Belize Times January 24, 2016

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

The Truth Shall Make You Free

24 JANUARY 2016 | ISSUE NO: 4977

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

U.S. WANTS ANSWERS IN ANNE SWANEY’S MURDER

Pg. 4

FBI arrives in Belize to lead forensics investigation PUP HONORS “GEORGE C. PRICE DAY”

Mexican Gov’t disappointed over Schnitzer case Pg. 6

Pg. 2

Wanted international fugitive David Nanes Schnitzer

calls on GOB BTL’s 4G toCOLA come clean over Chokes! new port interests Pg. 23

12 YEAR OLD

ACCUSES STEPFATHER

Pg. 3

OF RAPE Pg. 23

Uprising Strikers & Kraal Road FC Clash in Peace Cup finals

Pg. 10

Pg. 9

TOP MODEL

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24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

PUP honors “George C. Price Day” Belize City, January 15, 2016 Had the Father of the Nation and Leader Emeritus of the People’s United Party Rt. Hon. George C. Price been alive, Friday January 15th would have been celebrated as his 97th birthday.

As he himself would have proudly pointed out, he would be starting his 98th year!

Following Mr. Price’s passing on September 19th 2011, the People’s United Party committed to paying tribute to the legacy of the man whose life was dedicated to the PUP and Belize.

Since then, every 15th of January, Party officials and supporters have joined members of the Price family to remember the great leader, with a special

Robert Usher remembered his uncles’ sacrifices and dedication to the country

PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca recognized Mr. Price as Belize’s greatest national hero

Family, loyal friends and staunch followers of Rt. Hon. George Price pay their respects at wreath-laying

St. Martin De Porres Standard 3 class student paying tribute

PUP NOTICE

wreath-laying ceremony at his burial site.

This year was no different, and just as special as the years before.

The St. Martin de Porres Standard 3 class students led in the National Prayer and the singing of the National Anthem.

PUP Leader Hon. Francis FonContinued on page 3

National Convention

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

The People’s United Party will hold a National Convention on Sunday January 31, 2016 for the posts of:

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

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

Party Leader 1 Deputy Leader - South 1 Deputy Leader – North Party Chairman National Communications Director

EDITOR

Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams

The National Convention will be held in the City of Belmopan from 9:00am – 3:00pm.

LOCAL 22 Jan

24 Jan

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed and Published By TIMES NEWSPAPER LTD.

WEATHER 23 Jan

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Tel: 671-8385 #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize

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Exchange rate of One Belize Dollar

United States (USD): $ 0.50

Barbados (BBD): $ 1.00

Eastern Caribbean Euro (XCD):$ 1.35 (EUR) : $ 0.47

Sterling Pound Guatemala Quetzal CANADIAN DOLLAR (GBP): $ 0.34 (GTQ): $ 3.82 (CAD): $ 0.64

CHINESE YUAN (CNY): $ 3.14

Trinidadian (TTD) : $ 3.19

INDIAN RUPEE (INR): $ 31.31

24 JAN

03 3

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

BTL’s 4G Chokes!

Belize City, January 21, 2016 BTL is looking like a joke these days with Anwar Barrow as CEO of the company. He’s the type of CEO who would approve new products and sales without apparent sufficient marketing analysis, causing the product to go haywire and put the entire sales in jeopardy.

That’s what Barrow admitted to doing when he was asked to explain why BTL’s 4G network is faltering and failing miserably since its launching two months ago.

Customers have complained of all sorts of problems with the system,

from service malfunction to corporate stealing. Some customers say that their credit barely lasts a few seconds with BTL’s new 4G experience.

So what’s really happening at BTL? CEO Barrow explained this week that the glitches are caused by “challenges in terms of the experience”.

Barrow then concocted the explanation that the system has become overloaded by a surge of users who have signed up for the new service. But isn’t this why a company does an analysis of the market, before unveiling a new service? Wouldn’t BTL have expected that if the 4G service is so nice, it will

attract many customers? Come on Mr. CEO? According to CEO Barrow’s mathematics, the traffic on BTL’s network has increased by 800% over the past 10 months. Of course, by his maths every Belizean now has a digicel phone enjoying the dropped calls and free creditdisappearing acts.

