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Minister of State and Toledo West representative Juan Coy is under fire tonight after a former supporter and prominent Toledo resident claims Coy had him arrested for speaking his mind at a public meeting. Bartolo Teul a leading conservationist and programme manager of the Yaxche Conservation Trust was taken to Magistrate’s Court in Punta Gorda today and charged for assaulting a police officer. That’s after he claims Coy told the police to arrest him at a public forum in Big Falls Village on Sunday.

The meeting was about the slates for the upcoming village council elections and reports say Coy was making it clear which slate he endorsed. Teul who campaigned for Coy in the last election and who’s wife, Pulcheria Teul is a UDP Senator had a different, opposing view and took the floor to make it known. He told us he spoke for about 15 minutes and when he reminded Coy of a statement that had been made about him at another meeting – that’s when the Minister of State allegedly directed police to arrest him. We spoke to Teul via telephone today about the quite stunning event.

Bartolo Teul, Kicked Out of Meeting
“I told him that when you made your presentation no one asked you for the mic, no one interrupted your presentation so let me just finish. I reminded him that in San Pedro Colombia he was told by a villager to grow up, to be a man, learn to do your job, at a public meeting and people applauded him. I said I was not the one told that, you were the one told that and that really got him to the point that he beckoned to the police and he said come take him out. And at that point I handed over the mic and I was stepping outside when the policeman came and he pushed me and on the verandah of the community center is like a concrete slab and there is a drop about 8 feet and I slipped on that and when I went backward I fell into the police and he said you assault me and I will arrest you. That is what happened.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Allow me to put this into context; your wife is a UDP Senator, you campaigned I believe for Mr. Juan Coy to be elected, how is it now that you are being forcible ejected from a public meeting held by Mr. Coye. How can that occur?”

Bartolo Teul,
“Simply because I am presenting opposing views.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Are you saying you didn’t curse at him, you did nothing like that?”

Bartolo Teul,
“People are willing to testify there was no obscene language. When I started my presentation I said with due respect. There was no time when I used obscene language or was being disrespectful.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Now when you campaigned for Mr. Cy did you ever think it would come to this?”

Bartolo Teul,
“I should have said this before but right now I feel ashamed that I campaigned for Mr. Coy or even associated with him when he was campaigning.”

Teul says he has challenged Coy publicly on at least three occasions. We were unable to reach Coy on the cell number provided to us from Press Secretary Delroy Cuthkelvin. According to a release sent out by a group of Big Falls Villagers, there were six heavily armed Punta Gorda police officers present. The statement says, “As far as it can be recalled there has never been the need to have police officers armed with assault rifles and dressed in bullet proof vests as if they are expecting a riot, at our village meetings.” Teul was given bail of two thousand dollars and must re-appear in court on 11th, May.