Belize Times April 6, 2014

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The Belize Times

Established 1957

6 APRIL 2014 | ISSUE NO: 4889

The Truth Shall Make You Free

Barrow Telecoms Limited

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

Net Vasquez has exited BTL as Executive Chairman, making way for Anwar Barrow Belize City, April 3, 2014 Prime Minister Dean Barrow seems to have accomplished what has turned out to be the real objective of the 2009 takeover of Belize Telecommunications Limited. On Tuesday April 1st, 2014 his son Anwar Barrow was appointed as the Chairman of the company’s Executive Committee. This position puts Barrow as the sole person in charge of the company’s entire daily operations.

The UDP Government’s controversial and costly takeover of BTL in 2009, which the Prime Minister called nationalization, has turned out to be a covert family takeover, as the PM has found ways of injecting his family into the company like a terminal virus. First Anwar was appointed to the Board of Di-

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PUP Fights to keep Penner’s Recall Alive

Supreme Court considers Judicial Review on Thursday, April 10th

Senator Lisa Shoman

Belize City, April 3, 2014 On Thursday April 10th, Supreme Court Judge Courtenay Abel will decide if an application for judicial review, sought by the Opposition People’s United Party, on the Election Department’s controversial and much disliked decision to disqualify the recall of disgraced UDP Cayo North East Area Representative Elvin Penner is permissible or not.

The decision is challenged on the basis that the Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai, was wrong in disqualifying 337 petitions, which were among the 2002 collected by the PUP. Tamai herself admitted to carrying out tremendously poor screening of petitioners.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday this

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PUP calls on Anwar Barrow’s resignation Pg. 2

BWS

DIRTY

WATER! Pg. 31

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Victory with Hon. Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez

OUT

By Damian Tzul “Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe” – Abraham Lincoln On Saturday, March 22nd, 2014, gears were officially shifted in Chan Pine Ridge Village as a very productive meeting was held to form the Chan Pine Ridge P.U.P Local Committee.

The meeting was well-attended with over 75 persons who besides nominating their trusted committee member, also expressed their utmost dissatisfaction with the current inept U.D.P government that day to day continue to cast our livelihood to unprecedented levels of misery and hopelessness.

Hon. Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez, along with P.U.P Village Council Councillor, Shalini Carillo, coordinated this very fruitful meeting. The following persons make up the newly formed Chan Pine Ridge P.U.P Local Committee: Chairman, Cornelio Torres; Vice-Chairman, Rosito Carrillo; Secretary, Lupita Pop; Assistant Secretary, Melissa Torres; Treasurer, Agripino Carrillo; Men’s Marshall & Local Campaign Manager, Felicia-

Georgie Porgie, Penner and Lies

!

Dear Editor, On March 26th, 2014, the CEO of the Ministry of National Security retired Lieutenant Colonel George Lovell, in response to questions posed by the media, did two things. Firstly he made a buffoon of himself and secondly, he reinforced public perception that there is a cover-up in relation to the Penner passport scandal.

A leaked confidential memo, penned by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), indicated that ASP Valdez (the officer in charge of the Penner investigation) was stymied in the discharge of his duties “due to instructions”.

When questioned about this revelation, unbelievably George Lovell had this to say: “There was a letter that was sent back to the DPP, where ASP Valdez clarified what precisely happened. I don’t know who made it available to the press with the first correspondence, and I would like to ask whosoever did that to take that second correspondence that ASP Valdez had sent to the DPP, and for them to have the press informed and enlightened on it. I will not be that person to say that to you, but I know that it was clarified.”

With that answer George Lovell disrespected the Belizean people.

Big time!

The proper thing for George Lovell (a public servant) to have done, was to explain to the Belizean people how ASP Valdez could have come to such a seismic misunderstanding. Instead he tried to be cute. He can afford to. He has political backative.

The Belizean people are not fools. We know that someone is lying and we suspect that it ain’t ASP Valdez. We know that ASP Valdez was under severe pressure to look the other way. He was manly in his response. He documented it!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

George on the other hand was less than manly. He buckled! And I suspect that he lied to the Belizean people in the service of his political masters.

CEOs enjoy privileged positions in this here little Belize. The power and the perks are intoxicating and so men and women compromise their integrity and honor to remain in such privileged positions. Even when it means irreparable harm to our beloved Belize.

Elvin Penner, by his actions, betrayed the Belizean people. He undermined our sovereignty. All we are saying is that he should enjoy no special privilege. ASP Valdez was clearly on to something and “someone” halted him.

Now cometh George with his forked tongue.

The Belizean people are growing weary. Give us Penner or else!

Sincerely, Major Lloyd Jones (Ret’d)

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Feliciano “Gallo” Torres, former Village Chairman and current Chan Pine Ridge Local Campaign Manager for Hon. Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez.

no Torres; Women’s Marshall, Rosa Carrillo; Youth Coordinator, Hernan Torres and Public Relations Officer, Damian Tzul.

P.U.P Councillor, Shalini Carillo, will also be assisting the P.U.P Local Committee in coordinating events, both political and social.

The most distinguished role of Mr. Feliciano Torres, former Village Council Chairman, is also noteworthy to underscore. “Gallo” as he is affectionately known by all villagers, brings to the table a wealth of experience not only as a community activist, but also as a seasoned political coordinator whose past efforts to champion the efforts of Hon. Dr. Mendez has proven worthy. Gallo, as our newly appointed Men’s Marshall and Local Campaign Manager, will surely be no different this time around as we all collectively pave the road to victory for our most humble Area Representative: el muy honourable Doctor Marco Tulio Mendez!

It is indeed now a matter of time as we patiently wait for the sweet odour and taste of victory, reminiscing in the meantime of those good days under a PUP Government.

For sure, the self-acclaimed “Son of the Thief” has nowhere to turn, for OUR Representative of the East shall give him the whopping of his life!

268 Mar Apr

2014 PUP calls on Anwar Barrow’s resignation April 2, 2014 The People’s United Party calls on the Board of Directors of Belize Telemedia Ltd. (BTL) to immediately rescind the appointment of Mr. Anwar Barrow as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Management of BTL. While Anwar Barrow has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Management, this latest appointment places him in full and direct control of the day to day management of BTL. BTL is a state owned, Government controlled Company.

Anwar Barrow is the son of Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Hon. Dean Barrow.

We view Anwar Barrow’s appointment as a blatant act of Nepotism and do not believe it to be in the best interest of BTL or the people of Belize.

There already, in our respectful view, exists a perception that BTL is being used to advance the political interests of the UDP and this appointment only serves to strengthen this perception.

Further, there are serious and credible allegations which we are presently investigating, that Anwar Barrow may in fact be a “silent partner” in business interests which either have contracts with BTL or are indirectly engaged in business with BTL. If the BTL Board fails to act, we call on Prime Minister Barrow to do the right thing and to ask his son, Anwar Barrow to resign.

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The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus EDITOR

Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed and Published By The Belize Times Press Ltd. Tel: 671-8385 #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize

27 Mar Apr 6 9Feb

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Exchange rate of One Belize Dollar

United States (USD): $ 0.50

Barbados (BBD): $ 1.01

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Sterling Pound Guatemala Quetzal CANADIAN DOLLAR (GBP): $ 0.30 (GTQ): $ 3.94 (CAD): $ 0.56

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INDIAN RUPEE (INR): $ 31.14

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Cotton Tree Village leaders challenge GOB over land distribution!

Cotton Tree Village, Cayo District, March 30, 2014 The Cotton Tree Village Council led

by Chairman Oscar Otero is preparing to take the Barrow Administration to Court over the Ministry of Natural Resources’ failure to follow the law in the distribution of land situated in the community.

Otero and members of the Council visited the BELIZE TIMES on Tuesday to explain that they are protesting the callous and illegal manner in which the Government plans to distribute land in the village. Without any form of consultation with the duly elected Council, the Government has surveyed a large parcel of land which it will divide into 111 acres for distribution to persons selected by UDP Port Loyola representative Anthony Boots Martinez.

Chairman Otero pointed out that the Village Council Act gives Village Councils the authority to distribute land

UDP Kills Rice Industry Orange Walk District, April 2, 2014 For the first time in recent history, Belize is going from a once self-sufficient rice producer to a major rice importer! The rice industry which supplied sufficient for domestic consumption and export demands has been killed by the UDP Government.

The Government will now buy rice from a foreign-owned company in Guyana.

This is the ultimate slap on the faces of our rice growers, farmers of the Toledo and Orange Walk Districts.

Ever since the UDP Government took office, they all noticed a drastic shift in focus. Their hardwork was treated as a waste of time, while the product of their hard labour was not important anymore – not to those in Belmopan.

The Belize Marketing Board was replaced with a Cooperation that behaves more like a corporation that favors big interests and foreign entities.

The Marketing Cooperation has single-handedly taken Belize backwards, and are now importing foods like onions and potatoes that were once grown in Belize to feed Belizeans. Rice is next.

Perhaps it is a conspiracy. Perhaps it is the GMO movement pushing an agenda with the aid of the Government.

But to think that Belize will now import rice because the Government is incompetent and cannot provide the kind of support which the farmers need is a great travesty.

Our condolences go our hardworking farmers. They need the kind of vision that only comes with the People’s United Party urgently!

and not the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The Lots Committee, which is appointed by the Ministry, and has the authority to recommend land to individuals was not consulted either.

This week members of the Council met with their attorney in Belize City who will file an application for judicial review of the Government’s actions before the Supreme Court.

Chairman Otero said it is important to stand up to the Government’s abuse of authority because if the Council doesn’t, there could be continues acts of disrespect.

Community residents are standing in

unity with their leaders. A petition condemning Government’s actions has attracted over 400 signatures.

There have been other similar cases of the Government disrespect of Village Councils.

The most recent is in Xaibe Village where the elected Village

Council was bypassed by the UDP representative Hugo Patt who was giving out promissory notes to individuals that if they voted for the UDP, they would get lands in the village. Of interest was that these promissory notes were sanctioned officially by the Ministry of Lands through their Commissioner of Land Wilbert Vallejos.

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6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

on the

company which was granted an oil exploration license.

5. NAIMA BARROW: Niece of the PM. Appointed to serve on the Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

6. LIESJE BARROW: Niece of the PM. Appointed to serve on the Belize Advisory Council.

The point is not to impugn the character of any of these individual family members or even to call into question their integrity but rather to sound the warning that in 2014 and beyond this is simply not a practice that is desirable or acceptable.

Nepotism is a form of corruption and leaders who make or support such appointments do a disservice and an injustice both to their family members and to the country.

Barrow’s Nepotism

By Francis W. Fonseca Anwar Barrow’s appointment as Chairman of the Executive Committee of Management at BTL is the latest in a series of appointments of family members to positions of influence made by Prime Minister Dean Barrow since taking office in March of 2008.

Let us quickly remind ourselves of some of these appointments: 1. LOIS YOUNG BARROW: Ex-Wife of the PM appointed to serve as Be-

lize’s Ambassador to the United Nations and prior to this appointment served as primary private legal counsel to the GOB earning significant sums of public money.

2. JAMAAL SHYNE BARROW: Son of the PM who upon being deported to Belize from the USA was named Belize’s musical ambassador to the world.

3. DENYS BAR-

ROW: Brother of the PM who was appointed a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Belize. He subsequently resigned this post and is now widely regarded as the primary private legal counsel to the GOB earning significant sums of public money.

4. KIMANO BARROW: nephew of the PM who was appointed to the Public Utilities Commission and was reportedly a shareholder in a private

Look like only Barrow fu eat!

NEPOTISM = CORRUPTION

Lois Young Barrow (Ex-Wife)

Anwar Barrow (Son)

Shyne Barrow (Son)

Kimano Barrow (Nephew) PUC Board Member/Granted Oil Exploration Licence

Naima Barrow (Niece) Appointed to Election and Boundaries Commission

Liesje Barrow (Niece) Appointed to Belize Advisory Council

United Nations Ambassador

Appointed to BTL Board

Cultural Ambassador

Denys Barrow (Brother)

Appointed to Court of Appeal/Private Attorney for GOB

Cheryl Krusen (formerly Barrow) Appointed to Solicitor General

DEAN BARROW IS BELIZE’S BIGGEST PROBLEM!!!

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2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

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EDITORIAL

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Pennergate Reloaded

ohn Saldivar, Candelaria Saldivar, George Lovell, Julio Valdez, Godwin Hulse, Maria Marin, Ady Pacheco, Gordon Wade, Wilfred Elrington, Nigel Hawke, Allen Whylie, Cheryl-Lynn Vidal, Edmund Castro, Darrell Bradley, Eric Chang, Elvin Penner and Dean Oliver Barrow.

These are the names that have surfaced so far in relation to the biggest immigration scandal ever to hit Belize. Some of these individuals are mere witnesses. Others are active participants, whether in the scandal itself or in its cover-up, which according to former Prime Minister Musa might actually turn out to be more lethal than the scandal itself.

Whether they have knowledge of a minute detail, or as in the case of Elvin Penner, are fully aware of the immigration scheme from start to end, each of these individuals possess pieces of the puzzle that could send Elvin Penner “da back” for a very long time.

Take for instance Darrell Bradley. He may not have been a knowing accomplice, but Bradley was on the same aircraft that transported Kim Wong Hong’s Belizean passport to Taiwan.

Bradley may not have known how the passport got to the Taiwanese prison, but at the very least, he could give an account of his whereabouts and perhaps that of his colleague’s, Eric Chang, during their stay in Taiwan.