At some point, Belizeans will wake up and realise the joke played on all of us. An inexperienced pawn-shop supervisor turned CEO of Belize’s most lucrative utility company, just because he’s the Prime Minister’s son. Can anyone say: Belize the banana republic?

PUP honors “George C. Price Day” Continued from page 2 seca, former Party Leader and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon Said Musa, and Mr. Robert Usher paid tributes of remembrance.

They made special note of his many contributions to Belize, his selfless service and dedication to the country.

Mr. Price was entirely committed to Belize.

For his commitment, sacrifices, struggles and achievements, our nation must be ready to honour. But politics seems to be standing in the way. An official appeal to declare the day a national holiday, naming it “George C. Price Day”, the way many countries pay homage to their great leaders such as “Martin Luther King Day” (MLK was born on January 15 also), has been ignored by the Barrow Administration. It appears Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his party colleagues are not able to look past their political pettiness to lift up the memory of Belize’s greatest hero. The PUP has pledged that whenever they take the reins of Government, the day will be recognised as a national holiday.

Belmopan Mayor threatens to leave 30 families homeless

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4 04

THE BELIZE TIMES

24 JAN

2016

U.S. Wants Answers in Anne Swaney’s Murder FBI arrives in Belize to lead forensics investigation

Anne Swaney San Ignacio Town, January 21, 2016 Friday, January 22nd, 2016 makes it one week since 39 year old Anne Swaney, a U.S. tourist, was murdered in western Belize.

Swaney’s lifeless body was found floating in the Mopan River, near Nabitunich Resort, a remote tourist getaway outside of Benque Viejo del Carmen where she was vacationing.

Swaney had been reported missing by resort patrons on Thursday morning, after a group she was supposed to have gone horseback riding with could not locate her.

The Police was contacted and they swung into action, with a search team. Some of Swaney’s personal belongings were found that day on a platform where she would normally do yoga. But there were no signs of her.

The search continued into the night but was discontinued because of the darkness. When it resumed the next morning, Swaney’s body was found floating face down in the river.

Through a post mortem examination conducted on the body, the Police concluded the cause of death to be “asphyxia due to compression to the neck area, throttling (manual strangulation) and blunt force traumatic Injuries to the head and neck region”. This means Swaney was violently assaulted and choked to death.

But the cause of death is as clear as it gets for local authorities, who despite having interviewed all employees of the resort with some connection to the case, and even a Guatemalan who was caught fishing in the river not too far from where the body was found, have no major leads in this latest homicide.

The employees and the Guatemalan national who was detained on immigration offences have all been cleared as persons of interest

22-year-old horseback tour guide William Xis met Anne during her first visit here a year ago, and he became her favorite trail guide. She sent him a Chicago belt buckle after returning home last year. When she came back last week, she booked four days of trips with William - the four days leading up to her death.

Anne, William and a female guide went on several long rides.

Platform where Anne Swaney had gone to do yoga in the investigation.

In Belize, it is not unusual for murder cases to go unsolved and cold. Just last week the BELIZE TIMES highlighted the unsolved murders of four young, black Southside men who were killed by “ghosts” in one night, three years ago. Then there are the cases of Don Ramon Cervantes (Orange Walk), Danny Conorquie (Cayo), and the 5 female Belize City teens whose bodies were found mutilated over a decade ago, to mention a few.

But Swaney’s murder crossed a line. Firstly, she was an American citizen visiting Belize and that country protects their own above any other. Secondly, she was a television executive producer who built a large network of friends and following, and they are clamouring for justice. Swaney was employed at ABC’s Chicago-based Channel 7.

ABC has deployed a special “ITeam”, or investigation team, led by sea-

soned investigative journalist Chuck Goudie who provides daily reports to the American audience about the investigation. For four nights, he has reported that the Belize investigation has gone nowhere.

