A week from today, COLA is going to Belmopan Magistrate's Court with their private prosecution against Elvin Penner. And the news tonight is that DPP Cheryl Lynn Vidal will be joining them. That's what came out of a phone call today - after COLA formally wrote to the DPP asking her to share any evidence she has from the Penner investigation to help with their private prosecution. DPP Vidal has invited COLA and its new private attorney Kareem Musa to meet with her next week Tuesday to go over what they have put forward. Thereafter, she has committed to appear with them in the matter on Thursday. It's a great step towards legitimacy for COLA's private prosecution, which they filed themselves without the benefit of an attorney.
And Cayo Northeast Representative Elvin Penner will also be summonsed to appear - since the charges are against him. Specifically, COLA accused him of 2 offences; one, for making a statement which he knew to be false..in a nationality certificate, and for vouching the fitness of an applicant to receive a Belizean passport contrary.
And while forces are aligning against him, it will be interesting to see if Penner will actually appear in court. They can't serve a court summons on him if he's out of the country - and recent Facebook pictures have shown him and his wife taking it easy in Chetumal. This picture, which ahs even been picked up by Mexican newspapers, shows him kicking back at a restaurant on Boulevard Bahia in Chetumal.
COLA isn't kicking back though - that activist group has also formally requested evidence from the Auditor General and the Commissioner of Police to augment their case.
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A week from today, COLA is going to Belmopan Magistrate's Court with their private prosecution against Elvin Penner. And the news tonight is that DPP Cheryl Lynn Vidal will be joining them. That's what came out of a phone call today - after COLA formally wrote to the DPP asking her to share any evidence she has from the Penner investigation to help with their private prosecution. DPP Vidal has invited COLA and its new private attorney Kareem Musa to meet with her next week Tuesday to go over what they have put forward. Thereafter, she has committed to appear with them in the matter on Thursday. It's a great step towards legitimacy for COLA's private prosecution, which they filed themselves without the benefit of an attorney.
And while forces are aligning against him, it will be interesting to see if Penner will actually appear in court. They can't serve a court summons on him if he's out of the country - and recent Facebook pictures have shown him and his wife taking it easy in Chetumal. This picture, which ahs even been picked up by Mexican newspapers, shows him kicking back at a restaurant on Boulevard Bahia in Chetumal.