Eric Chang is the second in command of the Chinese “establishment” in Belize. He reports to the man from the “Palace”, who many dub as the ringleader in the whole immigration scandal.

Edmund Castro, a known facilitator of Belizean visas to Chinese nationals, was also on the junket. Money and power, however, got the better of Castro as he created his own scandal after trying to get freaky with a Taiwanese attaché.

John Saldivar is the Minister of Police. His Commissioner, Allen Whylie, was recently forcibly ordered by the Supreme Court to do his job. Time will shortly tell whether he has complied or will have to face the judicial music once again. This time the Court may take action for him being unreasonable, irrational and unlawful.

Saldivar has been noticeably silent on the Pennergate scandal, and in his place, his puppet CEO, George Lovell has been trying his best to cover the tracks of Julio Valdez, who received instructions “from above” to stop the investigation.

Saldivar’s memorable last words on the immigration scandal were that he “only recommended a few visas”.

Candelaria, John’s sister, ironically is the CEO of immigration.

Essentially then, big brother’s Ministry is supposedly to be investigating baby sister’s Ministry. What an incestuous political orgy.

In addition to her official capacity as CEO, Candelaria seems to have been busy in her unofficial capacity, likewise recommending visas to Chinese nationals she has never met in her entire life.

Maria Marin is the Director of Immigration. She is the well-connected UDP who infamously issued Belizean nationality to an immigrant with no ties to Belize in just one day.

She also wrote a memorandum which reported that many files

mysteriously disappeared from the confines of the immigration department. It is unknown whether she has reported such matters of national security and importance to the police department.

Ady Pacheco and Gordon Wade are public officers who know a hell of a lot. If they weren’t such loyal UDPs, these two officers would probably have done the right thing by now and turned the lights out on this UDP Government. They would be national heroes.

Godwin Hulse is the boss of all that is taking place. He is the Minister of Immigration. He allowed Dean Barrow to appoint Elvin Penner a signatory on Belizean Nationality Certificates and Passports. Hulse is a UDP and a worthless one at that. He has no scruples, no shame, no love for Belize. He voted “NO” to a Senate Investigation into the Immigration Scandal. He is the poster boy of Pennergate, the one who proudly and publicly proclaimed that the Kim Wong Hong file is missing from the Immigration Department.

COLA, Belize’s new unofficial police department, has declared that someone will be charged for theft very shortly. Theft carries a much bigger sentence than “vouching the fitness” or “making a false statement”.

Cheryl Lyn Vidal is the DPP. She is tasked to bring the culprits to justice. As of today, she is a mere “observer” in the Penner criminal proceedings. Last week she met with the Attorney General, Wilfred Elrington, in a closed door meeting. Whether Pennergate was discussed is unknown. What is known is that a press release was issued shortly thereafter saying that the DPP is simply “observing”.

Nigel Hawke is the Solicitor General. A foreigner paid by us, the taxpayers, to represent and defend Allen Whylie as he tries to escape his duties and obligations to the nation. Hawke told the Supreme Court that it is “absurd” to expect that Whylie as the Commissioner of Police should investigate all criminal matters.

He claimed that nothing was wrong with the ComPol’s refusal to investigate Penner.

Hawke, quite expectedly, has appealed the writ of mandamus ordered by the Supreme Court, presumably at his boss’s request.

Hawke needs to revisit the law: Section 14 (4) of the Court of Appeal Act to be precise. He has no right of appeal.

Indeed, all of the abovementioned individuals realize that an entire government is at stake. At every turn, at every corner, some of them have been instructed to block, stall, divert, subvert and yes, cover up.

As a last ditch effort to save Penner, a UDP stalwart is about to be installed as a Magistrate to hear the Penner case. It will not fly.

The Americans have said so.

In all this, Dean Barrow is the Prime Minister. No heads have rolled in the immigration scandal and none ever will. At least not under his watch. The web that he has spun for his government is getting sticky and nasty, just like Castro. Penner is still being paid hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars each year. Transparency and Accountability was Barrow’s motto; but Shame and Scandal will be his legacy.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Caribbean Activists slam UDP for disrespecting women Belize City, April 2, 2014 The UDP may be good at organizing pretentious “ra ra” rallies to prop up their political interest, but when it comes to substance their ugly record of disrespect and abuse is known to all, locally and now even internationally.

This is why this week Caribbean women activists slammed the UDP led by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Michael Finnegan for their persistent degradation of Beliz-

ean women.

A report titled “Top 10 sexist and heterosexist moments in Caribbean Politics”, which was published on the website http://redforgender.wordpress.com, places Belize on the notorious list, not once but TWICE with examples of the worst disrespectful treatment of women.

At number 9 of the sexist and heterosexist moments is the March 2011 pub-

lication of the official UDP mouthpiece, El Guardian, in which the UDP attempted to humiliate the then President of the People’s United Party United Women’s Group by posting a semi-nude picture that was extracted from her private Facebook account. Despite loud protests against the vicious attempt, including the National Women’s Commission calling it ‘dis-tasteful and unacceptable’, the Women’s Issued Network-Belize describing it as “tasteless, pointless” and the women leaders of the People’s United Party condemning the “cowardly act”, El Guardian never apologized. WIN-Belize announced additionally that they would boycotting the UDP’s newspaper.

At number 5 on the list are the comments made by Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan in response to concerns raised by PUP Belize Rural Central Area Representative Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia at a House Meeting on

6 APR

2014 August 12, 2013. Hon. Balderamos Garcia had called on the Sargeant at Arms, Brian “Yellowman” Audinett, to mend his conduct in public since he is an official of the House of Representative.

Yellowman faced tremendous public embarrassment after this newspaper published photos of him urinating in public near a public hospital and a primary school and high schools on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City, as well as gulping a beer bottle outside the National Assembly.

Finnegan reacted in his usual nasty way, suggesting most inappropriately that Hon. Balderamos Garcia should prove her allegation by telling the House what size is Yellowman’s penis.

The Caribbean women activists were shocked and disgusted at the cases of abuse of women by a Minister of Government and the UDP’s official mouthpiece. In the case of Finnegan’s vile comments, they noted that the Prime Minister and his Deputy simply grinned in enjoyment.

The UDP just keep bringing shame to our country.

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

Dangriga Market Project Resumes Dangriga Town, April 2, 2014 September 6th, 2013 was a dark day for the residents of Dangriga Town. That was the day when the Social Investment Fund (SIF) pulled the plug on the ill-fated Dangriga Market Project after scandal and allegations of corruption involving officials at SIF. Today Wednesday April 2nd, 2014, some two hundred and seven (207) days later a new contractor has taken over the site. He is Ceasar Bedran of CB CONSTRUCTION, a company based in the Cayo District.

In his remarks the Mayor of Dangriga Town, Major (Retired) H. Gilbert Swaso, expressed his thanks on behalf of the Dangriga Town Council and the residents of Dangriga Town.

He stated that he was elated that finally work would resume on the Dangriga Market. However, he also expressed that he was cautiously optimistic that the market would be finished within the six (6) months as was projected by the contractor, Ceasar Bedran.

Mayor Swaso also noted that a minimum shortfall of three hundred thousand ($300,000) will have to be taken from funds already allocated to Phase 2 projects for the completion of the Dangriga Market, which is a Phase 1 project.

UDP Ministers covers up stealing Belize City, April 2, 2014 The BELIZE TIMES has been reliably informed of a scheme involving UDP politicians and the stealing of taxpayers’ monies.

As we understand it, certain UDP Ministers and non-elected standard bearers have been given access to funds through the defunct Ministry of Housing. These funds should go towards the poor and needy, but instead the UDP politicians are dipping their hands for personal benefit. The UDP is approving cheques of $7,000 to individuals with whom they have cut deals to share the monies.

In one case, of a UDP politician in Belize City, he has been using individual’s bank accounts to deposit varying amounts of monies. He then accesses the accounts and steals the money.

We understand that one of the individuals, whose account was being used, outsmarted the UDP politician and withdrew the $7,000 that had been deposited into his account.

When the UDP politician found out, he called the Police to arrest the individual, accusing him of theft.

The BELIZE TIMES is doing further investigations into this latest scandal and will be revealing more very soon.

Phase 2 project is the paving on Gadsby Ramos Street, Dr. Aranda Street and Trucking Boulevard. Therefore, there will be a shortfall in the funds for the Phase 2 project.

Once again it’s the residents of Dangriga who will suffer thanks to the UDP’s inefficiency and incompetence.

For the residents it’s a double hit. They still have no market and more than likely all the street work that was to be done in Phase 2 will have to be cut back due to the diversion of substantial funding.

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6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

PUP Fights to keep Penner’s Recall Alive

Supreme Court considers Judicial Review on Thursday, April 10th Continued from page 3 week, Attorney Shoman declared that a number of the disqualifications were wrongful. She also explained some of the grounds for the challenge. “…a number of people were rejected because it was said that they were not on the voters’ list. We have in fact found people on the voters’ list who should not have been rejected. Another ground is that people were rejected because their signatures on the petition form did not match what was held in the binders at Elections & Boundaries…and there is actually nothing in the law that says the signatures must match what is in the Elections & Boundaries binder.

In fact we have one applicant who was in a car accident, partially paralyzed and is only able to write with great difficulty, so it is clear that her signature could never be the same, and yet she was disenfranchised.

And then there is the issue of people who signed duplicate and triplicate. There is nothing in the law which gives the power to the Chief Elections Officer to disenfranchise those people,” pointed out Ms. Shoman.

She added that the intention of the Judicial Review is to seek an order from the Court for the Elections Department to revisit the petitions in a manner that is proper and lawful.

She said that once this is done, the required number of petitions should be found to be valid for the recall process to resume and continue.

2014 PUP NOTICE

Municipal Elections – City of Belmopan The People’s United Party is inviting interested applicants for the upcoming City of Belmopan municipal elections to submit their applications. A Convention is slated for Sunday, June 29th, 2014.

Applications are available from the Constituency Committee Chairperson Mr. Paul Wade or the PUP Secretariat, Independence Hall, #3 Queen Street, Belize City.

Completed applications must be filled and returned to the Chairperson and the Secretary General. The non-refundable fee must be submitted to the Secretariat along with the necessary documentation to complete the application.

Deadline for submission is Tuesday April 15, 2014.

PUP NOTICE

Orange Walk North Standard Bearer Convention The People’s United Party Standard Bearer Convention for the Orange Walk North Division is scheduled for June 15, 2014.

Application are available from the Constituency Committee Chairperson or the PUP Secretariat, Independence Hall, #3 Queen Street, Belize City.

Once the petitions are valid, the recall process should move to the referendum stage where Cayo North East voters will be asked if they want Penner recalled. Penner is the most disgraced UDP politician as he faces criminal charges for issuing Belizean nationality and passport to South Korean national Kim Won Hong, who was thousands of miles away, in a Taiwan prison.

It is widely believed that the disqualification of the recall process was a political stunt to continue the UDP Government’s protection of Elvin Penner. Several days after the Elections and Boundaries Department made known their decision on the recall process, a document was leaked to the media showing that the UDP Government had handsomely compensated the members of the Elections Department special screening committee for their work.

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below company has been dissolved and struck-off the International Business Companies Registry with effect from March 21st, 2014: EMBLEM INTERNATIONAL LIMITED Zetland Corporate Services Belize Limted Registered Agent

Completed applications must be filled and returned to the Chairperson and the Secretary General. The non-refundable fee is to be submitted to the Secretariat along with the necessary documentation to complete the application package.

Deadline for submission is Tuesday April 15, 2014.

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP – Unscrupulous & Deadly Party!!!

Police questions Clerk of National Assembly about hit on Pawpa Mena the alleged hitman, is now being investigated by the Police.

The hitman is identified as Jermaine “Mouse” Miranda, who told the Police that sometime in early March while passing Webster’s house on Penn Road, he was called by Webster. Webster is a known UDP flunky in Dangriga who is beneBelize City, April 2, 2014 Ever since the unpopular UDP fixed the Dangriga constituency standard bearer convention so Frank “Pawpa” Mena becomes the UDP Standard Bearer, there has been a lot of drama inside the UDP. Key supporters such as Charles Mariano, a former UDP Chairman of Dangriga, current Chairman Anthony Norales and Barbara Norales have all expressed serious concern about the UDP’s poor credibility.

The most recent drama is nothing to take lightly, however.

It involves a very serious allegation that the Clerk of the National Assembly Eddie Webster hired a ‘hitman’ to execute UDP Standard Bearer Frank “Papa” Mena.

The allegation, which was drawn out from the testimony of

Killer Food Prices Cabbage, sweet pepper, tomato, Black Beans and Red Kidney Beans prices increase by 20% Belize City, March 27, 2014 A day after Prime Minister Dean Barrow was beating his chest about his lackluster budget and talking about “a train bound for glory”, the fact checkers at the Statistical Institute of Belize released new data pointing out that there was nothing glorious about the road which the Barrow Administration is taking us on.

SIB’s analysis shows that the cost of basic items continue to increase, and that in February 2014 the consumer price index was 103.7, with inflation rising to 1.7%.

There were hikes cabbage, sweet pepper, tomato, Black Beans and Red Kidney Beans, which increased by over 20 percent compared to the same month last year. Meanwhile the average price for a pound of ground beef rose by 23 percent to $5.15.

Comparatively speaking also, the cost of butane was 10 percent higher during the month.

SIB’s data also shows that the inflation rates were highest in Dangriga and Corozal Town at 2.2% and 2.9% respectively.

fitting from huge perks, including a Government-assigned vehicle and allowances.