In response to the pressure, the U.S. Government deployed its own team of special FBI investigators to Belize. The investigators will be supporting the Belize Police efforts to

Resort owner, Rudy Juan finding answers to Swaney’s murder.

The FBI will also provide assistance in the area of forensics investigation, which is where local authorities are least able.

24 JAN

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

5 05

EDITORIAL

B

All eyes on Belize

elize has taken center stage on the world scene as the investigation into the murder of U.S tourist, Anne Elizabeth Swaney, is monitored by the minute by a worldwide internet and television audience.

In the background of all the reporting are regular mentions of Belize’s high crime rate and that Belize is the murder capital of the region.

Yet to reach the international media’s ears is that one week before the Swaney killing, a group of tourists of unknown nationalities who were vacationing on a yacht moored near Middle Long Caye, came under attack by pirates.

The passengers were held at gunpoint and robbed of their possessions. They no longer see Belize as the paradise they thought it to be.

We condemn the Belizean authorities’ (Coast Guard, Police, Ministry of Tourism) decision to keep this incident from the media and the public, apparently in an attempt to avoid more bad press. Since the year begun there have been almost a dozen murders throughout the country.

The U.S. has not issued a travel warning on Belize, but doing so at this time would be rhetorical. The comments and reactions on travel blogs, social networks and online media postings about Belize’s known high crime rate are sufficient warning to any reader.

As Belize’s reputation as a safe haven for tourists takes a beating this week, the Belize Tourist Board’s reaction has been to puff out their chests and issue multiple press releases noting their “successes” over the last few years. Tourist arrivals are up! Overnight tourism increases! Hurray, we guess.

Tourism is Belize’s golden goose. It brings in tens of millions of dollars in revenue for the country every year. The revenue is used to pay for the Belize City Council’s loan for cement streets, BTB’s extraordinarily expensive galas and junkets, and even to satisfy the First Lady’s fashion fantasies.

The goal for those at BTB is to market Belize to the next tourist or investor based on “pretty looks” and the potential for satisfaction. And while with all the cement and roundabouts Belize may look pretty, deep inside the country is breaking apart.

Our communities are filled with pockets of poverty and a crumbling social fabric.

Our people see the millions spent on cement streets, while the roofs on their homes are collapsing. Our young people are totally detached from a national purpose, adapting customs and values foreign that are harmful to their growth and development. They find it more promising to leave Belize and work at McDonalds far away, than to struggle in this land of hardship and decreasing opportunities. Our neighborhoods are held at ransom by armed gangs, and homes decorated with burglar-barred windows and doors are the new prisons. Corruption is the new way of life, sanctioned by the leaders in Government who protect, defend and condone wrongdoing.

Crime is a phenomenon that will never go away, so we do not profess to have some kind of magic pill. But we do know that the day our leaders begin to pay attention to the issues mentioned before and change their ways, Belize will become a true paradise, not only for visitors, but also for those who call this treasure home.

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24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

Mexican Gov’t disappointed over Schnitzer case Belize City, January 21, 2016 Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize, H.E. Carlos Quesnel Melendez, has placed on record his Government’s disappointment and deep concerns over the Belizean authorities’ mishandling of the David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer case in November last year.

Nanes-Schnitzer, a Mexican national sought by Mexican authorities for alleged million dollar fraud and embezzlement crimes, was detained in Belize on November 3rd, 2015 following a sting operation involving U.S. Marshalls, Interpol officers and Belizean authorities on the tourist island of San Pedro.

Nanes-Schnitzer had been living on the island for at least two years. During that time he obtained documents, including a social security card, driver’s license, boat license and even a voter’s ID and passport under the false name.

The events that followed his arrest are incredulous and have turned out to be most embarrassing for the country.

Despite having knowledge of his wanted status, receiving an official extradition request from Mexican authorities, and having evidence that he was in possession of fraudulent Belizean documents, the Police Department chose to charge him for being in possession of a forged driver’s license only.

