Charges Dropped against Police Officers Accused of Extortion

Two police officers that were charged with extortion are officially free men after the alleged victim decided to drop the charges. Thirty-three-year-old Corporal Anthony Blair and 42-year-old, Corporal, Marvin Salam were arrested and charged back in 2017 after allegedly demanding five thousand dollars from a student Hermant Bhojwani and his mother Jessica. The two interdicted officers appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today before Magistrate Carlon Mendoza, to learn that the prosecution had entered a nolle prosequi, abandoning the case against them.  Bhojwani was reportedly driving on Central American Boulevard on July 5, 2017, when the officers pulled him over and searched his vehicle. Allegations are that the officers asked Bhojwani what he could offer them after finding drugs in the vehicle. They allegedly rejected his initial offer of two thousand dollars and demanded five. When they allegedly went to collect the money from Bhojwani’s mother, police moved in and arrested them.  Attorney for the officers, Orson Elrington, explained that the prosecution was relying on an audio recording as evident, but that the Bhojwani no longer wished to pursue the matter in court. Elrington said that his clients’ primary concern following the case is to be reinstated into the Belize Police Department, and have their full salaries returned to them, as they had been on half pay while on interdiction.