Miranda claims that Webster made the offer to him, that he shoot and kill Mena in exchange for $5,000.

Miranda is a known notorious figure in Dangriga, with several criminal convictions including ag-

09 9 gravated assault and harm.

The report has been confirmed

by Dangriga Police, and they have questioned Webster. He, of course, denied the allegation.

It is widely known that there is bad blood, hatred and a whole lot of mixed emotions in the UDP, especially since the royal installation of Pawpa Mena was successful, against the advice of many. Just how far the political sycophants would go to “settle” their issues is unknown, but if the pre-convention drama and now the alleged hit is any indication of how far the UDP are willing to go, they are in for a rocky road ahead.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE

By Dolores Balderamos Garcia

Western Paradise Councillor Resigns In a letter addressed to Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Mr. Amelio Cal, Hon. Patrick Faber, Mr. Michael Hutchinson and Mr. Andrew Baird, a councillor who was elected last year on the UDP ticket has tendered her resignation from the Western Paradise Village Council.

Merlene Carr has resigned in good conscience, she said, due to lack of clear direction and effective leadership of her fellow UDP councillors.

She also cited non-productive meetings, micro-management, failure to provide full

disclosure of pertinent information and lack of transparent accountability for financial matters.

Since last year the UDP councillors have disregarded and disrespected Mr. Amelio Cal, the duly elected Chairman of Western Paradise, who was elected by an overwhelming majority. They have made it clear to him that he is not welcome in their partisan political discussions and decisions.

Ms. Carr has taken full notice of the partisan way that councillors have been conducting themselves, and in solidarity

with Mr. Cal, she has stepped aside. She said also “I am in no means removing myself from public service, but rather freeing myself to serve without the limitation of partisan politics and the personal agendas demonstrated by others.”

Both Ms. Carr and Mr. Cal have witnessed the extreme politicizing of all village council meetings, with some councillors even saying openly that the Chairman should not be present at meetings because UDP politics and political agendas will be discussed. It is also known that the UDP councillors have met with UDP candidate Beverly Castillo, who has made no attempt whatever to speak with Mr. Cal or Ms. Carr or to meet with community residents.

Tired of the UDP partisan politics, Ms. Carr has since held discussions with Mr. Cal, pledging to him to work along with him for the betterment of the Western Paradise sub communities of West Lake, Sunset Park and Western Pines.

6 APR

2014 Liquor License NOTICES Notice is hereby given that NORMA ALDANA is applying for a Restaurant and Bar Liquor License to be operated at “H&I Restaurant and Bar”, situate at Crooked Tree Village, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that SUNYANA LESLIE is applying for a Malt and Cider Liquor License to be operated at “ALB’s Restaurant”, situate at #6 Marage Road, Ladyville, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

6 APR

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

Gregorio “Papas” Garcia

David “Dido” Vega and Gregorio “Papas” Garcia

Photo courtesy Henry Mortis

Papas sworn in as the Corozal Bay Standard Bearer by Party Chairman Henry C. Usher

Photo courtesy German Novelo

for PUP COROZAL BAY

Over 1,900 voters were cast at the PUP Corozal Bay Convention

PUP Chairman & Hon. Florencio Marin Jr., Deputy Leader

PUP Eastern Caucus Chairman, Dr. Francis Smith speaking to supporter Photo courtesy Henry Mortis

Supporters gathered outside the polling area to support the new PUP Standard Bearer Photo courtesy German Novelo

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Barrow Telecoms Limited

Continued from page 1 rectors, along with his mother, Barrow’s ex-wife Lois Young-Barrow. Then in August 2013, Anwar huffed all senior Board members to enjoy a special two-seat Executive Committee appointment. This male dominated Committee made up of Nestor Vasquez and Anwar had more say than the Board.

Then mid last month some seismic movement in BTL ended like a volcanic eruption with long-time employee Chief Operations Officer Karen Bevans resigning from her post. It is believed that Bevans, with her understanding of and experience in the telecoms industry, was the most likely candidate to replace the ageing Vasquez when he bowed out.

Executive Chairman Nestor Vasquez then retired at the end of March 2014 and on April 1st – All Fool’s Day – Anwar Barrow became BTL’s head honcho. But this was no foolish prank. The Prime Minister has been seeking ways of inserting his family into very high places of his administration at every possible instance.

It is a very devious agenda which grants authority and power to members of the Barrow clan like a dictatorship, while giving them access to perks and benefits paid by the taxpayers.

Here is how Barrow’s family enjoys life under a UDP Government: Barrow’s special ex-wife Lois is enjoying tremendous perks including a diplomatic passport and full medical insurance as Belize’s Ambassador to Washington and the United Nations. His real wife Kim Simpliss-Barrow is an ambassador of sorts and has been using her position to go on junkets and live a celebrity life, which has rubbed some UDPs the wrong way and created political migraine for the UDP. The PM’s convicted son, rapper “Shyne” Barrow was named Belize’s Musical Ambassador promptly after being deported to Belize. He now lives in Israel but is still an Ambassador! The Prime Minister’s brother Denys Barrow was imported from St. Lucia and appointed as a Judge in Belize’s highest appellate court, and when he was forced to resign due to circumstances, he was comforted with millions of taxpayers’ dollars for his services as a private lawyer for the Government in numerous legal cases. And then his children, the PM’s nieces and nephew, have been given special appointments and treatment. Kimano Barrow, an Information Technology specialist, was awarded an oil exploration concession!! His sister Naima Barrow was appointed to serve on the all-important Elections and Boundaries Commission, while Liesje Barrow sits on the critical Belize Advisory Council.

Barrow has shamelessly defended his practice of nepotism, claiming that it’s all good when he does it. Some years ago, he even took his position before a United Nations meeting in which the media criticized world leaders who gave their family special appointments. Barrow was barefaced and bashed the media, saying that people shouldn’t be “overly finicky” when talent runs all in the family.

But where is the talent in the case of the Barrows and BTL? With his son as a member of the Board and the all-powerful Executive Committee, BTL’s financial situation worsened last year. Gross earn-

ings fell by $1.5 million. Profits reduced by over $5.5 million, while earnings per share fell by 11 cents for shareholders.

Where is the talent that should have maintained BTL’s financial boom as a telecoms company, as was taking place when it was privately owned?

Where is the talent that should boost customer satisfaction and employee morale? Today BTL workers can’t even get a promised 3% salary increase, and they complain bitterly about the extravagant spending by

the Board and political manipulation of the company.

Why has BTL’s finances not made fully public when it is a Government-owned company? Is Barrow’s grab for power in BTL meant to facilitate and cover up his Government’s milking of the company for political gain? BTL is now Barrow’s Telecoms Limited and instead of providing cheaper rates and delivering new and reliable technology, it is providing a source for UDP funds and Christmas cheer ham for political supporters.

6 APR

2014 Public Notice The Registration Certificate #BZ-0614 for boat vessel “Fiber glass skiff” belonging to Timothy Diskin of Belize City, Belize District, was Lost. A new Registration Form as required by Part III of Harbours & Merchants Shipping Act, Chapter 234 of the Consolidated Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000 has been requested.

APR 66 APR

THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE

2014

TOPMODEL 13

ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS Vybz

Kartel

Popular Jamaican artist, Vybz Kartel, has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Clive ‘Lizard’ Williams.

Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, is to serve 35 years before he becomes eligible for parole.

He and the three other men convicted for Lizard’s murder, Adidja Palmer, Shawn ‘Shawn Storm’ Campbell, Kahira Jones and Andre St John, were each given life sentences also.

Justice Campbell handed down the sentences after hearing impassioned pleas for leniency from lawyers representing the men.

On March 13, after 65 days of trial, a jury returned a ten to one guilty verdict.

On that same day, a fourth co-accused, Shane Williams was freed by the jury.

The defence has indicated that it will be appealing the verdict.

Location: Old Belize Adventure and Marina, Belize City

sentenced to life in prison

Leticia • • • •

Height: 5’ 0” Career Plan: Early Childhood Education Sign: Taurus Favourite Food: Spanish Food (Escabeche)

• • •

TOP MODEL Clothing and Accessories provided by CATWALK FASHIONS

Likes: Dancing, Reading, Spending time with my boys Lives in: Belize City Fav. Quote: “Never allow a person to tell you no, if they don’t have the power to tell you yes!”

visit us at www.belizetimes.bz or Facebook/ Belize Times

Cor. North Front Steet & Queen Street Belize City

Follow us on facebook

14 SPORTS

Belize City, March 22, 2014 The University of Belize girls, 48 of them, won the 34th annual UB Relathon from the Market Square Belmopan to Belize City for the 3rd consecutive year on Sunday, March 30 over the boys, who started from the Coronation Park by the Police Station in San Ignacio, both runs kicked off at 8:30am. They clocked 6:29:00 on their 50 mile run making this the 16th time the girls have won, while the boys, who have won 18 times, clocked 6:47:00 on their 75 mile run.

Female cyclist Patricia Chavarria anchored the final leg from the City Center to the UB Engineering Department at the ITVET compound in Belize City. Chavarria also had the fastest time for the mile among the girls: 5:43, while Alberta Garcia had the 2nd fastest mile: 6:46 and Anna Soler, the 3rd fastest: 6:51.

The UB men, 43 strong had closed their 20mile handicap but were still 3 miles away when Chavarria reached the ITVET. The boys ran in 18 minutes later. George Ortega anchored the final leg for the boys, he had the best time, a new all-time record for the mile 4:45! Melvin Perez had the 2nd fastest mile: 5:06, while Elvis Sutherland had the 3rd fastest mile: 5:10.

(To learn some interesting scientific history and facts about the UB Relathon, see page 26)

brakes Running Rebels 76-75 Orange Walk, March 29, 2014 The Smart No Limits stopped Orange Walk Running Rebels 76-75 in the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) tournament, which continued at the Orange Walk multi-purpose complex on Friday night.

No Limits’ Akeem “Timmy” Trapp led with 23 points and 7 rebounds, while team captain Greg “Chippy” Rudon added 18 points.

Rebels’ captain, Randy Usher, and Omar Tesecum both scored 16 points each, while Ian Carcamo added 15 points.

Other NEBL games: San Pedro Tigersharks vs. Corozal Heats 86-68 Cayo Western Ballaz vs. Dangriga Warriors - 61-48 Belmopan Bandits vs. Toledo Diplomats 86-41

2014

Females win UB Relathon

SMART No Limits

Jody Pott takes on Esenie Vernon

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THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

Akeem Trapp scored 23 points

Hatieville U17 won 3-2

Hattieville United U-17 & Bombers U-15 lead football competitions Belize City, March 29, 2014 The Hattieville United Youth Sporting Club Under 17 boys are leading the 2014 Belize District Football Association (BDFA) competition, while the Collet Strikers U-17, Academy FC girls, the London Strikers and the Brown Bombers U-15 all posted big wins when the competition continued at the MCC garden last Saturday.

Hattieville United U-17 schooled the City Boys U-17 with a 3-2 score. 2 goals were scored by Kenyon Lewis while Charles James added a 3rd. Kermit Sutherland and Orlando Velasquez scored for the City Boys.

Meanwhile, the Brown Bombers U-15 bombed the Collet Strikers 2-1 with goals by Sherwin Requena and Tyreek “Pippin” Muschamp, after Shaquile Matute had scored for the Strikers in the 1st half.

Other matches: Ladyville Rising Stars vs. Hattieville United U-15 boys – 1-1 Goals by Jaheed Baptist, Andres Velasquez Academy FC “A” team vs. Pallotti Academy - 1-0 Goal by Sophia Diego London Strikers vs. Academy FC “B” girls - 1-0 Goal by Elisha Bernardez Collet Strikers U-17 vs. La-

Miriany Guzman

dyville Rising Stars’ U-17 - 2-0 Goals by Tarique Ciego and Denmark Jorgenson Upcoming matches Hattiville U-15 vs. Collet Strikers, Saturday, April 5 Brown Bombers U-15 vs. Ris-

Melvin Perez

ing Stars London Strikers vs. Pallotti Academy FC Hattieville United U-17 vs. Collet Strikers U-17 Brown Bombers U-17 vs. City boys U-17

66 APR APR

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

2014 2014

St. Joseph boys

SPORTS 15

win table tennis championships Belize City, March 28, 2014 The St. Joseph’s RC primary schoolboys swept the top 4 spots at the 2014 3rd Annual DUTCH LADY primary schools table tennis tournament held at the Belize Elementary School Auditorium on Mercy lane this past Friday.

St. Joseph’s Latrell Solis took 1st place, Luis Bardalez got 2nd, Amiri Hoare won 3rd and Jaylen Nicholson finished 4th place over some 64 students from 7 primary schools.

BES, which has won the last 2 years, fielded the largest team that included some of the top junior players, with St. Joseph, Hummingbird Elementary, St. Mary’s and Wesley, while St. Ignatius and Ephesus 7th ‘day Adventist took part for the first time.

With all 4 players from St. Joseph School in the finals, they proved to be the school to beat come next year’s event.

The next junior table tennis tournament comes up on April 13, 2014.

Pott/Mena & Meenavalli bros win RF&G tennis doubles championships Belize City, March 29, 2014 Samira Pott and Lauren Mena-Sosa won the RF&G Insurance/Brodies Open Doubles women’s final 6-0, 6-0 against Sophie Sosa and Jessie Clarke, after getting the bye through the 1st round and a 6-3, 6-4 win against Dr. Lisa Johnson and Esther Ramirez in the 2nd round.

