Posted: Monday, May 8, 2023. 10:15 am CST.
Photo: Channel 7 News
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Punta Gorda resident Juan Choc has been acquitted of the crime of manslaughter after the confession he gave to police was deemed inadmissible as evidence in the High Court of Belize.
Choc was initially accused of the 2017 murder of Bangladesh national Abdush Salam, but the charge was later downgraded to manslaughter. Choc had confessed to the crime during a caution statement given to police after being arrested but later changed his stance on the matter and pleaded not guilty in court.
Justice Nigel Pilgrim ruled that he found there was no evidence that Choc was not fed when he was in detention. He added that he felt the caution statement might not have been given voluntarily because the Choc had not been offered food between 10-12 hours before the statement was given, which could amount to a form of pressure to give the statement.
With that, Choc was set free from the charge. On July 1, 2017, Salam, a businessman who lived on Orange Street, Belize City, was strangled to death. The last reported sighting of him says that left his store at the Belize City bus terminal sometime around 1:00 p.m. that day headed home to eat lunch. About 6 hours later, one of his room mates found him lying on his bed, face down and nude with his hands tied behind his back.
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