7 News Belize

Accused Rogue Cop Vindicated
posted (October 24, 2016)
You may remember Police Constable Jermaine Mangar as the cop who was accused by his police bosses of masterminding a crime ring which was suspected of conducting a series of high-profile robberies back in 2010. A few months later, he was freed of the first charge, which was being used to connect him to that case, and today, he was finally able to leave court for the last time after the DPP's Office withdrew the second charge.

You'll remember it as the case where the cops supposedly caught him in the act supposedly after setting a sting. He allegedly planned a robbery of Chon Saan Restaurant, after the police foiled that crime, they turned one of the alleged accomplices into an informant who reportedly lured Mangar out to an arrest. The cops say that they instructed the accomplice to get Mangar to expose himself. He supposedly did this by phoning this mastermind, and telling him that the proceeds of the robbery, which didn't happen, was being shared out, and he was to come get his cut.

So, Mangar has been quietly attending all court adjournments for over 5 years, and today, when he showed up before Justice Troadio Gonzalez, the crown counsel from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions told the court that they had decided to withdraw the charge of conspiracy to commit robbery against him.

It's an embarrassing end to a case in which no less than the then Police Commissioner, Crispin Jeffries, and Prime Minister Dean Barrow, confidently asserted that the police had exposed and foiled the operations of a ring of crooked cops. Right after the hearing, Mangar's attorney, Dickie Bradley, granted us an interview to discuss why he believes the DPP's Office had no choice but to discontinue their prosecution against his client:

Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney for Jermaine Mangar
"Many years ago there was a major press conference in which even the prime minister was involved in saying to the nation they have in fact been able to bust a ring of rogue police officers. Nobody has ever been successfully prosecuted. All those officers have had their names scandalized, slandered, defamed and now finally after all these years the last one is saying 'we don't have any case against you'. Jermaine Mangar is a police officer, he's an interdiction for the past 4-5 years because it was alleged that he was a principal in a case of burglary/robbery involving going to Chon Saan Restaurant in Belize City which he didn't do. The person that went there was on camera and this would have been an interesting case up until this morning. I was saying to the crown council 'you know Belize half way with entrapment, in American life you trap somebody if you entrap them', set them up if you would say, the court will throw it out. Jermaine Mangar and another person were accused of committing these offences in which something was stolen from somebody and there was some attempt to go in to Chon Saan Palace to rob them, hold them up and go and do surveillance there. He was set up and someone called him on the phone to say 'I have something to do if you come here'. When he went there he was surrounded by police, he is then at gun point taken in and charged. That is the evidence against the man, there is nothing they caught him red handed. The person who was assisting the police to trick and trap this man is in fact a carrier criminal. He's a serving police officer, they will have to pay him for all those years that he has not been on his job and his name has been dragged through the mud when this first thing happened. So basically what transpired after coming to court all these years for a simple matter, the prosecution informed the trial judge, Justice John Gonzales that they will not be proceeding with that matter. So he has been told it had ben Nolle pros and he's free to leave the court."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"While a Nolle pros is in effect, freeing you client of his charges not exactly a full vindication which would have been to be found not guilty?"

Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney for Jermaine Mangar
"Yes but at the end of the day they could not proceed to trial after years and years."

Daniel Ortiz, 7News
"Sir is your client intending to proceed with maybe defamation suits?"

Richard "Dickie" Bradley, Attorney for Jermaine Mangar
"Most certainly yes."

With the outcome of this case, the police department owes Mangar 6 years and about 6 and a half years of back pay, 6 years increment and salary increases. He had been on interdiction with half pay for the entire duration of this court case. He also confirm to us that indeed his will be bringing a lawsuit for the ordeal he endured. He added, quote, "(I) can't wait to continue serve my country and my people." End quote.

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