Inexplicably, local authorities ignored the illegal passport, the fake social security card and possibly even fake nationality papers. These charges would have undoubtedly triggered yet another criminal investigation at the Immigration Ministry, so instead of justice being pursued, serious wrongdoing was shoved under the rug.

Nanes-Schnitzer was arraigned and remanded when he appeared at the Magistrate’s Court on November

Fugitive, David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer

Global fuel prices as of January 18, 2016 Prices in Belize currency Venezuela – $0.14 per gallon Ecuador – $3.32 per gallon Taiwan - $4.70 per gallon El Salvador – $5.14 per gallon Guatemala – $5.36 per gallon Canada - $5.60 per gallon Mexico – $5.82 per gallon Honduras – $6.74 per gallon Jamaica – $6.88 per gallon Belize – $9.30 per gallon (Source: http://www.globalpetrolprices.com) Note: While global oil prices have reached historic lows, forcing fuel prices at the pumps down, in Belize the prices remain high as the Government has chosen to increase its tax on fuel. Higher fuel costs not only negatively affect consumers and their spending power, but also the productive sector and transport services.

6th, but his attorney Liesje BarrowChung, the niece of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, requested bail before the Supreme Court two week after.

She dismissed any fears that her client might be a flight risk or that he has any intention of escaping.

Nanes-Schnitzer was granted bail on the condition that he hands over his fake passport and other documents to authorities and reports to the San Pedro Police Station twice every week. But the following Monday November 23rd, Nanes-Schnitzer was a NO SHOW at the Police Station and no one has seen or heard of him since.

The situation threatened to cause a serious row between the Governments of Belize and Mexico. They have been searching for Nanes-Schnitzer for six years.

While addressing the matter at a House of Representatives meeting on December 4th 2015, Prime Minister Dean Barrow tried to exculpate his Government by claiming that there is no extradition treaty with Mexico. But he tripped on his own excuse, when he admitted that Mexican officials reminded him that he was the one who signed a treaty when he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs under the former Esquivel administration. Still, Barrow claimed, unless the treaty was incorporated into Municipal Law, it could not be enforced.

But Barrow is not the only legallytrained expert around the table. The Mexican Ambassador is also legallytrained and he countered Barrow’s arguments when he spoke on the issue at a media breakfast held on Wednesday of this week. “…for international law that treaty was totally in force. I, also as a lawyer, understand that there is a system in Belize that obligates the Belizean government to incorporate that treaty into national law. I’m not going to go into details because that’s not part of our job,” Ambassador Melendez told the media.

The Mexican Government issued official protests through diplomatic channels. One of the things noted was the judicial process which allowed NanesSchnitzer to get bail despite the circumstances.

Ambassador Melendez said that his Government has gotten guarantees from the Belizean Government that the mishandled matter will not repeat itself.

David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer has been since March 2009 when authorities discovered that he was operating an investment scam in Mexico, under the company Stanford, to defraud thousands of rich investors of millions of dollars.

Schnitzer’s boss, Allen Stanford, was arrested by U.S. officials, convicted in Court and sentenced to 110 years in prison.

Guatemalan woman reported missing

January 21, 2016 39 year old Lidia Janet Garcia Giron, a Guatemalan national and resident of Melchor de Mencos was reported missing yesterday by her 19 year old son, Alexander.

Giron was last seen on Friday January 8th as she had left her home at about 5:00 a.m. and was headed to Banana Farm located in the Stann Creek District in order to meet up with a male person known as “El Nica”.

Alexander told authorities that the last time he spoke to his mother was on the same day of her departure, only half an hour after her arrival in San Ignacio. Giron was last seen wearing a black blouse along with long jeans pants sky blue in color, a pair of black sandals and a ‘Winnie the Pooh’ bag, blue and yellow in color. Giron has a tattoo of the name “Humberto” on her leg.

While investigations continue, anyone with information concerning the disappearance of Lidia Giron is kindly asked to contact the nearest police station.

