PUP Talk Show Host Albert Vaughan has been fighting a loitering charge since August of last year when he was arrested along with the former BML workers
for their famous garbage protest. Well, he was finally able to beat that charge in the Magistrate's Court today.
At the last adjournment a month ago, his attorney argued before Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart that he had no case to answer. His position has always
been that he was not loitering when the BML workers were protesting against City Hall. He says that he was covering the event as a journalist for Vibes
Radio and Belize Times.
After considering his attorney's submissions, and the response from the police prosecutor, Magistrate Hettie Mae Stewart agreed with Vaughan's attorney
and threw the case out of court. That was a relief for Vaughan and outside of court he and his attorney spoke with us about the acquittal:
Kareem Musa – Attorney for the Defence
"The Magistrate ruled that the no case submission was upheld. As you on the last occasion we submitted that Mr. Vaughan had no case to answer because
in fact he was not loitering, he was carrying out his job. He's a radio reporter and he was out there carrying the story of the BML workers who were
unlawfully detained on my opinion. What we have here today is just the conclusion of that - we always knew he would be vindicated and today is that
day."
Albert Vaughan – Acquitted of Loitering
"This was a political case, this is nothing but a political case. I like to say that the magistrate did the right thing when they said I had no case to
answer - because there is no case to answer. Mr. Musa was right all along and also other people who supported me during this case, I have to say thank
you very much.
Reporter
"Were you expecting when you had gone out there that day - that you would be treated the way you were?"
Albert Vaughan
"Yeah, the police was hostile, the officer in charge of that operation was very hostile towards me. Of course I knew the police would have done
something that day."
So, with that, all of the persons who were charged in connection with event have gotten off "scott free." Viewers may remember that Prime Minister
Barrow stepped in and convinced the police and City Hall to drop all charges against the BML workers.
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