Attorney Dickie Bradley Hails Appeal Court Ruling That Freed Oscar Selgado

Attorney Dickie Bradley has applauded Friday’s decision of the Court of Appeal of Belize to quash the conviction of Oscar Selgado, leading to his release.  Speaking on the ruling, Bradley insisted that Selgado did not receive a fair trial. He argued that key evidentiary and procedural issues undermined the integrity of the case and said the prosecution should have exercised greater caution before advancing the matter.  Bradley further contended that the Cheryl Lynn Vidal, Director of Public Prosecutions, and then Police Commissioner Chester Williams should have known better, given the weaknesses later identified by the appellate court. Bradley maintained that the decision reinforces the constitutional right to a fair trial and the duty of authorities to ensure that standard is met.  

Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney: “So a Court of Appeal has handed down a decision to say that the trial process, the trial against Mr. Selgado violated a constitutional right. The real issue that comes out is that an unfair trial occurred , Mr. Selgado the attorney at law was accused by one single person, that person did not go to court, that person was alleging and claiming to two high ranking officials in this country the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Public Prosecutions that he was having telephone conversations with Mr.Selgado. The law in Belize requires that if a person has given a statement which is very important in a trial, in this case he’s the only witness so he’s double important that person is the only witness and in the trial process he did not confirm or was requested or required to confirm to the law. If you don’t want to go to court because you’re fearful that Mr. Selgado will kill you if you go to talk against him then there is a procedure but there are other processes that could have been followed that were not followed which were not followed. So Selgado was unlucky in that respect but God is willing we know he suffered, he suffers from diabetic and other sicknesses, it’s not easy to be in the prison, we are told at the drop of a hat they put him in the hole and so on but he is now free and he has to pray that the matter of the appeal which we have already heard about, the sentence now handed down twenty four hours and the appeal is already prepared and ready to go.”

The Court of Appeal, in a detailed judgment delivered on Friday, found that the trial process was unfair and ruled that Selgado’s conviction be quashed, directing an acquittal and declining to order a retrial.