Literally minutes after he said that, when the teachers were wrapping up that meeting in song,  – the trye fire started on Belcan Bridge.  Now, you might say, well, ok, there it is….but that’s not how it works – you can’t charge someone for a crime based on what they say.  Brackett was at the BNTU when the fire started – but police say he was the man who set it all up.  Today he was charged with causing a bonfire to be set.  After hiding out from police last night, he turned himself in today:…

A small group of COLA loyalists gathered near the precinct one police station waiting for their president who pulled up in his attorney’s BMW at 8:20 AM, along with his co-accused, Perry “Sticksâ€￾ Smith.

For today’s performance, the t-shirted Brackett had to quickly slip into his militant uniform and was embraced by his COLA supporters.

Those COLA supporters warmly welcomed Officer Commanding Southside Chester Williams who arrived and pressed the flesh like the police-tician that he is.

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Mr. Geovanni Brackett and Mr. Perry Smith are being charged for causing bonfire to me made on the Belcan Bridge whist others are being charged with setting a bonfire on the Belcan Bridge."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir so did these persons Mr. Smith and Mr. Brackett, you're saying they acted as agents, they paid these persons or they arrange for these person to set this fire?"

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Well I am not going to go into specificity, as you know the matter is before the court. But what I can tell you is that we have methodically conducted our investigation. It's not a rushed investigation, we took our time from when the incident took place to where we are today to ensure that we get all the evidence we need to be able to bring charges against those persons who are responsible."

Jules Vasquez
"Is there surveillance video? Is there surveillance video showing these person setting the fire, those who are actually charged for setting it? And two is there any relation between this and what happened on the Hummingbird Highway the following morning where two fires were set?"

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"I will not go into detail as to whether or not we have a surveillance video. In due time the evidence that we have will be shown as the defendants will be given disclosure and they will know exactly what we have against them. As to whether or not there is any connection between the Belcan and what took place down south; we do not have any information to support that at this time."

Jules Vasquez
"Basically Mr. Brackett said you all were holding a woman hostage until her son turn himself in. So you all were holding her for ransom until he came. Is that indeed the case?"

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Jules Vasquez I am attorney at law and to hold a person in custody who has not done anything wrong is a clear act of unlawful imprisonment for which we can be sued. I would not and I would never tolerate my officers to do so."

Brackett and Smith emerged a little after 10:00 escorted by police to be put in the patrol pickup and taken to the Queen Street station for processing:

Geovanni Brackett - President, COLA
"It's completely malicious though, completely malicious but this is the government we facing right now."

Hon. Kareem Musa - Attorney for Brackett/Smith
"It's really a petty misdemeanour offence so I don't even know; well I kind of know where this is heading. This is a government that has been union busting over the last couple weeks and Geovanni Brackett is a vocal activist - if not the most vocal activist in Belize. So I can see where this is headed but really and truly the offence falls under the summary jurisdiction offence act section 31:23 and it falls under the same section with dynamite. Dynamite that people light at Christmas time it is causing a bonfire to be set that is the charge and it carries a conviction if there is a conviction a penalty of a maximum of 300 dollars so this is what all this hoopla is about this morning. No doubt in my mind this is political."

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"So just to be clear you received no call from any politician any minister? Did anyone say you know you need to look into Mr. Brackett, I hear from so and so media they say we need to start fire etc. Did you receive any such call?"

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"I will reiterate I receive no such call, I acted independently, we're following the evidence."

Hon. Kareem Musa - Attorney for Brackett/Smith
"We have an unjust state where the police is being completely manipulated and controlled by the politicians an I'm afraid that this is one of those instances as well. "

Jules Vasquez
"Sir then northside, southside, how does this work? Because the fire occurred I believe on the northside of Belcan Bridge which I think you jurisdiction ends at the halfway line."

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"I am an assistant commissioner of police, I have jurisdiction anywhere in the country of Belize and it took place on the Belcan Bridge. The Belcan Bridge is anyone's territory, who arrived there first; we were there and took charge of the investigation."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay because interpretation will be taken that northside had the case originally but you took it under your command because perhaps you are closer with the political directorate. That's interpretation that will be taken sir."

ACP Chester Williams - Commander, Southside
"Really I have been painted all colours in this country but I will take that too. I know where I stand and at the end of the day like I said before this has nothing to do with politics, we are simply doing our work."