Sosa/Clarke had advanced by a 6-0, 6-0 win over Nellie Mendoza and Nicole Solano in the first round and a 7-6, 6-2 win in the second and third sets over Maureen Utsman and Judith Brooks, who had won the

FC Belize draws with Paradise Freedom Fighters, 0-0 Belize City, March 30, 2014 FC Belize came up empty, walking away with only one point from a nil-zip draw with the Paradise Freedom Fighters at the MCC garden in Week 7 of the Belikin Cup closing season competition, after they had drilled Verdes FC 1-0 last Wednesday.

Paradise’ Kenroy Arthurs set table for Lis-

Leon Jones tackles Franz Vernon

bey Castillo with a free kick but Castillo’s header was just off target. Steven Baizar created a play for Devaugn “Beckham” Zuniga but the PG goalie Frank Lopez proved up to the challenge, beating Zuniga to the ball.

PG’s best strikers Franz Vernon, Alexander Peters, Lisbey Castillo, Jordy Polanco all came away empty, a most disappointing result for the fans.

In Belmopan on Saturday night, the Police United hosted the Belize Defence Force to a 4-1 drubbing at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium. Amin “Tacos” August opened the scoreboard for the Police in the 60th minute, Danny Jimenez added a 2nd goal in the 67th minute and Clifton West made it 4-0 with goals in the 69th and 84th minutes. Only Leonard Valdez scored a late consolation goal for the BDF in the 89th minute on a penalty conversion.

In San Ignacio on Sunday, San Ignacio salvaged a 1-1 draw with the Belmopan Bandits at the Norman Broaster Stadium when Edwani Munoz equalized in the 82nd minute, after Bandits’ goalie Woodrow West had converted a penalty in the 34th minute.

first set 6-0.

Meenavalli brothers, Mitra and Karna, won the male finals 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 against Billy Musa Jr and his son, Stefan Musa, after getting the bye through the 1st round and a 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 win against Ian Mcfield and Michel Ardoulle.

The Musas advanced to the finals by a 6-0, 6-0 win against Martin and Jonathan Marshalleck, who defaulted on their match Friday evening.

RF&G Insurance’s Ms. Sonia Tun joined Brodies’ Mr. Curtis Musa in presenting the prizes and trophies to the winners at the close of the tournament Saturday evening.

Keion Robateau wins Junior Cross Country cycling classic Belize City, March 30, 2014 Keion Robateau, of Team BECOL Uprising, clocked 3:41:27 on his 70 mile ride from San Jose Succotz to Belize City to win the 15th annual Junior Cross Country cycling classic held by the Cycling Federation of Belize on the George Price Highway on Sunday.

Robateau won the $800 1st prize, as well as a 4–year tertiary scholarship from the Ministry of Education, a Samsung netbook from

Digicell 4G and a trophy.

BECOL Uprising’s Delon Gentle out-sprinted Zamir Guerra of Cayo High Road team to win the $500 2nd prize.

In the Youth Category, Devin Azueta of Team Cayo High Road, was first with a time of 4:17:41. He was trailed by Darien Anderson of Team SMART and Dennis Arnold who rode unattached.

Some 20 riders had started the race but only 14 finished.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

6 APR

2014

6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

Scales of JUSTICE

by anthony sylvestre

Exploiting the Disabled!

In any country which is serious about development, a Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation would be regarded as critical. As the name suggests, such a ministry would have as its key objective, the development of the country’s human capital. Or put another way, such a ministry would be the forerunner in implementing initiatives to address inevitable social and economic problems of the country’s citizens; in particular those who do not have the resources or wherewithal to address them by themselves. For if these are not addressed, the human capital can and will be retarded.

So it would be thought that such a ministry would be serious in implementing initiatives such as the fight against TB, malaria, HIV, the fight against domestic violence; deal with women’s affairs and implement foster care and single mother’s programs; especially if the government (as this one claims) is “for the people.”

But a review and analysis of this Ministry’s budget estimates reveals and highlights that this government is not for the people as it says, but that this ministry is being used to funnel tax payers’ monies out of the people’ coffers to finance the UDP’s campaign.

It may not have been apparent when the Prime Minister appointed Boots Martinez as the Minister of Human Development right after the general elections, but a review of the budget of this Ministry for 2012/13, 2013/14 and now 2014/15 reveal starkly the sham, the fraud, the bogusness that Dean Barrow and Boots Martinez have been perpetuating on our people in Belize City since the last general elections.

And perhaps we should have all seen this. For Boots Martinez is the UDP’s chief campaigner in Belize City; the “ground general” as he loves to call himself. And truth is, we did all question out aloud: “Boots? Minister of Human Development?” It did not make sense.

But, as said before, when this ministry’s budget over the last three years is reviewed, we begin to see how much sense and dollars it has been making for Dean Barrow

and the UDP. This Ministry is sub-divided as it were, into 17 divisions or units: Human Development Department, Child Care Centre, Golden Haven Rest Home, Population Unit, Disabilities Services Division, Princess Royal Youth Hostel, Women’s Department, Family Services Division, Community Rehabilitation Department, Residential Daycare Services, Child Placement & Specialized Services, Mile 14 Girls Home, Gender Integration, Gender Based Violence Service, Economic Empowerment, Court and Case Management Services and the Conscious Youth Development Program.

In FY 2012/13, the ministry’s budget was $10,615,248. The average monies budgeted for each department/unit was $350,000.

The exception was the Human Development Department which had a budget and in fact spent $6,574,442. Nothing may appear alarming with this at first. However, when you dig deeper, it is unearthed that $5,459,189 of this $6,574,442 was given out as grants. Which means that over $5 million was just given out like that, without rhyme or reason.

That amounts to $454,932.41 that Boots and the UDP had to give out every month to their cronies, friends and anyone else they wanted to give. That’s almost half a million dollars of tax payers dollars that Boots and the UDP had each month to give out as free money and “hush money”. That’s crazy! It wouldn’t matter if it were their money; but it is not. It is the people’s money that they were playing with in this obscene and criminal-like way.

But it seems that it was brought to their attention that the giving out of the people’s money through the Human Development Department in this way was actually contrary to the mandate and objectives of that department. For the objective of the Human Development Department is actually “to reduce client dependency on social service by promoting self-sufficiency in all programs offered.”

One does not have to be functionally literate then to realize that

the giving away of over $5 million of tax payers’ money by the Human Development Department in 2012/13 as Boots did was in fact contrary to its mandate. The Director of that Department, it seemed, put her foot down; didn’t want her and her staff to be broad brushed in what was now a scheme to finance the UDP’s unending political campaign. So for 2013/14 (last year), Boots moved from the Human Development Department to another department in his ministry, the $5 million plus which he and the UDP were hell bent on funneling out of government’s coffers to finance their campaign.

And you would never guess of all places, where they would move this money to! The Disabilities Services Division. Yes, the Disabilities Services Division!

So now, whereas the Disabilities Services Division budget in FY 2012/13 was a measly $206,086 (the year after general elections), this now exponentially ballooned to $6,248,336 in FY 2013/14. What led to this astronomical increase in the number of persons living with disabilities in Belize from 2012/13 to 2013/14, only Boots knows?

And this question is real and pertinent, especially having regard to the mandate of the Disabilities Services Division; which is, “to meet the needs of disabled persons and improve quality of their lives empowering and promoting the inclusion of persons with disabilities that into the Belizean society”.

When you examine the breakdown of that $6,248,336 it came to light that $5,831,250 of this went to grants, which was, again, the giving out of money. In other words, 93% of the budgetary increase in the Disabilities Services Division went towards grants, giving out of free money.

God wah lash these people.

The Bible tells us this: “Cursed is he who misleads a blind [disabled] person on the road” Deuteronomy 27:18.

God will lash them because they are exploiting the disabled and unfortunate to juggle money out of government’s coffers to finance their unending political campaign. What they have done is an affront to decent, good, innocent persons with disabilities like that sterling young man Rowan Garel, veteran DJ, announcer and radio personality, Donovan Reneau and many others, like Hector Hoare.

And here’s the thing, there is actually an association for persons with disabilities. It is called the Belize Assembly for People with Diverse Abilities. And you know who is the president? One Marshall Nunez. So, I had to call my friend Marshall Nunez to find out if in fact and in truth, persons with disabilities in Belize are being beneficiaries of this scheme- for a scheme

17 it is.

And just as I thought, they are not. This is criminal!

For FY 2014/15, Barrow, Boots and the UDP have come back and done the same thing again. They have put the bulk of the money in Boots’ Ministry in the Disabilities Services Division, using this as the medium to funnel tax payers’ monies out of government’s coffers to fund their unending political campaign.

And to think, the Special Envoy only as recent as June 1st, 2011 signed on behalf of Belize, the United Nations Convention for People’s with Disabilities. And this is how this government treats our people with disabilities- use the disable as a cover for them to funnel money out of the government coffers.

This is a low down dirty shame and criminal!

18

6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE

BY ORDER OF THE CHARGEE HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED, a Licensed Public Auctioneer will sell the following property at the place and time listed.

At the Parking Lot across the street from the office of Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited, No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City on Friday April 25, 2014 at 10:00a.m.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 4.999 acres being Block 20, Parcel 3163 Belmopan Registration Section situate in Rivera Area, Belmopan West, Cayo District, the freehold property of NICHOLAS OLMEDO, surety for CYNTHIA OLMEDO

Dangriga

Tax Amnesty Program Raffle Winner is Ms. Elvira Valencio

DATED this 4th day of April 2014 All sales are strictly cash and deemed final. For more information contact: HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

For Sale

By Order of the Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgage made the 13th day of June, 2012 between GREGORY CRICHTON and PATRICH GARBUTT both of No. 2 Piccini Site, Buttonwood Bay, Belize City, Belize of the one part, and Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., of the other part, and recorded at the Land Titles Unit in Deeds Book Vol. 15 of 2012 at Folios 339 – 408, the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the schedule hereto.

All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. SCHEDULE ALL THAT lot, piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 45 a portion of the land being known as “Dewdrop Farm” situate at Mile 11 ¾ on the Old Belize-Corozal Road in the Belize District of Belize as shown in Subdivision Plan registered at Entry No. 5325 Register No. 16 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 26th day of March, 2014.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorney-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

Dangriga Mayor His Worship Major (ret’d) Mayor Gilbert Swaso & Ms. Elvira Valencio

On March 1st, 2014 the Dangriga Town Council embarked on a Property Tax Amnesty Program. Big discounts are being offered to residents of Dangriga who have outstanding property tax arrears. As an added incentive, for every $25.00 paid you get a raffle ticket for the raffle of a two bedroom wooden house on December 31st, 2014 during the Town Council’s New Year’s Eve Countdown. However, there are smaller monthly raffles leading up to the house raffle. On Monday March 31st, 2014 the raffle for the month of March was held and the lucky winner was Ms. Elvira Valencio. She won fifty pounds of chicken courtesy of Quality Poultry Products and twenty pounds of rice and ten pounds of beans courtesy of Savery’s Grocery Store. The Dangriga Town Council says congratulations to Ms. Elvira Valencio and thanks to the prize sponsors.

In receiving her gift certificates Ms. Valencio thanked the Town Council and encouraged all residents of Dangriga who owe property tax to come in and pay their outstanding taxes, she said that was the way residents can help the town to develop and progress.

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

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20

THE BELIZE TIMES

Reid Carefaking

By G. Michael Reid The United Democratic Party has introduced a new equation into the political formula for Belize. This concept of “caretaker” is ridiculous, disrespectful and harmful to the democracy of our nation. The term “Caretaker government” is not new and is used in some Westminster systems as a temporary holdover between governments.

“The caretaker government is usually simply the incumbent government, which continues to operate in the interim period between the normal dissolution of parliament for the purpose of holding an election and the formation of a new government.” It is a type of government that rules temporarily.

What this government has done is to introduce caretakers as a substitute for duly elected representatives throughout the entire term of their office. They perform duties, make decisions and disburse funds which should ordinarily

of portfolio and hit with a six months suspension. A year later in May of 2010, Coy was involved in a fatal accident that caused the death of his wife. Although it was widely believed that he and his driver had been out drinking, nothing came of the case and Coy continued to hold his office. The fact of the matter is that anyone needing government services in Toledo West must go through Juan Coy and not the duly elected representative Oscar Requena. This is a matter of urgent concern and must be addressed sooner than later.

The worst case in this whole ‘caretaker’ foolishness I believe is that of Denny Grijalva in Orange Walk Central. Grijalva was born in Guatemala but somehow has managed to wiggle himself high in the ranks of the United Democratic Party. In May of 2013, Grijalva, while given the contract to construct village roads in the Deputy Prime Minister’s constituency, took a shortcut and instead of quarrying for road fill, decided to mow down a significant Mayan temple. By the time authorities were alerted, Grijalva had several Mayan mounds

6 APR

2014

Standard Bearer for Orange Central and as a result, becomes the recognized caretaker for the area. Apart from that, Gijalva has been given some major road building contracts.

Reports are that he has given some big contracts to do major works on the sugar roads up north. He is also one of the main contractors on the lucrative project to fix the George Price Highway. In a story carried by Chanbe the duty and prerogative of the nel Five in last Friday’s newscast, the Area Representatives. They have takquality of work currently being done en the “first past the post” concept

by Grijalva’s company has been deto a new level. The way it works is scribed as “so shoddy it’s painful”. that if a person is elected to serve as Yet whenever any contract becomes representative of a certain constituavailable Grijalva is the first to be conency but the party under whose bansidered. Who does this man own and ner they run does not win, then that what does he have on whom? representative is basically rendered The bottom line is that this null and void. The only time that they whole caretaker business will have to have a role to play is when there is a be done away with. What is the use meeting of the House of Represenof people even going to the poles if tatives. They carry the needs of their the people who they elect will not constituencies to the House but if be the ones to represent them? there are goods and services granted What is next; the caretakers goto their constituency, it is delivered to ing to House instead of the Area and through the caretakers.

