Last night we told you about Martin Muzikant - the mystery European man who turned up in Belize recently after being expelled from the country in 2013. Well, today he was hauled over to Orange Walk Magistrate's Court - and charged for immigration offences. Magistrate Merlene Moody says he failed to produce travel documents, and failed to present himself to an immigration officer - meaning he came into the country through an illegal border crossing. Muzikant pleaded guilty to both charges and his lawyer Yohannseh Cave asked for a fine to be imposed and then for him to be released so that he can travel to Mexico and so that he can visit the Embassy of the Czech Republic. But the Immigration Office said he has a lot to answer to in Belize - namely how he got into the country. They asked the court to remand him until an investigation is carried out since there are suggestions that he is wanted by Interpol and by the USA. Still, his lawyer tried to spring him free and asked for a larger fine to be imposed. But the Magistrate did not agree and sentenced him to six months in prison for each charge with the sentences to run concurrently.
So Muzikant is in jail tonight, but he had been living in Orange Walk Town freely at least since December. Today, police and immigration officers visited his home to investigate how long he has been in the country. They say there is no record of him arriving through the northern border, and when asked about his stamped passport he said he had left it at a hotel in Belize City. Interestingly, Interpol says that the passport he did have is actually for Petr Moneth and it was tampered with to feature Muzikant's picture.
It's a long string of non sequiturs and now police and immigration will have time figure out who Muzikant is and what is his game in Belize. He was expelled in April of 2013 after being charged for unlawful possession of a passport and escaping form police.
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