the officer went as far as to tell her that he could make it all go away “for a donation”.

The Canadian woman explained to the court that she was shaken and frightened, since she had been in the country of Belize for only three days, so she handed the officer $100 US and he took it.

According to the woman, the officer put the $100 US into his pocket and let them go.

According to the woman, the other police officer at the booth had restrained her husband from entering the booth during the handing over of the money.

During the trial, the Crown had tendered into evidence the $100 US bill, which was found by police in Amador ‘s possession, hidden in his gun holster.

That $100 US note was identified by the Investigating Officer who testified in the trial.

The interdicted police officer had given three different explanations of how he acquired the $100 US that was found in his holster.

Initially he told the police that he had found the $100 bill when he was urinating at a lamppost.

Then he said the $100 bill was in the bush, during a police interrogation after he was detained.

It is being claimed, however, that at the police checkpoint, Amador had confessed to taking the money from the Canadian woman.

He allegedly told them in his confession, “Dah me dealt with the persons and I took $100 US from them and because they were driving an uninsured motor vehicle, and I let them go.”

During the trial, Amador gave sworn evidence from the witness box.

He swore on the Bible and told the court that he found the $100 US bill when he was walking to go “piss.”

He went on to insist that he was innocent and that lies were being told about him. During a cross-examination, the DPP Crown counsel, Shanell Fernandez, asked Officer Amador whether he had filed a police report or reported the matter to the Professional Standard Branch since he alleged that lies were being told about him.

His response was, “no”, he didn’t take any such action.

Amador is originally from Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Cayo District, but was posted at the Hattieville Police Station in 2022.