On October 16, 2026, a key procedural hearing unfolded in the Belmopan Supreme Court for accused former ambassador Alexis Rosado, who faces multiple criminal charges linked to sexual assault allegations first raised in 2021. As the hearing concluded, a reporting team from News 5 approached Rosado outside the courtroom to request comment on his ongoing legal battle, marking the first time the accused diplomat has spoken publicly about the proceedings since the charges were filed.
When pressed for details on the allegations against him, Rosado declined to elaborate, directing all inquiries to his legal team. When asked whether the pending criminal trial had disrupted his work on Belize’s high-profile International Court of Justice (ICJ) case, Rosado confirmed that he remains actively employed as Belize’s agent for the ICJ proceeding, noting that the role remains part of his official duties.
Inside the courtroom earlier in the day, Rosado’s interim legal representative, local Belizean attorney Leeroy Banner, informed the judge that the defense has retained Jamaican trial lawyer Deborah Martin to serve as the team’s lead counsel. The appointment fulfills a deadline set by the trial judge at the previous hearing, which required the defense to confirm the identity of new lead counsel by the date of this October session.
Banner confirmed to reporters following the hearing that Martin will formally enter the case as lead counsel for Rosado on the court’s official record. Following the announcement of the new appointment, the judge scheduled a Case Management Conference (CMC) for November 20, 2026, and also fixed formal trial dates for the criminal proceeding.
When asked about the purpose of the upcoming November conference, Banner explained that the session will allow the defense to formalize its submission to the court, including potential amendments to the CMC filing and a final list of witnesses the defense intends to call during the trial. Currently, the defense estimates that between five and eight witnesses will testify during the criminal trial.
This report is adapted from a full televised evening newscast, which originally featured on-the-ground reporting from the Belmopan courthouse.