Representative? Of course there is a good reason for this.

These so-called caretakers The UDP is the most vindictive and malicious know the electorate. They know who is PUP and group ever to put on a political color. They do not who is UDP and when it is even try to hide it. They have said plain, it is their time to deliver the goods and services, they know turn to eat and they seem prepared to clean who gets priority and ofthe plate. What the UDP need to understand ten even exclusivity. The is that many of the people who they label UDP is the most vindicas PUP and are victimizing are the very ones tive and malicious group ever to put on a political whose votes put them in office. color. They do not even try to hide it. They have said Caretakers are usually failed asplain, it is their turn to eat and they to the ground and more than 70% of the pirants, defeated representatives or seem prepared to clean the plate. main structure destroyed, leaving only a just hopefuls of the party. The careWhat the UDP need to understand small core of the center. It created quite taker for Toledo West for example is is that many of the people who a local outcry but it was not until the inciJuan Coy who lost his seat to Oscar they label as PUP and are victimizdent gained international exposure that Requena in 2012. While in office, the ing are the very ones whose votes a couple of petty charges were filed. So same Coy was accused of abusing put them in office. They will not forfar, nothing more has been heard about the powers of his office by ordering get and the next time around, the this case and it obvious that it has, the release of contraband goods conknife that now sticks the sheep will “blown over like a little breeze”. fiscated by the Belize Defense Force. instead stick the goat. I hope they What has happened since then is In March of 2009, he was stripped are prepared for the consequences. that Gijalva has been endorsed as UDP

6 APR

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

Home Economics

Culture & Economic Development

By Richard Harrison culture (meaning) 1. the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values, and knowledge, which constitute the shared bases of social action.

2. the total range of activities and ideas of a group of people with shared traditions, which are transmitted and reinforced by members of the group.

Below are generalizations of a subset of aspects of Belize culture that impact our rate and quality of economic development.

I. “LATER” Syndrome In Belize, most things are left for “later”. If it is not life threatening it can be done later. This attitude is very pervasive, and results in procrastination, latency, last-minute rush, and in creole “hurry-com-up”, which means something that is hastily, and normally incompletely or inadequately done. This manifests itself in many ways in daily life, not in the least of which is frequent late arrival for work, meetings or invitations known popularly as “Belize time”. This laid back attitude has its advantages and disadvantages relative to peaceful co-existence of so many mixed races, but in economic life, this lack of urgency hinders our pace of development in more ways than we care to accept.

II. IF IT’S NOT MY IDEA, IT’S NOT GOOD Belizeans are generally not capable of offering, and then listening in turn to others’ ideas, analyzing each objectively, and then selecting the best one of all based on an agreed set of criteria.

They are quick to find the error, mistake, oversight, shortcoming or what is wrong with the idea….much more so than finding the good intent, what is correct and right about the idea. Lay persons will argue with experts in a field, because everyone has “the right to his own opinion”…and essentially because there is a pervasive belief among Belize adults that devalues expert knowledge, arguing that experience is as good or better than education and denying ourselves the synergistic benefit of both working together for mutual benefit.

This is a strange thing, in that Belizeans are very ready to accept as gospel, an idea that comes from a foreign source, especially if it is from North Americans or Europeans. This inability to identify and agree on good ideas, collectively contribute to refining them, and then objectively selecting from among them the one that serves their best, common interests is a major contributor to slow, retarded development, duplicity, acts of reinventing-the-wheel and worse of all, inaction. We see this in the way how domestic and foreign investors and investments are treated.

We will search in a hay stack for the needle to pinch their balloon….with our microscopes we will find the one little mistake, oversight or error, ready with our swords to cut off their ears…. we will try to shake down the investor for every dollar that he does not have before we lift a finger to help him get his investment up to speed and returning a profit…..profit? That is none of our

business!

III. THE CRAB MENTALITY Belizeans have seen new ethnic groups arrive in Belize, and in no time, they advance their financial status and clout in the economy far beyond the Belizeans that have lived here for many generations. This is seen among the Mennonites, the “Arabs”, the Hindus, the Chinese and even the “evangelical” immigrants from Central America. This rapid economic advancement owes itself to a greater cohesion, collaboration and cooperation among the participants in these communities, especially the leaders. Generally, Belizeans are not the happiest people to see their own family, friend or community member prosper.

They will criticize, complain, sabotage and find the most creative ways to tear down, rather than to support and help build up. As a Belizean sees his neighbor having success with his panades shop, every other Belizean on the street will open a panades shop….instead of one becoming a barber, one a baker, or the other a candlestick maker.

IV. THE UNDERDOG The underdog is the favorite generally for Belizeans. Persons seeking to excel in school…or in the work place will be criticized by their peers as nerds and brown noses, instead of encouraged to do better. Profiting, and doing what it takes to make it, is viewed negatively in Belizean society. However, Belizeans would be quick to pay homage and be subservient to a foreign person of means. If a Belizean has a rich neighbor and a poor neighbor, he will send a gift to the rich neighbor before he sends one to the poor neighbor. A Belizean views himself as of a higher status if he consumes foreign goods and services. A foreign manager will get more cooperation from his Belizean workers than a Belizean manager, because he “knows”.

The Belizean manager is viewed as a peer, and if he does not equalize himself with these peers, he is thinking himself “higher than us” and more often than not, sabotaged. These qualities are neither conducive nor incentive for people to do better and to become the best that they can be.

More often than not, persons with a higher ambition feel it necessary to leave Belize seeking the opportunity to be the best persons that they can be.

This is perhaps why most corporations and institutions in Belize feel the need to hire non-Belizeans as their top brass.

Perhaps this is why it is very rare for important decisions to be taken in the Belize government if it is not recommended or sanctioned by a foreign consultant. This amounts to a nation exhibiting a very low self-esteem, incapable of engaging in objective compare and contrast analysis and debate, reaching meaningful consensus on high-ambition objectives, making decisions in its best interest, and then taking decisive action based on those decisions…but rather a nation quick to reach its lowest common denominator….for example, rapidly identifying with and absorbing hip-hop culture from inner-city USA, yet looking with scorn and/or jealousy upon

US scientific explorative, innovative and entrepreneurial ways.

V. THE LONE RANGER Belizeans generally do their best when they work by themselves. Any engagement that requires group or team work will encounter an amount of difficulties and challenges….especially if there are two or more interested parties.

We prefer to give up on an opportunity to gain ourselves, if that opportunity required sharing with a family member, friend or neighbor as a partner. We avoid every opportunity to seek out and arrive at win-win scenarios…equations for mutual benefit….we generally “want our cake and eat it too”. Perhaps this comes from a miscalculated understanding that the world is a zero-sum game…that where one gains, another must lose.

This is seen in the relationship between importers and producers…between cruise tourism and over-night tourism developers…between tax collectors and tax payers….between government and opposition...among others…where processes that would lead to a better mutually beneficial co-existence is trumped by the need, want and desire to satisfy the insatiable appetite of selfish me-only motives.

Knowledge of organizational culture in the context of our national culture has been used here to show how it impacts on the business and economy of Belize. Having only general knowledge in this field, I felt compelled to touch this topic, hoping that persons

more qualified in the area would try to get more scientific research done to put flesh on this skeleton….as I don’t see much being done in this important area.

There are aspects of Belizean culture that can be considered good for business and the economy, for example the friendly and open, almost naïve nature of the people which is generally good for tourism….but, there are also important aspects of the culture that offer frictional and other resistance to development, especially in vital factors of production and productivity.

We need to acknowledge that culture is much more than music, food, dress and arts….that beliefs, values and behaviors are actually more important in terms of cultural impact on economic development…. and we should make greater efforts at understanding these aspects of our evolving culture through continuous scientific research….and engage in developing expert knowledge in cultural engineering that can help to guide us in promoting those positive aspects of our culture…and changing those not-so-positive ones.

Richard Harrison is a local businessman and investor in the manufacturing and service industries. Mr. Harrison holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from Lancaster University, United Kingdom. Send comments to harrisonbz@yahoo.com

BY ORDER OF CHARGEE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED a statutory body formed and registered under the Credit Union Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, and whose registered office is situated at No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City, Belize District hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Chargee under and by virtue of a Charge registered at the Land Registry between Ismay Adeline Swaso(Chargor) and Alden Courtney (Borrower) and the said Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited.

HRCU will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule below.

ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED from whom full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land comprising 501.722 square metres being Parcel 5237, Block 20 in the Belmopan Registration Section situate at No. 15 Mount Mossey Street, East Picinni, Belmopan, Cayo District, TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of ISMAY ADELINE SWASO, surety for ALDEN COURTNEY. DATED the 4th day of April 2014 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

22

THE BELIZE TIMES

Workaholism Is Not the Cure to Happiness

By Angela Banner-Joseph ‘I’m a bit of a workaholic.

When I feel like I’m not doing something, it drives me insane’ - Ashley Greene Are you addicted to work?

How many of you are workaholics? How many of you live at your job and don’t know when to call it quits and go home? A workaholic is a person who is addicted to his or her job and who may have perfectionist tendencies that can lead to the destruction of self, health, and family due to overwork. The Japanese have a name for it— karoshi—which means death by overwork. It is an addiction just like alcohol, drugs, or sex, in which a person constantly searches for the high of the fast-paced stimulation of a job.

I was once such a person.

Sometimes I worked 12-hour days, seven days a week. My mantra was, “I have to get the job done.” I did not know how to turn it off; work was all I did.

Here is what I learned during this process: Tomorrow is another day, and no one is going to remember the number of hours I worked. I also learned not to make my work become my life. I needed to do my best during my required hours, but I needed to leave the building when it was time to go home.

Family time had to be of the utmost importance in my life.

People become stressed out by working long hours, even if they enjoy the thrill and challenge of the job. Some get sick and others end up burned out from the stress of trying to do too much. Overwork is connected with a variety of health problems, such as anxiety, heart disease, and insomnia.

These are good reasons why everyone needs to find a balance in their daily schedules.

You cannot put the needs of your job before your personal health.

Some workaholics cannot handle the thought of not being

successful, and others are perfectionists who don’t like to fail.

They believe failing is not an option, and failure may crush their self-esteem. They think they need to work harder to be successful in the office to avoid an emotional meltdown.

Over the years, I have watched colleagues struggle with workaholism. Some worked because it gave them something to do. Others worked because they were afraid to go home and spend time alone.

Still others worked to avoid intimacy and familial issues and they became too overwhelmed to engage in building a solid relationship. For those, avoidance became the answer and working became the cure.

You may be suffering from working too much and you may not even know it. If you answer “yes” to a few of these questions, you may need to seek help.

• Do you bring work home?

• Do you work on weekends? On vacation?

• Do you work more than 50 hours a week?

• Do you work or read during meals?

• Do your long hours negatively impact your family?

• Do you forego family activities to work?

• Do you get angry or irritable when people ask you to stop working in order to do something else?

• Do you work longer hours because you love what you are doing?

• Do you get more excited about your work than about family or anything else?

If you answer “yes” to three or more of these questions you may be a workaholic.

I learned during my shortterm workaholic episode that I needed to find a balance in my life between work and home or my work addiction would get worse. I learned that working too much affected my family and personal relationships negatively and that I could not

6 APR

2014 “have it all.” The greatest lesson I learned was time management skills to find time for myself. I learned to maximize my efficiency during the hours I worked to produce the best results.

Yes, working hard does provide many rewards, but you must move instead towards a reasonable level of professional happiness. Workaholics often have an overdeveloped sense of achievement they believe is essential to their happiness. But remember, it’s foolish to work yourself to death to succeed and earn money, which is only a fraction of your life. Turn it off and go home.

Dr. Angela Banner Joseph holds a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership and Change from the Fielding Graduate University

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

Budget Debate Presentation by

Hon. Julius Espat Area Representative of Cayo South

Mr. Speaker, An overview of the entire budget estimates as presented to this Honourable House by the Prime Minister raises more questions than answers. In reality Mr. Speaker the Prime Minister has put himself in a position that has finally allowed the Belizean people and the International community to lose all CONFIDENCE IN HIS CREDIBILITY AND THAT OF HIS GOVERNMENT. You see Mr. Speaker, after extensive consultations with all our Social Partners. The one description that resonates over this Budget and our Economy is a lack of CONFIDENCE. Why have we the Belizean People lost confidence in what is proposed to us by this Government Mr. Speaker? Well, let us start with the root of the problem.

It starts with the utter disregard for Accountability and Transparency of our Public Funds. You see, after six years and an approximate 6 Billion dollars of our money being budgeted and spent, the Government has not seen it fit to account for a single cent.

The Belizean people have to understand that the UDP was put in Government to administer the spending of our money. The people need to make sure that it is spent wisely, and they need to know that it is not being stolen or misplaced. They need to know if they are receiving VALUE FOR MONEY. Mr. Speaker the greatest error that these present Ministers led by Prime Minister Barrow himself need to recognise, is that the PEOPLE’S MONEY IS NOT THEIR MONEY. They cannot and should not do with it as they please. Examples of this in this Budget is an excess of 9 million dollars being paid out for legal fees and Professional Advisory services.

