7 News Belize

Bail For Bradley
posted (February 3, 2016)

After spending 6 days in prison on remand, American Tour Operator Bradley Paumen is out on bail tonight. His attorneys convinced Justice Antoinette Moore that he should not remain in jail while the prosecution prepares its case against him.

He's facing additional charges for the perversion of Justice, and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. He was arraigned in Belmopan on those charges last week where he, Lisburn Anderson, and businessman Jahan Abadi stand accuses of trying to plant a .22 rifle and 150 live rounds of ammunition in Michael Modiri's vehicle, which allegedly happened in April 2015.

He was remanded on Thursday because the Magistrate, Albert Hoare, did not entertain any applications for bail that evening. That first day in jail then progressed steadily until today, almost one week later, when his attorneys were granted an audience before Justice Moore.

Since the Prosecution, represented by Sheneiza Smith, did not offer any objections, Justice Moore granted Paumen bail of $25,000 with the conditions that, since he has already surrendered his travel documents to the court, he must continue to report to Belmopan police every Wednesday and Friday while the matter is pending. He is also not to interfere with any prosecution witnesses.

This evening, after his bail documents were finalized, he left court, and we approached him for comment for the first time since he was accused as the chief orchestrator of a murder plot. Here's how that went:

Daniel Ortiz

"Mr. Paumen any comment to make sir?"

Bradley Paume - Criminally Charged

"No thank you."

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"Your client has finally gotten bail after almost a week. Last week Thursday was to be a routine arraignment. What took so long? What was the delay?"

Herbert Panton - Attorney for Bradley Paumen

"As far as I'm concerned its bare bad mind because I had the opportunity this morning to speak to Senior Council Elise Arnold who was the person who made the initial bail application. At that time there was an agreement between himself and the DPP which the judge also attested to on Friday when we applied for bail. Those additional charges would be proffered but these would not in any way have affected his bail. I suppose we are here because of the fiasco that happened on Thursday with two magistrates presiding over a single matter. That happened on Thursday, we made our application for bail on Friday and the prosecution at that time said they needed more time. We drove 50 miles up here today for them to say are not objecting to bail; bare bad mind as far as I'm concerned."

We also told you about the confusion surrounding Lisburn Anderson's arraignment on the new charges of perverting the course of justice, and conspiracy to pervert justice. He was arraigned before Magistrate Ladonna John who took a plea from him, which was a procedural error. Presiding Magistrates don't take pleas from defendants in indictable offences, but the prosecutor did not indicate that the case was being treated as indictable until after the plea was taken.

Magistrate Ladonna John took a short recess and then returned to recuse herself from the case. That caused the court to have to finish the arraignment which was done on Monday. He's now properly arraigned on the new charges, and this evening, the court granted him bail of $15,000 with the same conditions as Paumen.

We spoke to his attorney outside of court about all the circumstances surrounding these new charges:

Rachel Montejo - Attorney for Lisburn Anderson

"I had filed bail on Friday and we address the issues here at the Supreme Court and thank god my client is on bail. He has been granted bail today, Wednesday."

Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News

"Have you gotten any explanation to the sudden withdrawal of magistrate Lodawna John which was last week Thursday?"

Rachel Montejo - Attorney for Lisburn Anderson

"No I have not been given any response in any form from the magistracy about the reason. I know that the chief magistrate informed the court that the arraignment and the plea would be vacated and she started it a new on Monday."

Daniel Ortiz

"How is this case being handled, indictable or summary offences?"

Rachel Montejo - Attorney for Lisburn Anderson

"They are all indictable offences. When my client had originally on Thursday morning stood and he was arraigned, there was no information coming from anywhere that the court should me minded that it was by way of indictment. It was after his plea was taken that the lay prosecutor stood up and said that it was by way of indictment. I thought it was unfortunate for him at that late stage to state that and I had made my submission that it was out of time because the plea was taken and they had treat with that summarily because a plea could not be taken on indictment. It's just an academic position and I'm really glad that my client is out on bail and those charges that they preferred against him. The DPP had no objections to the two charges that was laid last week Wednesday before the honourable magistrate's court in Belmopan."

Daniel Ortiz

"So is that why the arraignment was done again because it is being treated as indictable?"

Rachel Montejo - Attorney for Lisburn Anderson

"The arraignment was done on Monday by the chief magistrate and it was treated as an indictable matter. Any sequence of events that occurred, the DPP could have withdrawn and brought it in indict-ably so it's just an academic point."

Jahan Abadi, who was arraigned on Thursday on these same charges was also granted bail on Monday by Justice Moore. The DPP's Office did not offer any objection against that application. The final defendant, Korean American Hyang Choing Park remains on remand at this time. You will remember that she is the former common law wife of Michael Modiri - and she is now accused of being part of the wider plot to set up her ex.

She will get her bail hearing in court on Friday, where the Prosecution is expecting to object on the grounds that she is a flight risk.

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