Just before the news, we told you about the failure of the late evening arraignment of William Mason and the other men charged for Pastor Llewelyn beheading. Well, our news team only just came back from court, and the defence attorney, Herbert Panton told us why he thinks that his clients are being mistreated by what he calls a fiasco:
Herbert Panton - Attorney for Mr. Mason
"The prosecutor at the time indicated that he only needed a day and the matter was adjourned for 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon; the claim that the crime happened at the ranch at mile 31 which would place it in the Belize judicial district so the matter would have been brought before some magistrate here tomorrow. The magistrate in Belmopan also ordered that my clients be released because they had already gone way pass the 48 hour mandated by the constitution in which the police is authorized to hold them. Instead of having my clients walk out of court the police acted in breach of a court order, placed my clients back in the police vehicle, took them to the station and put in the lock up; after about a half hour of one senior officer giving one order and senior officer giving another order. It was ordered they be given their belongings and released one by one. Of course the police blocked the entrance so that they couldn't go through the front entrance, they could only go through the back and as they were in the back of the police station, they were detained again. And now if the police want to continue to breach the rights, the fundamental rights of these people, they can do so you know because yes my clients would be inconvenienced but at the end of the day even before we get to the evidence whatever the evidence is, this matter will go down the drain because of the way they have handled this investigation from the start. Implicating Mr. Blackett this morning at the press conference is contrary to the truth."
"The chief magistrate has left, she has said she will deal with it in the morning and that's the end of the matter here as far as tonight is concerned."
Reporter
"Any reason why?"
Herbert Panton - Attorney for Mr. Mason
"It's too late the building is already locked up, I can't find the caretaker it's too late."
Reporter
"So the men have to go back to where?"
Herbert Panton - Attorney for Mr. Mason
"Well I would hope that they would keep them here in Belize City."
Reporter
"So 9 o'clock tomorrow?"
Herbert Panton - Attorney for Mr. Mason
"Yes."
So, now the arraignment is set for tomorrow morning – and of course we will be there – still to come in this segment we'll have more on the William Mason mystery.
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