By Breaking Belize News Staff: The high-profile sexual offences trial of senior Belizean diplomat Alexis Roberto Rosado was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday after Rosado dismissed one of his two defense attorneys on the second day of proceedings.
Rosado, 56, appeared before Justice Natalie Creary Dixon in the Belmopan High Court, where he informed the court that attorney Leeroy Banner would no longer represent him.
Rosado had been represented by Banner and senior attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley. Bradley was not present when Tuesday’s proceedings began, and following Banner’s dismissal, Rosado asked the court for time to secure another attorney.
Justice Creary Dixon granted a short adjournment but ordered the trial to resume at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 7.
The trial commenced on Monday after an earlier request by the defense for an adjournment was denied. The court noted that the matter had already been postponed several times.
Two prosecution witnesses testified on Monday, including the investigating officer and an information technology official from the Immigration Department. The immigration official reportedly gave evidence concerning Rosado’s movements and whether he was in Belize during periods relevant to the allegations.
Four additional Crown witnesses had been scheduled to testify on Tuesday, including the complainant and her mother, but their testimony was postponed following the change in Rosado’s legal representation.
Rosado was initially arrested and charged in April 2022 following an investigation into allegations made by a woman who told authorities that sexual abuse began when she was 13 years old and continued for years. Public reports at the time stated that Rosado was charged with one count of rape, one count of sexual assault and six counts of aggravated assault of an indecent nature.
The complainant alleges that the conduct escalated over the years and included non-consensual sexual acts, with the alleged rape occurring in 2013. Rosado has pleaded not guilty to the allegations.
His trial had previously been scheduled to begin in July but was adjourned after his attorneys informed the court that he was ill and presented a medical certificate. The October 5 date was then set for the commencement of trial.
Rosado is a former Ambassador of Belize to the European Union and Guatemala and previously served as Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After the charges were brought in 2022, he relinquished his overseas diplomatic postings but remained involved in Belize’s territorial case against Guatemala before the International Court of Justice.
As recently as September, Prime Minister John Briceño publicly identified Rosado, along with Ambassador Assad Shoman, as one of Belize’s co-agents on the team preparing for oral arguments before the ICJ in 2027.
The trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday morning in the Belmopan High Court.
Tighten this into a briefer court reportClarify why Tuesday’s hearing was adjourned
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: The high-profile sexual offences trial of senior Belizean diplomat Alexis Roberto Rosado was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday after Rosado dismissed one of his two defense attorneys on the second day of proceedings. Rosado, 56, appeared before Justice Natalie Creary Dixon in the Belmopan High Court, where he informed the court
The post Alexis Rosado dismisses attorney on second day of rape trial; case resumes Wednesday appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
