BELMOPAN, Cayo District, Thurs. May 18, 2017–Firebrand media personality, journalist and pastor, Louis Wade, has been summoned to appear in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court tomorrow, Friday, to answer to charges of “common assault,” and “using insulting words.”

Those charges date back to an incident last November at the Santa Elena Football Complex in which Wade discovered questionable activities that certain affiliates of the ruling government wanted to keep a secret.

Wade told us today that he had learned that the Ministry of Works (MOW) had sent employees to work on the Santa Elena Sports Complex, through the Government of Belize, although the Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL) had issued a contract to Plett’s Construction Ltd.

Essentially, government resources were being used to complete a project; a private entity had already received the contract to do.

Wade told our newspaper that he arrived on the scene and observed Ministry of Works vehicles, truckers and graders, as well as (MOW) employees, on duty.

“Ministry of Works, workers were even seeding the field, levelling the field, cutting grass, and building a parkway; things the contractor should have done,” recalled Wade.

According to Wade, who was executing his duties as a journalist, he began taking video footage and photos of everything he saw until a red pickup truck at high speed made its way in his direction.

“I had to jump out the way. He then reversed and tried again,” Wade alleged.

At the time that truck was being driven by Robert Montero, son of Rene Montero, Minister of Works.

Wade told us that the young Montero came out of the truck and “told him off.” Montero later blocked the exit to the complex with his vehicle.

Wade explained how he was able to make his way off the compound.

“When he blocked the entrance with his vehicle, I stopped and pretended that I was shooting more video, so when he saw I would not stop, he drove off and I was able to exit,” he said.

About five days after this incident, on his morning show, Rise and Shine, Wade broke the story surrounding the mismanagement of government resources.

According to Wade, during that show he indicated that he would make a police report against the young Montero for attempting to knock him down with a vehicle.

“On the Monday morning I was on my show and showed the footage. I stated that I was going to make a report. But I live in Belmopan and he lives in Cayo. He was tipped off and beat me to it. He went in and made a false report that I assaulted him,” Wade told Amandala.

Wade was not able to make a police report until the following day.

However, the officer assigned to the case did not proceed with any charges against Wade because he had found many inconsistencies in Montero’s statement.

“Can you imagine him acting so big and bad with his vehicle and getting out and telling me off, then blocking my vehicle like a big bad man, then he run to police and lie?” asked Wade.

Interestingly, although the 6-month statute of limitation expires next Wednesday, the matter has been revived and a new officer has been assigned to the case. Though his previous colleague had dismissed Montero’s allegations, the new officer in charge of the case has apparently made it a matter of priority.

“It hit me that after 6 months of persistent and intense investigation, Cayo police have concluded that the falsely reported incident, which never happened, actually did happen,” exclaimed Wade.

Though Wade, too, had made a statement against Montero, the Minister’s son has not been charged.

According to Wade’s attorney, Michel “Micho” Chebat, the charges are trumped up and politically motivated.

Chebat warned that after this case is concluded, he will seek legal redress for malicious prosecution.

We could not find Montero for comment.