This is for one year alone. Mr. Speaker, we have been reliably informed that this 9 million dollars has been paid to UDP friends and family including the Prime Minister’s brother and his law firm. If my information is wrong Mr. Speaker then let an independent audit be done at the Ministry of Finance to confirm this.

Mr. Speaker if the people of Belize add up all the legal fees that have been collected by the Barrow family’s legal fraternity, then they will start to understand why is it that the UDP is starting to implode, and why the Social Partners are saying that there is a lack of confidence in this Present UDP Government and this proposed budget and in effect, this economy.

Mr. Speaker something is wrong when every .60 cents of every dollar spent in Belize goes to taxes, and yet we in Cayo South cannot get the basic services that we deserve.

They want to treat us like beggars Mr. Speaker, but what we have to realize, is that they are not doing us a favor. They have an OBLIGATION to invest and maintain our communities. We in Cayo South are not second class citizens. We demand our just share of our money to be spent in our communities.

We do not want handouts, we demand our services.

Mr. Speaker Cayo South has some important tourist sites that earn millions of dollars for the Ministry of Tourism, BTB and the country of Belize. These are Caves Branch, ATM Cave, Blue Hole National Park, Guanacaste Park, and Caracol Archaeological site to name a few.

The problem though Mr. Speaker, is that there is no fund set up to assist and develop the communities that surround these sites.

I am speaking of the villages of Frank’s Eddie, More Tomorrow, St. Matthews, Teakettle, Arizona etc.

Our residents deserve a better life, they should be encouraged and educated in the respective fields, so that their families can benefit from our sites.

Our roads and services should be maintained and improved on a REGULAR basis.

A system should be set up at the BTB to stop the politicians from dipping into the Kit-

ty for Personal use, political use and political grandstanding events. There should be a budget set up of at least 10% of the income to go back to enhancing the human and natural resources of the surrounding communities.

That budget should be managed by a board not made up of political appointees and should take away any veto power held by the minister.

If we are to regain the confidence of our people we have to change and implement systems that take over the discretionary final decision of any Minister and his politically appointed contract officers.

Mr. Speaker all the stake holders in the Tourism Industry that come from the areas that generate the most income for tourism in Belize know exactly how this would help their product.

They need better infrastructure, better training, better maintenance of the sites, better policing etc. They in essence need an allocation in the Budget specifically for these areas.

Mr. Speaker we have realized on this side of the floor that it is critical for the future of this country that systems be put in place to provide guard rails for any party in Government to follow by. We do not believe that the problem will be solved by just replacing the Government of the Red with the Government of the Blue without any fundamental reform and change of the present system. That is why we are recommending to this Government to bring in the Social partners and enact the reforms that we are proposing. We are saying do it now. Take the credit Prime Minister. It is irrelevant to the people of Belize and the International community who takes the credit. What is important is that it is done.

Mr. Speaker, another thing that is important for us in Cayo South and the other rural communities, is that there is no adequate budget set aside for the Duly Elected Village Councils. Mr. Speaker the village councils only receive a small stipend based on the fees they collect from sale of liquor. In the average village this sums up to about 1800 a year.

Mr. Speaker this chum change does not go anywhere when the chairmen and councillors are expected to serve their people. They have fields to clean, cemeteries to maintain, roads and drains to maintain, public facilities and sporting facilities to maintain. They are set up from the beginning to fail and if they want something they must resort to begging or establish more businesses that supply alcohol to our youths.

This has to stop Mr. Speaker. The Government is politicizing everything and in essence holding us in bondage. This applies to land also. The Minister of lands circumvents the law and the duly elected officials and illegally issues land without proper consultations being done.

You see Mr. Speaker the root of the problem is accountability in everything we do.

We need to know Mr. Speaker why are Government vehicles of Ministers, judges, CEOs, contract officers seen every weekend in Flores, Melchor, Chetumal, Cancun etc. My constituents are asking why are high level positions in Government being given out to foreign nationals and not to deserving, educated Belizeans?

We want to know why there is a surge of foreign owned grocery buildings and restaurants in our communities and the local ones are being forced to close down.

Who is facilitating this and are they part of the formal economy like the rest of us?

Our people want to know how the money that Taiwan grants us is being spent. We still remember the $5M US that was granted to us the week before the Village council election. We know it was used for political maneuvering, but does the Taiwanese government know?

The case of the Guatemalan President Portillo swearing under oath that he

personally received a bribe of US2m from the Taiwanese Government sends cold seed through our bodies. I am telling the Taiwanese Government, we welcome your technological assistance, advice and financing and grants. We assume that these are done with the intention to better the lives of our people. On the other hand though, be wary of meddling into our local politics.

There are damning international consequences that can come from that. We have been informed by our own national security advisors that Taiwanese embassy high level personnel have been meeting with a UDP candidate. Please be advised STAY OUT OF OUR LOCAL POLITICS! Another area of concern Mr. Speaker is that of the Foreign Service.

The Prime Minister again has his hand in this arena. His ex-wife and his son are ambassadors for our country, but yet we have not seen the economic benefits that the country receives from these appointments. We would like to know Mr. Speaker, are we receiving value for money? Have we received any significant investment for the rental of luxurious homes, limousines, ridiculously high wages, security detail, support staff and the wining and dining that is common day at our embassies abroad? A value for money audit is urgently needed in this Ministry to show us the trail of the money.

Mr. Speaker, Prime Minister Barrow is quite fond of embellishing his budget speeches with flowery language reminiscent of Greek mythology. His fondness for such public relation placebos is obviously to ease the pain and suffering of the growing number of the real unemployed and those falling below the poverty line only to become victim of a patronage food- pantry program.

The PM speaks of unprecedented government spending and I wonder how aware he is that the budget has been for many years an “incrementalist” type budget. Each year the budget increases by 4 to 6% roughly, which means that each year’s budget will be greater than the one before.

What is indeed unprecedented about Mr. Barrow’s budgets is that although they are progressive in numbers they are regressive in results. Mr. Speaker, all our social and economic indicators bear evidence to the reality that the legitimate demands of the Belizean people are simply not being met. Our economic growth lagging behind our population growth compounded by a growing inequality in income. What is the consequence, Mr. Speaker? A vicious cycle fuelled by growing poverty and increased crime.

THIS IS WHAT IS UNPRECEDENTED What is also shockingly unprecedented, Mr. Speaker, is the depth and breadth of the corruption that has engulfed our once elite and disciplined public service. We know this to be a fact today as it was acknowledged by no other than our illustrious PM when he said that the Ministry of Lands like the Immigration department is another hot bed of corruption. This was buttressed by our very distinguished Chief Justice when he pronounced the abortion of the investigation into flagrant wrongdoings at the Immigration Department to be irrational, unreasonable, and unlawful and instructed the Commissioner of Police to resume the investigation. Who gave the order? That question should not go unanswered for this too Mr. Speaker could be UNPRECEDENTED. Mr. Speaker, the leading global civil society organization, Transparency International, devoted to the fight against corruption with about 90 national chapters around the world were again denied data on Belize to allow the country to be ranked among the over 180 countries in the world as to Belize’s corruption level. Who was responsible for withholding the data and why?

Mr. Speaker, we must not forget the infamous policy statement made by the PM himself when he said that he embraces the spoils system of rewarding his supporters and friends and of course this inevitably must be at the expense of those who oppose. This Mr Speaker is the barefaced go ahead for the building of a patronage machinery at the expense of the public purse.

This is obviously the “the abuse of entrust-

23 ed power for private gain”. This is corruption as defined by Transparency International.

We must now understand why the PM is hallucinating about winning all the seats in the municipal elections.

The naked truth Mr. Speaker is that another year has passed and again millions and millions of hard earned tax payers’ money has been spent but obviously have not been accounted for. $854 million was spent in the year 2012/2013 and this should have been accounted for by September 30, 2013 in accordance with the Finance & Audit (Reform) Act but to date, Mr. Speaker, no Audit has been done. By March the 31, 2014 $975 million would have spent and also will not be accounted for because the financial information required by the Auditor General will not be available.

Mr. Speaker we are now going into a billion dollar budget, we cannot allow such blatant defiance to prevail. This might very well be another case to go before the court to order the PM and Minister of Finance to comply with the law.

The Public Accounts Committee must be allowed to function with impartiality.

We cannot continue to allow the Cabinet to be examining its own executive functions.

This is fundamentally contrary to the principles of any check and balance system and smacks of blatant corruption. Mr Speaker I have spoken at length on this matter and the social partners share the same views.

The Senate must be allowed to carry out its constitutional functions to investigate allegations of corruption where the circumstances so warrant. The scandals in the Immigration department where even the High Court felt compelled by the circumstances to order the investigation to be resumed but the Minister of Immigration was not only at variance with the Court’s decision but used his heavy hand in the Senate to frustrate the motion for the Investigation.

To remove this obstacle the 13th Senator must be appointed. Another case of total disrespect for the rule of law.

Another area of major concern, Mr Speaker, that is insidiously creeping into the public sector is the removal of large operational expenditure entities from the Finance & Audit Act and subject them directly to Ministerial control. This would then give the Ministers total say through their politically appointed senior managers as to procurement of goods and services and employment of personnel. Examples of such bodies are the Airport Authority, Port Authority, Belize Tourist Board, Transport Authority, Belize Infrastructure Limited, KHMH, The National Bank, BTL, BEL, and BWSL. These are the cash cows being used to build the patronage machinery. These bodies should be brought under the same scrutiny like those of the central government.

Mr. Speaker, I end on this last conditionality for the implementation of the budget.

A human resource audit of the public sector must be carried out now. More than 50% of the budget is being spent on human resource. That is over $500 million dollars. We need to know how many people are being employed. Where they are being employed.

How many are part of the permanent establishment. How many are open vote workers.

It is here we can very well find how the unemployment rate artificially went down in building the patronage machinery. I am confident that here also we can find the money to pay the teachers.

Mr. Speaker we must move now to curb and put a stop to this predatory instinct that is fleecing the public purse.

THE LEVEL OF CORRUPTION IS UNPRECEDENTED So I say in conclusion: in this sorry state of affairs, where the nation’s economy is fast collapsing and the Government is engaged in a frenzy – reckless spending of loan funds which will, despite two debt restructurings, increase the national debt well in excess of $2 billion dollars.

With no audited accounts of the last fiscal year, the only responsible way forward is to put the budget resolution on hold for a period of three months until a proper accounting of government’s expenditure can be made known to this Honourable House and to the Belizean people.

24

THE BELIZE TIMES

6 APR

2014

Recipe of the week

Honey Soy Tilapia Ingredients 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 (3 ounce) fillets tilapia cooking spray 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Directions Mix the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, and garlic together in a bowl. Place the tilapia fillets in the mixture; allow to marinate in refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.

Remove tilapia from marinade, and discard the marinade. Place fillets into the prepared baking sheet, and sprinkle the black pepper over the fish. in the preheated oven until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 15 to 20 minutes.

6 APR

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

25

26

6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

Pay your Belize City Property Tax and watch our City grow.

And don’t forget to ask for your Pay

& Play, It’s

2014

BRAIN

TEASER

SUDOKU PUZZLE #58/2014

Fun, Exciting & Free.

“Who knows you might just win your money back”

Pay your Belize City Taxes Today Pay & Play

OVER 2,732 WINNERS

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE

BY ORDER OF THE CHARGEE HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED, a Licensed Public Auctioneer will sell the following property at the place and time listed.

See answers NEXT WEEK

At the Parking Lot across the street from the office of Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited, No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City on Friday April 25, 2014 at 2:00p.m.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 717.468 square yards being Block 16, Parcel 1024/1 Caribbean Shores/Belize Registration Section situate at No. 1024 Graduate Crescent, Belize City, Belize District, the leasehold property of TREVOR JEFFRIES DATED this 4th day of April 2014 All sales are strictly cash and deemed final. For more information contact: HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

Answers for last week’s puzzle SUDOKU PUZZLE SOLUTION #59/2014

Answers for last week’s puzzle

See answers NEXT WEEK

6 APR

27

THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

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V

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Reboot the immune system to avoid transplant rejection 2 April 2014 by Andy Coghlan THERE’S a better way to deal with rejection. People who have received a donor organ need to take a host of toxic drugs to stop their immune system attacking it.

Soon they might just have their immune system rebooted – making it accept the new organ.

The technique has been tried for the first time on 20 kidney transplant recipients. Normally they would have to take up to 20 drugs daily, with a risk of developing kidney failure or cancer, as well as side effects such as bloating and diarrhoea.

The group took part in a trial led by Allan Kirk of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. He reset their immune system so that it tolerates their new kidney. Seven of them now need only a single injection each month. The other 13 have the injection plus one daily pill (American Journal of Transplantation, doi.org/r5j).

Transplant surgeons have hailed it as a watershed. “I think it will be a big stride forward, getting tolerance for solid organs,” says Roy Calne, who pioneered simultaneous transplants of multiple organs. “Most of all, it’s a big advance in comfort for the patients.”

The treatment developed by Kirk’s team has three main components. The first is a drug called alemtuzumab, given intravenously during the transplant surgery. It wipes out the white blood cells, or lymphocytes, that would otherwise attack the new organ.

Lymphocyte numbers recover over the following 12 to 18 months, but these cells accept the kidney as “self” rather than foreign tissue. “It hits the reset button for the immune system,” says Kirk.

A second drug called belatacept encourages the new white blood cells not to reject the organ.

Injections of the drug are frequent at first, but become monthly six

the standard post-transplant drugs. At this point, Kirk asked 10 of them if they wanted to stop taking sirolimus.

All but three did so. Now these seven people have monthly injections of belatacept alone.