24 JAN

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

LADYVILLE SENIORS CELEBRATE

Sunday, January 17th 2016 was an extremely special day for many senior citizens of Ladyville.

The Ladyville Christian Senior Citizens Group was celebrating its Twenty-fifth Anniversary, and over forty seniors, as well as friends and invited guests, were on hand at the group’s Center.

The small building was packed to capacity with a joyous gathering to keep up this signal occasion.

Mr. John Diaz served as Master of Ceremonies, and he led all those present in the Opening Prayer, after which there was a lusty singing of the National Anthem. Longtime member Ms. Myrtle Myvett then delivered the Words of Welcome, along with

a brief rememberance of by-gone good times of the Group. President Nurse Lillian August then asked for a moment’s silence in honor of members who have passed away. Past President Linda Lanza gave a history of the commencement of the group on December 27, 1990. Ms. Magdalena Young, better known as Ms. Maga, along with Ms. Josefina Martinez were the two persons who founded the group, which initially had only nine members, and meetings were rotated at various churches in Ladyville.

The group offered support for needy seniors and assistance to families for burial of deceased members, and soon the group grew. Turkey dinner fundraisers and

barbeques were held, and members also enjoyed trips and excursions to many parts of the country.

The group also made use of the Ladyville Community Center for meetings and other activities.

At the celebration ninety-three year old Clotilda Bennett sang a special inspirational song, while Charles Seawell did his own choice of song, accompanying himself on guitar. Then it was Ms. Noemi Mendez’ turn to report and reminisce, as a Past President as well. Ms. Mendez spoke of the good fun and good deeds the group engaged in, as well as of the celebrations of Valentine’s Day and Mother’s and Father’s Day. The Group was able to acquire their land and building, with the help of Hon. Ralph Fonseca and Dr. Cardo Martinez, Ms. Josefina’s son, in the year 2000, and since then all meetings have been held there.

Ms. Mendez recalled that many times members ‘dreamed without money,’ but somehow with small members’ dues and assistance from the community the group got by and grew in membership. Current President Nurse Lillian took the opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to the group’s existence and success, including Mr. Michael Hutchinson and Ms. Dolo-

07 7 res Balderamos Garcia, and other Ladyville stalwarts present. Ms. Dolores sang two of her popular songs for the gathering, and Edward Peters and Shane Henry played favorite dance pieces, employing their two-man band.

Members who received certificates for being twenty-five years in the Group are Myrtle Myvett, Josefina Martinez, Isabel Brown, Elaine Rodriguez, Madeline Loredo (also known as Ms. Caba), John Diaz, Clotilda Bennett, Retenella Perez, Linda Lanza, Laura King, Leonora August, Noemi Young and Michaela Williamson.

Many congratulations and greetings were shared by all on this significant milestone, and the group were particularly pleased to accommodate members in wheelchairs because of the recent construction of a ramp for such access to the building. Refreshments were then shared, and the gathering continued enjoying the fellowship and sisterhood of belonging to a twentyfive year old special organization.

Kudos to the Ladyville Christian Senior Citizens Group, and may you enjoy another twenty-five years and many, many more !!

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24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

Crisis awaits the UDP

Contributed There is big trouble ahead for the UDP…both as the present government and as a political party. The days of the unlimited Petrocaribe bubby are done, so Mr. Barrow can’t go running for that security blanket anymore. The party of misfits will have a rocky road up that proverbial creek, no paddles in sight. What must worry us is that Belize will be floating right up that creek with this crowd of incompetents.

You think the fight for leadership in the PUP is contentious? Wait until you see the rats scrabbling over the cheese in the UDP. They think the power they have will last forever. I feel sorry for Mr. Barrow, having to deal with a bad back and all the stupidity, arrogance and greed in his own Party. Worse than that, I figure the poor PM must have many sleepless nights when he thinks about who will take over when he departs.

