Eric Lewis Savery, 37, Wilton Usher, 33, and Jamie Chavarria, 21, were all escorted from the Magistrate’s Court’s holding cell by court police to the#1 Magistrate’s court, where Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie arraigned them on a list of charges in connection with a home invasion and burglary that occurred in Lake Gardens, Ladyville, on Friday, January 22, 2010.

Galvez’ family upset with police’s behavior; Ministry of National Security appoints inquiry team... The first of four murders in the Christmas season is perhaps the most puzzling. A 23-year-old man with everything to live for went out with a friend, ostensibly on an errand, but ended up dead, leaving his 1- year-old son orphaned and his family grieving.

“The most prominent leader was Jacinto Pat, batab of Tihosuco. There were reports that he was a zambo, a Maya with African blood, as well, and photographs of his descendant Leonardo Pat show evidence of this heritage. If true, the source would have been Belize, where there was a black population of twenty-three hundred by the end of the nineteenth century, and Tihosuco had commercial ties with that place.”

Amandala received a call on Monday, May 11, in response to last weekend’s front page story, “Singer Iwanhi claims police harassment with big guns”, from a woman disclosing details about the alleged burglary for which police had last Monday searched the home of Mark Neal and Iwanhi, a recording artist of the US living in Los Lagos, Belize District.

Schools are generally seen as safe havens for children, who can ordinarily find great comfort in knowing that their playgrounds and classrooms are free from the infestation of crime. But St. John’s Primary School was the unfortunate target of robbers who hit the school on the first day of class in September. The three armed robbers themselves were young and no doubt should have been in school. They were after the school’s registration monies, but managed to make off with only $50, jacked from the school’s principal.

Police report an increase of near 6% in murders for 2008; increase in other major crimes; more drugs and guns seized ... It’s now official. 2008 was not nearly great for the Police Department. In fact, they say it was “challenging.”

What appears at press time tonight to be the second murder of 2009 took place this evening at 5:25 at the night depository slot at the San Ignacio Town branch of the Belize Bank on Burns Avenue, a stone’s throw from the San Ignacio Police Station.

Leading the news going into May of this year was the disclosure of yet another secret deal granted by the former administration of Said Musa, this time to Belize Telecommunications Limited (now Belize Telemedia Limited). Prime Minister Dean Barrow disclosed what was termed an “accommodation agreement” at a meeting of the House of Representatives, under which BTL was allowed to withhold taxes if the company did not earn guaranteed profits. In the ensuing months, BTL and the Government were engaged in a series of legal skirmishes over tax payments, with the Supreme Court upholding the Government’s position on the matter. The agreement continues to be a subject of dispute between the parties.

Savagely beaten by attackers in own home... For the third time this year, businesswoman Xiao Hua Zhu, 39, who operates Jenny’s Shop at #5763 Meighan Avenue in Kings Park, has been subjected to the indignity of being robbed in her own home.

BDF assaulted female bartender in bar; one of the men who subdued him later found with weapon ... Two men are facing charges in related incidents that occurred on Thursday night, October 30.