Three-and-a-half No more drug cocktails to settle it in (Image: Owen years after the Franken/Getty Images) first transplants took place, all 20 people in the study continue to do months after the transplant. well on the treatment.

Finally, the patients receive a Since this first trial, Kirk has daily pill of a mild immune supprestreated another 18 kidney transsant called sirolimus. It mops up any plant recipients, who are now beolder lymphocytes that survived the ing weaned off sirolimus. He is also dose of alemtuzumab. planning a much larger trial, to start A year after surgery, no one next month. in the group had symptoms of orUltimately, Kirk hopes it will be gan rejection or any need to take

Dino-killing asteroid cleared way for modern reef fish 2 April 2014 by Colin Barras Out of crisis comes opportunity. An asteroid-triggered mass extinction 65 million years ago famously wiped out the dinosaurs – but it may also have helped establish the modern reef fish communities.

Coral reefs are home to 7 per cent of all vertebrate species, despite occupying less than 0.01 per cent of Earth’s surface, and there is a mind-boggling array of reef fish. But about 92 per cent of them belong to one group: the acanthomorphs.

Samantha Price at the University of California, Davis, and her colleagues looked at the features of today’s reef and non-reef acanthomorphs to establish the ecological niches they occupy. The team then

plotted that information on an evolutionary tree of acanthomorphs that they had built last year using DNA data. Doing so allowed them to pinpoint when in prehistory the different kinds of acanthomorph moved onto reefs.

Reef rush They found two peaks of reef colonisation by acanthomorphs.

One began 25 million years before the mass extinction that marked the end of the Cretaceous, and the second peak of colonisation began right after that cataclysmic event.

The earliest acanthomorphs to arrive on the reefs occupied very different ecological niches from one another – later arrivals filled in the gaps, ultimately creating the marine biodiversity hotspots we know today.

“Before the mid-Cretaceous, the early antecedents of the fish

possible to tweak the treatment so that even belatacept is unnecessary. He tried taking two people off it, but had to restore the drug after hints of rejection. He also hopes to try the treatment in other organ transplants. He is confident the effects will be lasting, as even people on belatacept alone haven’t produced antibodies that would attack their new kidney.

What’s more, a potential stumbling block over the cost of the treatment has been overcome (see “Right drug, but will the price be right?”).

Calne says Kirk’s approach is the mildest and most practical attempt so far to “tolerise” the body to transplanted organs. “Many are much harsher, involving body irradiation for example, or multiple injections of drugs. None have been anything like as successful.”

species we associate with reefs today – wrasse, parrotfish, clownfish – were unlikely to be living on reefs,” says Price. Instead, prior to the two peaks of acanthomorph colonisation, reefs were inhabited by now-extinct groups of fish that weren’t related to the acanthomorphs.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the acanthomorphs outcompeted these other fish, says Price.

“All we have is a pattern, we have to be careful suggesting a process.”

In fact, the first peak of acanthomorph reef colonisation actually coincides with a decline in the number of coral reefs and the rise of a different kind of reef built from mollusc shells. The acanthomorphs may have been better able to adapt to these new mollusc reefs than the other fish previously associated with coral reefs. The asteroid impact killed off these mollusc-based reefs, triggering the return of coral reefs and perhaps enabling the second pulse of acanthomorph colonisation.

28

THE BELIZE TIMES

Justifiable Abortion

A

couple weeks ago I saw a clip of a guy called a hero because he rescued some young children from the mom who was trying to drown them by driving her minivan into a river with her three kids inside!

Abortion is a constant occurrence in the life of all humans. Many promises made by various sectors of our society commit this act on a day by day basis. Let me give you a few examples from the stand point of a Nation.

Every five years we are promised many things by well meaning individuals working tirelessly to get into the political office of power. The population receives promises to change laws, practices and behaviors. We receive promises of transparency, integrity and the list goes on and on. But upon receiving office these said individuals become tyrants, harmful to the economy, a threat to our national security, self seeking, arrogant and unbearable.

See all the beautiful promises are instantly aborted upon achieving political victory and the end result a downward spiral for our country. Now although this may seem dire I would like to look at a more dangerous abortion.

At the beginning of most relationships, and marriages is the promise of love and commitment. Sometimes it is done with a lot of pomp and circumstance; and some are carried out quietly at the registry while others are legitimized after five years!

Somewhere along the time-line an abortion occurs. This handsome man, who was always a good listener, patient, loving and caring, and always there, transforms into a beast.

He aborts his promise to be faithful to you, to always be there for you. You are no longer the apple of his eye and you are now left with children to care for on your own not to mention the emotional pain! He then moves on starting a new family while performing a next abortion, that of fatherhood.

He cannot be properly present in the children’s lives, and may not even care to be there and we end up with a nation full of over worked, stressed out, mothers with fatherless children!

Now although I may shiver at the thought of the mother killing her children in the ocean (trying to abort them after they have been born), I also feel that the abortion called fatherlessness is even more brutal and damaging to our society!

Abortion is not good. But before I close let me address one more form of abortion that is caused by lazy “Christians”. The Manufacturer requires for those who call him by name to go out and make babies! Many times this is done through crusades or at the altar on a Sunday night. Children are born. Sadly those who should now take on parenting of these children abdicate their responsibilities and the new child of God dies re-entering back into the world of the dead!

This is the worst of all the abortions! You may ask “why?”

Well my reason for saying so is that the baby that is aborted may never get to know the life that has been ransomed for them and may end up trapped in a place of eternal torment!

So the question is this: When is abortion correct?

Let me answer it this way; Abortion is encouraged and even recommended when it applies to an act that you have planned to do that goes against the Manual of the Kingdom of God! Until next week, God bless!

6 APR

2014

Gout on the joints

By Dr. Francis Smith, Orthopedics

Gout is a type of arthritis caused by the deposit of sodium urate crystals (uric acid crystals) inside joints. People suffering from gout usually complain of sudden pain, redness, swelling and tenderness over the joint at the base of the big toe.

The pain, swelling and redness can worsen rapidly in a period of twelve to twenty four hours and can last for up to two weeks. For some people, this “gout attack” may happen in the foot, ankle, knee, hand, elbow or shoulder. Men are more likely to suffer from gout, but it affects women too, especially after menopause.

Cause: Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid is a waste product which results when the body breaks purines down. Purines are natural substances found in all of the body’s cells and in most foods.

They form part of the chemical structure of our genes and the genes of plants and animals. Some high protein foods like organ meats (kidney, liver, brain), anchovies, fish like mackerel, herring, sardines and mussels contain high concentrations of purines. If you produce too much uric acid or excrete too little when you urinate, the uric acid builds up and may cause tiny crystals to form in and around joints. These hard, needle-shaped crystals build up slowly over several years. Alcohol consumption greatly contributes to the increase of uric acid build-up in the body. Alcohol breaks down into lactic acid which then competes with the uric acid in the kidneys for elimination through urine. Alcohol also raises the amount of ATP that is converted into AMP, a base for uric acid. The uric acid crystal may deposit on the soft lining called synovium in joints, and around tendons and ligaments, causing pain and inflammation. The crystals can also form a slowly growing lump (tophus) which slowly damage joints and nearby bone. A tophus may form at the base of the great toe over the “bunion”, get red like a tomato and burst, discharging uric acid crystals looking like white tooth paste.

Symptoms: The signs and symptoms of gout mostly occur suddenly, usually at nighttime, and without warning. Gout provokes severe pain, redness and swelling of the joint at the base of the big toe, but can occur in the feet, ankles, knees, hands and wrists. The pain is likely to be most severe within the first 12 to 24 hours after it begins. After the most severe pain subsides, some joint discomfort may last from a few days to a few weeks. Later attacks are likely to last longer and affect more joints. People with gout are also at an increase risk of kidney stones which cause back pain.

Treatment: To diagnose gout the doctor may order a uric acid blood test or perform a needle aspiration of joint fluid which is then examined under a microscope for sodium urate crystals.

Medicines used to treat gout attacks include the usual non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and indomethacin (Indocin). Colchicine is used in the acute phase, when there is the first intense pain and swelling. This drug may cause intolerable nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are also prescribed to help control inflammation and pain.

The doctor may choose to aspirate a joint with excess fluid and inject a corticosteroid suspension.

Allopurinol and febuxostat are medications used to block uric acid production. Probenecid improves the kidney’s ability to excrete uric acid.

Lifestyle changes such as avoiding purine rich meat diets and favoring safer plant purines, drinking less alcohol, weight loss, exercise and taking medication as recommended by the physician, will help to control gout.

66 APR APR

2014

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

“We’re heartbroken,” says Obama after reports four dead and 14 injured at Fort Hood, scene of a 2009 mass shooting

Minister says five people are confirmed dead as 8.2 magnitude quake that also triggered a tsunami hit northern Chile. were confirmed dead and attributed the deaths to heart attacks or being crushed.

The first waves hit the coast within 45 minutes of the quake, Chilean officials said, adding that the disaster forced evacuations along Chile’s Pacific coast for fear of a tsunami.

The waves generated were 2.11m tall, US officials said.

Thousands of buildings

have lost power, and hundreds of thousands of Chileans are spending the night away from their homes due to the evacuation order, which remains in effect for northern Chile.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared parts of northern Chile hit by the earthquake to be disaster zones.

Bachelet said she would travel to the regions of Arica and Tarapaca on Wednesday, and send military officials to the areas to prevent looting and disorder.

Afghan elections: Sex, lies and social media Tawdry sex scandals and personal attacks make the rounds on social media ahead of Afghanistan’s presidential vote 2 Apr 2014 US-style sex scandals and exposes of shady dealings have characterised social media coverage of this week’s presidential elections in Afghanistan, the third since the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001. While the local press have largely stayed away from airing candidates’ “dirty laundry”, access to social media has provided voters with alternative, more entertaining “news” sources.

Rumour-mongering and propaganda are nothing new

in Afghan political culture. Historians recount how, in 1928, British agents disguised as Pashtun tribesmen spread malicious rumours against King Amanullah and disseminated doctored photographs of Queen Soraya en deshabille.

This purportedly fuelled the ire of the conservative masses, already seething over the king’s modernising reforms, which eventually led to Amanullah’s overthrow.

If it is hard to belittle the impact of hearsay and slander in Afghan political culture, what is unprecedented is the

extent to which the scandals are published via social media, without fear of recrimination. Some believe Afghanistan’s newly minted social media forums are the heirs of early 20th century propaganda leaflets.

Others claim these forums are being used, possibly indirectly, by some candidates themselves to level personal attacks against opponents without having to sink to the level of verbalising those allegations in televised debates or campaign rallies.

29

Gunman opens fire at US military base

Massive earthquake off Chile sparks tsunami 2 Apr 2014 A massive magnitude 8.2 earthquake and tsunami hit the northern coast of Chile, near the port of Iquique, and prompted a warning for the country’s Pacific coast, Chilean officials have said.

Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said five people

NEWS

3 Apr 2014 A shooting at the Fort Hood military base in the US has left at least four people dead, including the gunman, officials said, according to an Associated Press news agency report.

In an intitial response to the attack in the state of Texas, US President Barack Obama described the situation as still fluid.

“I want to just assure all of us we are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened,” he said in remarks distributed to the media. “We’re heartbroken something like this might have happened again.”

He added: “Many of the people there have been on multiple tours of Iraq and Afghanistan, they served with valour, they served with distinction. At their home base they need to feel safe.

We don’t yet know what happened tonight but obviously that sense of safety has been broken once again.”

Jamaican police officers charged with murder Investigators say officers from Clarendon parish were involved in unlawful killing of civilians.

1 Apr 2014 Investigators probing abuses by Jamaican security forces have charged three police officers with murder.

The independent commission’s statement on Monday brought the total number of officers awaiting trial to four. They include Constable Collis Brown, who was arrested in March and faces three counts of murder, and Corporal Kevin Adams, who is alleged to have killed four men between 2011 and 2013.

The Jamaica Constabulary Force said that police had been cooperating with the commission “since the beginning of these investigations”.

At a news conference in the capital Kingston, Comissioner Terrence Williams said there was reason to believe that the killings, which were initially reported as unsolved, were “police-involved homicides”.His agency suspects other unsolved deaths involving civilian gunmen could have actually involved police officers, the Associated Press reported.

Investigators are asking the public to provide information about eight other incidents that resulted in the deaths of nine people, including a case where a hospitalised man was killed by a masked assailant.

30

THINK ABOUT IT

BELIZE’S YOUNGEST MILLIONAIRE Let us start here. Two weeks ago Manuel Esquivel and his illustrious wife Kathy Esquivel both resigned all their positions in the UDP government. They did so days after their daughter was “dumped” from her high perch as head of the Tourism board.

Her dumping took place like this – her colleagues and co-workers as senior managers at B.T.B. wrote a letter to the tourism Minister calling for action as the daughter’s style of management was causing difficulties.

The letter, naturally, was leaked to the media. The media added that the lucrative tourism Board had suddenly plunged in the red – literally – by millions of dollars in one year.

The daughter sent in a sick paper. The Minister put out a public release thanking her for her good service. That’s it, she was thrown out just like that. A cloud of impropriety and stain of missing millions hanging on her.

Say what you will about Mr. Esquivel, he was the leader of the U.D.P. He was the UDP’s first Prime Minister in 1985 and he was a two time Prime Minister. When the UDP was defeated in 1998, they were defeated so bad that they only won three seats.

Dean Barrow was believed to have stolen the elections with bogus voters and barely won by 47 voters. Esquivel lost to Jose Coye and he resigned as UDP leader. Barrow took over without holding any leadership convention.

