Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2024. 7:02 am CST.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: After nearly two years in custody, police officers Salomen Cowo and Esmin Flores have been released on bail, just in time to spend Christmas with their families. The officers were granted bail by Justice Derick Sylvester in July 2024, but the execution of the bail was contingent on their murder trial commencing before December 2024. With no trial date set, the bail order took effect last Friday.
The officers, charged with the March 2023 shooting death of Orange Walk resident Dyandre Chee, were granted bail in the amount of $20,000 each, which they can now secure with four sureties of $5,000 each, instead of the initial two sureties of $10,000 each.
The matter was addressed virtually last Friday before Justice Rafael Morgan in the High Court, with the officers appearing from the Belize Central Prison. Their attorneys, Richard “Dickie” Bradley and Lynden Jones, successfully argued for the original bail conditions set by Justice Sylvester to remain unchanged.
As part of their bail conditions, Cowo and Flores must report weekly to their respective precincts—Cowo in Orange Walk and Flores in Corozal—and are prohibited from interfering with police witnesses.
The case dates back to March 2023, when Chee was fatally shot while riding a motorcycle. The incident sparked controversy in the community, with a witness alleging that the officers shot at Chee without provocation. However, the officers claim they returned fire, believing they were under attack after the motorcycle backfired.
Despite strong objections from the DPP during the initial bail hearing, Justice Sylvester ruled in July that the officers should be released if their trial did not commence by December 2024. With today’s decision, Cowo and Flores are now in the process of securing their release from prison.
The shooting death of Chee and the subsequent charges against the officers remain highly contentious. The case is expected to proceed to trial, but a date has yet to be determined.
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The post Two police officers accused of murder released on bail ahead of trial appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Saturday, December 21, 2024. 7:02 am CST. By Breaking Belize News Staff: After nearly two years in custody, police officers Salomen Cowo and Esmin Flores
The post Two police officers accused of murder released on bail ahead of trial appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
