Another Espat Brother is Remanded on Gang Charge

Another member of the Espat family is behind bars tonight and this time, it’s twenty-eight-year-old Karim Nazim Espat, who’s been remanded to the Belize Central Prison after being accused of gang involvement. Espat, along with twenty-seven-year-old Bryan Anthony Correa, both from the DFC area of San Pedro, was brought to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court this afternoon to face a single charge each of being a member of a gang. They appeared before Magistrate Ludlow Black just after two p.m., and while both men pleaded not guilty, the charge falls under Section Sixteen of the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act, which means the magistrate couldn’t offer bail. They’ll have to apply to the High Court if they want a shot at release. Espat was represented by attorney David McKoy, who raised concerns about how his client was treated while in police custody. McKoy told the court that Espat was allegedly denied food while detained in San Pedro, even when his family brought meals for him. Both men are due back in court on September eighteenth in San Pedro. And this isn’t an isolated case. Just yesterday, two other island residents, Alexander and Mark Anthony Logan, were also charged with gang membership. Like Espat and Correa, they pleaded not guilty and are expected back in court on September twenty-fourth.