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 News Around the Republic of Mexico | April 2008 
Martin 'Not Optimistic' Ahead of Ruling: Friend
 Canadian Press
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| | Brenda Martin sits after speaking with journalists at an office inside the Puerta Grande prison in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Wednesday, April 16, 2008. (AP/Guillermo Arias) | | |
Guadalajara, Mexico - Brenda Martin is terrified and in no way optimistic about her fate ahead of a judge's decision Tuesday and believes Mexican officials will never let her go home, said the jailed Canadian's childhood friend.
"She's terrified, she doesn't really believe that Mexico's ever going to let her go," Debra Tieleman, said Monday before heading to spend the day with Martin at Puente Grande women's prison near Guadalajara.
"She knows Mexico's in control and she's very scared."
The former resident of Trenton, Ont., is expecting a ruling in her case at 2 p.m. local time Tuesday, after spending two years in a Mexican jail since being arrested in connection with an Internet fraud scheme run by her former boss.
She has consistently denied having any knowledge of the scam, in which Alyn Waage bilked 15,000 investors out of nearly US$60 million. Waage is serving a 10-year sentence in an American jail.
Tieleman said she believes Martin will be acquitted, even though her friend isn't at all optimistic.
"The judge is an educated an reasonable man and having read the case, there's no way a reasonable person would find her guilty," she said.
"It's been a very complex case that has taken the Mexican authorities a while."
But Martin, 51, isn't able to drum up any hope, after months of delays and disappointments.
"She was going to be home in 72 hours when they arrested her," Tieleman said.
Martin worked as a chef for Waage in Puerto Vallarta, but was fired in 2001 because of a disagreement about his mother. She was paid $26,000 in severance, and invested part of that money into Waage's business.
She claims she didn't know his business was fraudulent - a fact Waage himself backed up in a sworn statement.
But Mexican prosecutors say they don't believe Martin didn't know about the scheme, and claim she knowingly accepted illegal funds.
Martin's friends and family fear for her mental and physical well-being, and have severely criticized the Canadian government for not doing more to help her.
She has attempted to commit suicide three times while in prison, and lost more than 13 kilograms of weight.
If found not guilty, Martin could be freed within hours. If convicted, she faces five to 15 years in prison, and is expected to transfer to Canada.
She has so far refused to sign extradition papers because she sees it as an admission of guilt, but her lawyer says a transfer will be arranged if she wishes to return home. |
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