For Barrow to treat Mr. Esquivel and his daughter the way he did is nothing short of callousness and ingratitude. Mr. Esquivel and his family deserved better respect than that.

Minister of Tourism Heredia could not have thrown out the daughter without Barrow’s concurrence. Heredia should have had some sense of respect and alerted Mr. Esquivel to the storm in a teacup at B.T.B. Prime Minister Barrow owed it to Mr. Esquivel to have allowed him and his family to resolve the difficulties his daughter had run into with senior managers at B.T.B. Her name, character and image are now indelibly stained.

Contrast how Mr. Esquivel and his family have been treated compared to the public and behind the scenes protection given to the likes of Penner, Castro, Boots and others like Hulse and Alamilla.

Contrast what happened this week.

Mr. Barrow put his son in charge of B.T.L., the wealthiest company in the country. Mr. Barrow was the driving force behind the legalized theft by government of BTL. When the Court of Appeal declared the acquisition illegal and unconstitutional, Mr. Barrow changed the Constitution to un-legalize it.

He would later take FIFTY MILLION dollars from Social Security and pour it into BTL. Now the rumors in the dark have become the truth out in the daylight. Karen Bevans was pushed out. Net Vasquez sent to pasture and heir to the throne put in charge of millions upon millions.

PENNER IN THE DOCK The dock is a special area in a court room where prisoners, convicts and accused criminals are placed.

Standing in the dock last week in the Belmopan Magistrate Court of Belizean Magistrate Mrs. Aretha Ford was none oth-

6 APR

THE BELIZE TIMES

er than one of the most hated politicians in Belize – Elvin Penner (the second most despised is “Clear the Land” Castro). Guess who the third most hated is??

Penner was read two criminal charges under the Passport and Nationality laws. He pleaded not guilty and was offered bail. He is to return on 27 May. Why would Penner who has been dodging the media and not even showing up in the National Assembly for Budget Debates turn up on a Court date to be read criminal charges? He did so because someone real high in government assured him that nothing will come out of the charges.

Penner would have been reminded that Minister Mark King was shown on video behaving drunk, disorderly, improper, aggressive and unlawfully. He was even charged for assaulting a Police Officer. And Yes! Yes! Nothing happened to King. He was even taken to Court and the justice system made to look the fool as he walked out of court to the cynical snares of citizens.

An almost similar situation occurred with National Assembly Macebearer “Yellowman” who faced charges of assault and was taken to court.

The Commissioner of Police was made a public spectacle when he was made to admit to the Chief Justice that he had no intention of investigating the Penner stinking scandal. An aghast Chief Justice stated that the Police Commissioner was behaving “irrational, unreasonable and unlawful” and ordered him to do his duty which is to investigate to conclusion Penner’s alleged wrongful and criminal actions.

What a slap in the face. That’s what the Commissioner got.

That’s what the Commissioner got for following fools in the Ministry and government who are the real irrational, unreasonable and unlawful ones.

Look what the government of Dean Barrow has become.

Now it gets worst. The government has appealed the Chief Justice ruling. They do not want the Commissioner to investigate Penner. The government is obviously out of touch with public sentiment.

We predict that such an appeal will not succeed.

IT’S TRUE Judge of the Court of Appeal, Hon Justice Mendez has left our high Court. Just like that.

It is a blow to our judiciary. Like the loss of Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh and President of the Court of Appeal Justice Mottley, the loss of Mendez is huge. Belize cannot develop its own jurisprudence with highweight judges in its high Court.

Justice Mendez was a legal luminary.

His judgments were profound and solid. A major judgment of his which was incidentally a scathing and crippling criticism of a Dean Barrow law recently upheld by the Caribbean Court of Justice.

Citizens of Belize do not know, much less understand the undermining of our justice system that is taking place.

It is nothing short of a tragedy.

The final nail in the coffin may come later this year when Justice Morrison quietly says goodbye. Word is that he has reportedly suggested that should Mendez leave, he would feel compelled to do likewise. For

the sake of our battered, tattered, and shattered justice system we beg you Justice Morrison, please don’t leave us in our hour of need.

Please.

A MAGISTRATE SUES GOVERNMENT Outspoken attorney Arthur Saldivar had quite correctly raised alarm when “someone” in high places plucked a foreign magistrate assigned to Cayo to turn up in Corozal to try a particular case. The move raised ugly suspicions of interference in the workings of what should be an impartial court system and trial.

The Magistrate who was handpicked to leave her Court unattended and travel to Corozal to do one single case when there was a Magistrate in Corozal and one in Orange Walk and eight in Belize City; was a foreigner named Nadia Morgan.

The special Magistrate has her own problems. Whenever she and her son travel in and out of Belize they are treated as foreigners by immigration officials. The Magistrate who has been in Belize for two years applied for permanent residency, which is available to any foreigner who lives in Belize for one year or more.

To the Magistrate’s surprise she was rejected. She sought an audience with Immigration Director and was disrespected. She sought an audience with constitutional legal expert and Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse who assured her that his department was wrong to reject her application and he would put things right. Months and months passed and nothing happened. Efforts to contact the Minister were all fruitless.

The Magistrate applied to the Supreme Court for an Order against the government to do the right thing. The government sent a UDP lawyer to court to fight against the Magistrate’s application. The government lost.

The Magistrate won.

Two weeks after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Magistrate, the government resorted to its typical behavior. They attacked the Magistrate. Channel 7 (UDP) was given certain information and half truths which they promptly reported as news. That the Magistrate had convicted a foreigner for drugs and sent him to jail but changed her mind and charged him a large fine under the law which he paid and left the country.

What was wrong with that? Nothing but a smear campaign.

We predict that the Magistrate’s days are numbered.

Such is the behavior of the government: petty, malicious and vindictive. It is also a lesson to other foreign Magistrates and Crown Counsels. When the government can’t use you they will abuse you.

Another example is Acting Solicitor. The government of Belize has sent for a foreigner. There is no local advertisement for the vacancy and all Public Services Rules and Regulations have been violated to do another hand-picked appointment. There will be weeping and whaling and gnashing of teeth when this government is run out of office. They doing too much, too much wrong things.

VICIOUS GUN LAWS The government promised the people of Belize that they would amend the vicious sections of their unpopular gun laws which has caused many innocent citizens to go jail.

The government has done nothing.

2014 NO RAISE The new budget took effect on the 1st April.

The 1st of April also happens to be all fools day.

Guess what – not a single teacher, Police, BDF, nurse, or public officer has received a raise of salary.

Although the cost of living continues to rise and life gets harder out here, the much needed raise of salary is being delayed until end of July.

Cold hearted.

ANTI-CHRIST The Roman Catholic Church which is by far the largest church in Belize recently banned certain organizations from any contact with catholic schools. The organizations are said to be spreading information which is contrary to the teachings of Jesus.

This is a serious matter. Some of those organizations are considered to be promoting a gay rights agenda while others are taking money from suspect sources.

It is understood that there is a possibility that certain individuals will find themselves on a second list which will be against persons that are banned for their anti-Christ messages.

If this is so, this big.

It is also understood the Evangelical churches will be coming out in support of Christian teachings in a similar fashion to the Roman Catholics.

If so this even bigger.

GANDHI ON JESUS It is said that Mahatma Gandhi who defeated the British Empire and brought independence to India had this view of Jesus Christ.

What Gandhi found most attractive about Jesus was that Jesus wasn’t just someone who taught it, as many wise persons did. He did it.

He actually lived it. He loved his neighbors. He loved his enemies. He stayed among the poor. He was an exemplar of his teachings.

JENESE We share in the grief and rejoice in the short life of Jenese Luis of Hattieville who fell victim to cancer.

The mother of five was a humble, unassuming and wonderful human being. She had the most beautiful smile in all of Belize.

Everyone who knew her loved her. She will never be forgotten.

Jenese was a public officer at the Post Office department.

Our condolences to Wendy, Georgia and her other sisters and brothers, children and family.

Jenese is with the angels in heaven who are gathered around the throne of God. JESUS DOESN’T KNOW YOU Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in thy name?

And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then I will say unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity.

6 APR

2014

UDP All Fool’s Day!

April 1st was a busy day in the UDP…Dean Barrow woke up and feeling the heavy strain on his back, decided to set the date for the next elections so the people of Belize could be freed from the bondage.

The Commissioner of Police came out from under his rock and ordered the arrest of Elvin Penner for his crimes against Belize.

He also personally forced a confession out of Penner in which the UDP politician admitted who all was involved in the passport scheme. He named names including one Chang, Castro, Bradley, Hulse, Saldivar, Montero, Cruz, Pacheco and promised to give other names once he was allowed to keep the goodies he collected from his South Korean friend.

Elvin Penner decided to resign from as the Cayo North East Area Representative to lift the veil of shame and embarrassment he has placed upon his people.

He refused to resign as a UDP however, claiming that he and the Prime Minister share identical beliefs and values.

Castro has asked the Prime Minister that when he loses the next elections in Belize Rural North that he be appointed as Ambassador to Taiwan. When asked why, he said he had unfinished business to take care of.

Mayor Darrell Bradley paid off all debts to the sanitation companies and withdrew from the Bar so he could be a full time Mayor.

He also promised the Southside residents that he will stop spending the millions borrowed

by City Council on the northside so tourists can enjoy, and pave all their streets.

Godwin Hulse called into the radio station to give testimony of the wrong doing at the Immigration Department.

Gaspar Vega finally admitted that he wants to be Party Leader and that he will stop giving his family prime lands and special contracts so they can live like normal Belizeans.

Patrick Faber and Michael Finnegan apologized to Belizean women for the many disrespectful ways they have been and things they have said towards them.

THE BELIZE TIMES Will any of the 20,000 Strong Stand Up? Belize City, April 1, 2014 It took just days after an expensive Government-sponsored fanfare was held to “commemorate” the women of Belize for the Barrow Administration to show how it really fights for women’s rights in our country.

The UDP Government refused to call any of the 20,000 Strong who had been hyped up about unity and solidarity at the women’s rally when the news surfaced that one if it’s senior Ministers had violently threatened and assaulted his wife. Neither the Government’s ambassador for women issues, the PM’s wife Kim Simpliss-Barrow, nor her prop, National Women’s Commission Chair Anne Marie Williams, have uttered a word of protest against this incident, although it has been reported by several media houses.

Minister of Education Patrick Faber has not publicly addressed the reports that he behaved like a monstrous when he visited his wife at her mother’s house on Gill Street in Belize City last Friday, March 28th. It is reported that Faber turned violent and angry after his

wife refused to put up with him, so he picked up a brick and smashed a windshield for a car that belongs to his wife.

The couple, who has two children, is in the process of legally separating.

Faber’s wife abandoned their Lord’s Bank home after living through several months of dramatic domestic problems with the Minister. She had enough and left the house.

Faber has been behaving very erratic since, almost as if he is suffering from chronic hormone imbalance. Even his public appearances seem to portray a man on the brink of a mental breakdown.

His problems at home may have even seeped into his Ministerial work as he has behaved abusive towards teachers and education professionals as well, resorting to name calling and humiliating teachers publicly.

Will at least one of the 20,000 Strong stand up to Faber’s abuse and keep their sworn oath to defend all women, or has the fanfare over women’s rights and protection fizzled along with the $260,000 spent on the day of the rally?

The Fools at El Guardian Blue Creek Village, Toledo West April 1, 2014 In an article published in the Guardian Newspaper dated Sunday March 30, 2014 entitled: Prime Minister Barrow to hand over $1 billion to Hon. Oscar Requena, the UDP rag sheet attempted to make fun of the debate presentation put forward by Hon. Requena.

But the folks at El Guardian are fools, especially after the very same Prime Minister and the Speaker of the House (both attorneys at law) categorized Hon. Requena’s budget presentation as powerful and well researched.

Hon. Requena presented a passionate speech, pointing out that this UDP government has done nothing for devel-

opment since 2008. Juan “Junior Boy” Coy was a UDP area representative and every single soul in this constituency knows that his government did absolutely nothing to uplift real life situations. The former area representative has a track record of speaking in the House of Representatives for only 89 seconds and that’s what the UDP government liked.

Hon. Oscar Requena will continue to use his voice to represent and speak for the people of Toledo West.

The recycled UDP standard bearer has no chance of winning the next General Election, despite the flow of money to buy votes.

Hon Requena, we are proud of you.

You are truly serving the people.

31 BWS Dirty Water!

San Ignacio Town, April 3, 2014 “That’s what you get when you put a play play newspaper boy to do an Engineers job” was one of the many angry reactions on Facebook after PUP Cayo North East Standard Bearer Orlando Habet posted pictures and videos of dark brown-coloured water pouring out of residents’ faucets at home.

The blogger was referring to the newspaper publisher turned Elections and Boundaries Chairman, turned BWS Chairman, turned UDP Chairman, who continues to run the affairs and operations of the Government-owned company, Belize Water Services.

Habet told the BELIZE TIMES that many residents have been complaining that over the past weeks, they have been getting dirty water through their water pipes.

The water quality worsened yesterday when dark brown coloured liquid poured out.

Belize Water Services has not issued an apology nor explanation for what is taking place in San Ignacio. Their Chairman is too busy plotting on his Deputy Leaders’ behalf.

San Ignacio residents suspect that the dirty water is caused by pipes that were placed back during recent street works. Instead of cleaning out the pipes, the same old and dirty ones seem are being used. Whatever happened to water quality at BWS?

CARTOON

32

THE BELIZE TIMES

6 APR

2014