SUNDAY February 12, 2012 ISSUE NO: 14 PRICE: $1.00 www.facebook.com/ The Independent IndependentThe POLICE AND Placencia DETAINEE Sidewalk Art Marvin RUMBLE Festival 2012 Ottley See page 3 See page 11 See page 14 Cardona slams Barrow Thursday, February 9, 2012 BELIZE CITY – A fairly muted 2012 Belize General Elections campaign got some fire featured in yesterday when former UDP Orange Walk East area representative Marcel Cardona ABC’s Hit called a press conference to announce that not only was he not seeking re-election, Romance but that he and his committee would be supporting the PUP candidate Dr. Tulio Reality Mendez. But Cardona, an attorney by profes- Series sion, did not just make a meek announce- ment and go quietly into the good night. “The Bachelor” He chose to make the most of his oppor- tunity to rail against his former party, es- Tuesday, February 7, 2012 pecially its leader Prime Minister Dean Barrow, accusing it and him of corruption, BELIZE CITY: An epi- cronyism and incompetence. sode of the it romance reality In a 12 page presentation that took him series “The Bachelor” which over 20 minutes to deliver, Cardona de- was shot on location in Be- nounced the Barrow government, calling lize, on Ambergris Caye, will its tenure in office a “4-YEAR REIGN OF air next Monday, February TERROR, INTIMIDATION, OPPRESSION 13th (8:00–10:01 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network. Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 Another City residents fear Brannon resurgent gun violence shot dead! Dead teen’s father: “I can’t take anymore!” Sunday, February 5, 2012 Scenes of crime technicians search for expended shells Tues- day night in the heart of downtown Belize City right in front BELIZE CITY – The Brannon family are of Central Park after three men were injured in a spray of gun reeling from tragedy that struck on Sunday, fire. Belize City residents fear that the gang truce may be dis- Dondre Brannon, 19 February 5, 2012 around 8:30p.m. solving and once again there may be carnage on the streets. Continued on page 2 2 The Independent SUNDAY February 12, 2012 ange Walk East Constituency alone, the UDP, or the INVOKING of the to decide upon and elect a new Area CROSSING THE FLOOR provisions Representative for the Orange Walk has become a moot point with the Cardona East Constituency. recent announcement of early Gen- “Obviously, given that the UDP eral Elections and the dissolution of Party is presently in Government, the National Assembly on Friday of this would have given the UDP last week.” slams Barrow Party the opportunity to focus and Cardona then went on to accuse concentrate all their resources and the Barrow administration of nepo- Continued from page 1 statutory body under his portfolio, the Government’s resources behind tism, and listing 11 examples of what and VICTIMIZATION” and listing and a tour operator. their UDP Candidate in Orange he considered blatant examples of 14 examples of same. He explained to a packed room Walk East, in order to give their such. In the presentation, excerpts of and a much wider audience listening UDP Candidate in Orange Walk For the incumbent UDP Cardo- which are reproduced on pages 8 and via radio broadcast that: “Choosing East a CLEARLY UNFAIR EDGE or na’s resignation was not unexpected 9 of this edition of the newspaper, to publicly RESIGN from the UDP, ADVANTAGE over any other politi- but they must be bothered by his de- Cardona said that he paid the “ulti- or apply for membership in another cal candidate in the By-Election. fection and ringing condemnation. mate price of being ostracized from, Political Party would have automati- “It was to prevent this possibil- Their propagandists had been point- and punished and victimized and cally led to the Prime Minister Dean ity, that I chose to endure years of ing to the resignation of 3 PUP can- humiliated by the very UDP party Barrow invoking the provisions un- unjust treatment, victimization, didates as momentum building after which I had helped to raise from the der Section 59(2)(e) to strip me of disrespect, abuse, mistreatment a series of gaffes, bad news polls, a very ashes of its double shattering further membership in the House of and even physical assaults and bru- recent spike in violent crime and defeats in 1998 and then in 2003,” Representatives, and would have al- talization by members of my own a downgrade of the nation’s credit for daring to speak out in Decem- most certainly have led to the hold- UDP Party. rating since the election announce- ber 2008 about a secret “sweetheart” ing of a Special Election called a “But this issue about VOL- ment had put them somewhat on contract signed between NICH, a By-Election for the people of the Or- UNTARY RESIGNATION from the defensive. Belize featured in Another Robbers hit ABC’s Hit RC Imports on Romance Brannon Reality shot dead! Cemetery Road Series Continued from page 1 Dondre Brannon, 19, was riding “The Bachelor” his bicycle on Central American Bou- levard when he was shot by an uniden- Continued from page 1 tified black man when he reached the The episode will feature a special Iguana Street intersection. The shooter group and intimate one-on-one dates fled the scene leaving no trace or clues with the newest Bachelor, Ben Flajnik. to his identity. Fan-favourite Flajnik, the down-to- Brannon, a barber and a student of earth and romantic guy whose heartfelt Gwen Lizarraga Evening program, and proposal was rejected by Ashley Hebert a resident of the Antelope Street exten- on The Bachelorette, gets another shot sion are,a was struck in the lower right side of the abdomen. He was rushed to at love. Christopher Hyde, 16 Lloyd Valentine, 21 Skeptical at first, Ben, a 29-year-old the KHMH where he later died while successful winemaker from Sonoma, undergoing treatment around 9:35p.m. Sunday January 29, 2012 California, now knows first-hand that For the young Brannon’s father, love can happen – and he’s hoping to Basil Brannon, the loss of his son is a BELIZE CITY – Vinod Chawla, owner of RC Imports lo- find it as “The Bachelor”. terrible blow for him and his family. cated at #16 Cemetery Road in Belize City was held at gun In the ABC hit primetime real- The family is still dealing with the loss point by three black men on Sunday, January 29, 2012 around ity series, one lucky man is offered the of two of Dondre’s uncles, Kevin and 1:15pm. Chawla told police that the men assaulted him and chance to find true love. A single and Phillip Brannon who were shot dead robbed him of an undisclosed amount of cash and cheques. eligible bachelor embarks on a roman- on Mothers’ Day in 2006 when their One of the men wore a white t-shirt and a black ¾ jeans tic journey, getting to know a bevy of car was sprayed with bullets. Two men pants and slippers. The other two, Chawla said, were dressed beautiful bachelorettes, gradually nar- were arrested and charged for the mur- in full black with black dread caps on. rowing the field to the one woman to ders but got off and since then the case Police have since recovered $2,000.00 in cash and arrested whom he may propose marriage in the has gone cold. Prior to that tremen- Christopher Hyde, 16 of a West Canal address and Lloyd Val- dramatic season finale. dous loss, the Brannon family lost an- entine, 20 of a Trench Alley address both of Belize City. The Ben Flajnik and his six dates ar- other family member who drowned in duo have been charged jointly for robbery. rived in Belize on Wednesday, October the early nineties. 19, 2011, to enjoy an island getaway and “Jules, I don’t know how much experience exotic dates in Belize. Ac- more I can take. I’ve had it. It’s too cording to Ambergris Today, during the much for one person; it’s too much filming here Bachelor Ben and his co- for the family, and I want this to stop,” stars visited Shark Ray Alley at the Hol Basil Brannon told the media. He be- Chan Marine Reserve, has an exotic lieves his son was targeted. date atop the magnificent Maya Ruins The father and son were more like of Lamanai in the Orange Walk Dis- friends, Basil said. His son always called trict, jumps from a helicopter into the him when he wanted something. Bran- Great Blue Hole of Belize located in the non said that Dondre was mischievous coral reef atoll of Lighthouse Reef, goes but never involved in any gang. on dates on board sailing boats and a Like many others who have lost day trip to the neighbouring island of loved ones in the unrelenting gun war Caye Caulker, among other great ad- in our streets, Basil Brannon is not ventures and dinner dates at popular hopeful for justice on his son’s behalf. resorts/restaurants on Ambergris Caye. He just wishes the violence to stop. SUNDAY February 12, 2012 The Independent 3 the scene but was only beaten more. Police and detainee rumble On Thursday, February 2nd, Justo Lopez was hit with a slew of charges when he was taken before Magistrate Monday January 30, 2012 Hettie Mae Stuart. He was charged for attempted murder, dangerous harm, BELIZE CITY – Police Sergeant use of deadly means of harm and rob- Alfonso Aban is recovering from be- bery allegedly committed against of- ing bitten on his right thumb by a man ficer Nigel White.