BELMOPAN, Wed. Apr. 1, 2020– On Saturday, Belmopan police arrested attorney Arthur Saldivar for spreading “fake news” after he had made a Facebook post that suggested that people were being allowed into the country at the northern border in Santa Elena.
After his arraignment on that charge, Saldivar was again arrested, and this time, his family home was searched. What should have been routine police work would later turn into an ordeal for Saldivar, who would remain in police custody from Monday until today, Wednesday, when he appeared in court and was released on bail.
The police’s house search in Camalote Village, Cayo District, allegedly turned up an unlicensed firearm, ammunition and a bulletproof vest.
Police charged Saldivar with 4 counts of keeping unlicensed ammunition, 1 count of keeping an unlicensed firearm and being in possession of an unregistered bulletproof vest.
Yesterday, attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley, who is representing Saldivar, told the media that it was just a case of malice.
“It is just malice. He is just a man who can’t be muzzled, a man who is not afraid of tackling anybody in high office,” said Bradley.
Today, Saldivar appeared in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Johnelle Villanueva. He pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate Villanueva released him on bail of $20,000.
Following Saldivar’s release, Bradley told News5, “At the end of the day we also pointed out that the law which requires that a magistrate is not to grant bail [for firearm offenses], a lot of persons have overlooked the fact that that law also says that a magistrate, for special reasons, can grant a person bail. We provided various special reasons as the law requires, and she [the magistrate] asked questions and she wrote down the matter.”
Saldivar is to return to court on July 29, 2020.