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Coast Guard officer disciplined over incident at sea

By on September 25, 2013

Swift disciplinary action has been meted out on a Belize National Coastguard officer involved in an embarrassing incident on Independence Day in which a vessel carrying the visiting Prime Minister of Dominica Roosevelt Skerrit was briefly detained at sea.

Petty Officer Richard Ogaldez was stripped of his rank and demoted to ordinary Seaman.

Commander of the Belize National Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Borland today told reporters that the demotion was the result of a disciplinary tribunal.

The demotion, according to Borland, means that Ogaldez can no longer coxswain a vessel or be in command of a patrol or come in contact with high ranking VIP’s. 

The Belize National Coast Guard commander says that Ogaldez’ demotion ought to teach him that the way he behaved on Independence Day towards Prime Minister Skerrit and his entourage “is not the way the Coast Guard operates.” 

Borland further explains that the Belize National Coast Guard got a late request to provide a VIP escort; and that the vessel assigned was on patrol and could not rendezvous with the VIP vessel.

The assigned Belize National Coast Guard vessel met the boat carrying Prime Minister Skerrit and his delegation returning from the Hol Chan Reserve near San Pedro town on ambergris Caye. 

The investigation shows that Ogaldez proceeded to stop the vessel, and Borland said that Ogaldez “erred in judgment” and acted in a less than professional.

Borland explained that, being already late, Ogaldez upon determining who was on board the vessel, should have apologized for his tardiness, bid Prime Minister Skerrit the time of the day and let him go on his way.

The explanation that Ogaldez gave that he sought to get necessary information to include in his patrol report did not fly with the Belize National Coast Guard top brass, and Ogaldez was disciplined. 

 

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