7 News Belize

Coyes Going To Jail for Money Laundering!
posted (August 8, 2012)
Last week, 7News told you about the dramatic ending to the Coye Family money laundering case in the court room of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin.

Today, the mitigation hearing was held, and the end of that 6 hour procedure, 65 year-old Michael Coye, and his daughter, Melonie, were sentenced to prison time, while the Athlee Matute and Dietrick Kingston were sentenced to pay stiff fines.

But both sides of the legal lines are sticking to their position, and no one is giving any ground.

Here's what we found out at that hearing:

Daniel Ortiz Reporting

Passions were inflamed at the mitigation hearing today where the harsh glare of the public lens was an aggravation for supporters of the Coyes.

You can see clearly where one of those supporters shoves a folder in front of the camera belonging to our Amandala colleague, and she slaps his hand away.

Throughout the trial, the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit was convinced that her prosecuting team would win.

Marilyn Williams - Director, FIU
"The turning point for the case was when the case went to the Court of Appeal, to be honest with you. It was not in this case. I am of the firm belief that had we reached a jury in the original matter, the outcome would have been the same. I believe then, as I believe now that we've always had a very strong case, and it was just a matter of it going through the requisite process."

But the defense doesn't believe so, and the lead attorney, Arthur Saldivar, says that they will appeal this judgment.

Arthur Saldivar - Attorney for the Defendants
"In order for a case of money laundering to be sustained, those who are accused of committing the offense of money laundering must be first shown to have committed a prescribed offence under the money laundering act, Chapter 104 of the Laws of Belize, which is the act that Melonie Coye, her father and everybody else was brought under. In that regard, what the prosecution sought to show was that this money was derived from fraud and forgery. Now, fraud is not an offence under the Laws of Belize, but that indictment that was brought has fraud included. Forgery, as it is it within the laws of Belize - and there is certain penalties attached to it, so it's an offence - the elements of forgery were never brought out. In fact, they never attempted to show that forgery in fact took place. When forgery takes place, it must be shown that the persons accused of forgery either had the intent to defraud someone, circumvent the course of justice, or actually caused injury or loss to someone. Nothing like that was every established. You have seen the application. The application is there; we have our grounds. Most of the grounds centers on the direction given to the jury. One of those was indicative of what was said in court just now that those defendants - the accused - did not provide a sufficiently convincing story as to where this money came from. Again, a man working 22 years and saving; a man whose wife earns more than $47,000 a year; which is evidenced by the Income Tax no less; a man who has had a gas business, selling aggregates for many years; how is it you will say now that he cannot have but any Chinese businessman on Albert Street can have it in their place of business? Any 'Turk' can have it in their place of business, but a Belizean can't have it? So what, we are stupid people who we cannot save our money? My clients were scapegoated, plain and simple. How the jury reached their decision, I don't know. But they have a right, and certainly, they listened, and I believe that they were misled."

After hearing the entire mitigation plea, Chief Justice Benjamin sentenced Melonie Coye to serve 3 years in prison, and when she is released, she must pay $50,000 within 1 year, or she will spend another 1 in default. According to the CJ, the evidence points to her as the mastermind.

Michael Coye was also sentenced to serve 3 years in prison, but he only has to pay a fine of $25,000.

For both Matute and Kingston, CJ Benjamin sentenced them to pay a fine of $25,000. They must make an installment of $10,000 by November 1. After that, they must pay $500 installments until they finish paying the rest.

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