We can count the number of times Government Ministers from here in the north have appeared on our newscast.  We are not sure if it is because they hardly do anything newsworthy or if they simply hide from us.  The few times they have been on the news, it is not for much good news, and such appears to be the case tonight.  From what we understand, Minister of Local Government Hon. Gabriel Martinez could be implicated in a criminal investigation into the alleged assault of a Police Officer.

Reports are that yesterday evening Police were conducting a checkpoint in front of Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico in San Roman when Hon. Martinez and his driver Artemio Campos pulled up in their late-model Government-issued Mistsubishi Montero.

Allegations are that the Minister, who appeared under-the-influence, began talking in a rough tone to the two police officers.  Sources indicate that the Minister told the officers that he did not like the way they were doing their job, and allegedly threatened that they could be transferred if he wished.

Both officers, we understand, avoided a confrontation with the Minster, and chose to walk away.  But no one leaves the Minister hanging, at least that’s what his driver Artemio Campos apparently believes, because they both reportedly got out of the vehicle and confronted one of the officers, who is stationed in San Narciso.

Some who were in the area told us they heard curse words coming from the Minister.  The officer continued to ignore the assault, but things nearly got ugly when the Minister’s driver allegedly threw three punches at the officer.

The Police Officers showed remarkable restrain as they walked away from the area.

We understand that the incident is being looked into, possibly as a criminal investigation, as the officers have made an official report to Officer in Charge of the Corozal Police, Superintendent Miguel Guzman.  We have been told that yesterday’s coarse episode is not the first, as there have been confrontations between the Minister and the police officer before.

While in the area this morning, we met Hon. Martinez driving around San Narciso village, and when we asked him about yesterday’s confrontation, he said it was ‘just a minor incident’.