7 News Belize

Foreign Minister: We Need More Extradition Treaties
posted (August 21, 2012)
Yesterday, we told you about the end of the saga to expel reputed Slovakian gangster Karol Mello.

There has been no official explanation as to why the case was aborted so abruptly yesterday at the Belmopan Magistrate's Court. We asked Attorney General Wilfred Elrington about the case and what it means for future cases where other countries ask for criminals to be handed over to them - without a formal extradition treaty.

Here's what he told us about the solution to that issue and what role the Office of the DPP played in yesterday's proceedings.

Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"The attorney general has no responsibility for the director of public persecutions. She really has kind of autonomy - she acts on her own advice really. I did not hear of it before you raise it with me. Actually I have not been listening to the news, so I would not be able to add to that."

"What needs to happen is for us to enter into a treaty with all the countries that we can enter into treaties with which would allow for us to do that. Countries have to act with legal authority. Legal authorities is vested in countries through treaties, so what we will have to do is to try to expand the treaties that we have with those countries that we don't have treaties with for extradition. That's about all we could do."

No one has still come forward to officially explain what the confusion was between Attorney General's Ministry and the DPP's Office which led to premature ending of the case.

But as we understand it - the Sol Gen's office directed the police to lay certain charges - which is the DPP's job - and then sought to bring in the DPP's office at the prosecution stage.

At this point, Karol Mello has no legal status in Belize because GOB has withdrawn his permanent residency. He still has cases pending in which he will attempt to sue the government to get it back.

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