Can you imagine John Saldivar, Patrick Faber or Gapi Vega in a real leadership position? We know they lust after the “Acting” position. Can you imagine either of them as actual Prime Minister?

REALLY! I mean look at John Saldivar, not exactly an upstanding citizen. He came into politics poor and now suddenly he is LOADED. Remember Mytheon and

John Saldivar Special Effects? There are many stories going around Belmopan about how John Saldivar went from rags to riches. Word is John’s skeletons couldn’t fit in a closet so he built a mansion in Belmopan.

As for Patrick Faber, if he doesn’t deal with his own issues he may just be standing before a Judge sooner rather than later. The only thing saving him is that he is a Minister and the Police are afraid to deal with him. He definitely needs to visit the domestic violence unit for advice and counselling before he even thinks about leadership of anything.

And then there’s the extra “special” person, Margarito Gaspar Vega. The man

Gapi Vega

Mark King

can’t even string a proper sentence together but he wants to be Prime Minister. If John had to build a mansion for his skeletons then Gapi probably needs a warehouse for his. That is one worthless fellow. I swear lightning is going to strike him one of these days because he loves to call on God when he is aware of his dirty deeds. Can you imagine this man as Prime Minister?

Oh wait…then there are wildcards like Mark King. Cordel beat him badly on Election Day even though King was reminding everyone about how much money he spent. Now he says he’s going to run for “Chairman” of the UDP. He says he was a UDP “Martial” so he’s

2016

qualified. Get it? “Martial.” No wonder Dean Barrow looks so tired whenever we see him in the news.

Don’t worry about the PUP. We’ll get our act together. Worry about where

Patrick Faber this country is going under the UDP. Worry about the BILLION plus in debt that we will have to pay back.

Worry about the fact that our industries are going to hell…sugar, citrus, bananas, shrimp.

Worry about the fuel costs which keep going up even when all over the world they are going down.

Worry about our local farmers who are losing everything they own.

Worry about the loss of correspondent banking relationships.

Worry about the murder rate which is sky high in January.

But the Best is Yet to Come…or so they say.

24 JAN

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

Belizean Beauty

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Career Plan: Attorney at Law Sign: Gemini Favourite Food: BBQ Likes: Cooking Lives in: Belize City Fav. Quote: “Through God, all things are possible.”

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10 SPORTS Harold Thompson scored Uprising 2nd goal

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

Uprising Strikers & Kraal Road FC clash in Peace Cup finals Ball beats goalie Elden Linarez

Belize City, January 17, 2015 The Uprising Strikers will take on Kraal Road FC in the 2016 Conscious Youth Development Programme (CYDP) Peace Cup football championship finals at the MCC Garden on Sunday afternoon, January 24, after both teams qualified by big wins in the CYDP semifinals on Sunday.

Uprising Strikers eliminated the Kelly Street Bombers 2-1; when Francisco “Pancho” Briceno scored on Kelly Street’s goalie Stanley “Jordan” Reneau who had made many heroic saves in the 1st half. Steven

Uprising Strikers win 2-1 Kelly Street Bombers

“Bredds” Baizar equalized for Team Kareem – the Kelly Street Bombers, with a long lob that Uprising’s goalie Elden Linarez couldn’t handle. Red cards reduced both squads to 10 men when Kelly St.’s Oscar Usher

and Uprising’s sweeper Christian Perez got sent off in separate incidents. The game went into overtime when Harold Thompson headed in Uprising’s 2nd winning goal.

No Limits, Hurricanes & Western Ballaz win NEBL basketball openers

Jacob Leslie 29pts - 8x 3ptrs

Belize City, January 16, 2015 No Limits, SMART Belize Hurricanes and Cayo Western Ballaz all posted big wins when the 2016 National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) tournament got started on Saturday night.

NEBL’s rookie Jason “Snake” Leslie drained a game high of 29 pts as he led the SMART Hurricanes to a 75-71 win over the Belmopan Bandits at the UB gym in Belmopan. Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, former MVP of defending champs, San Pedro Tigersharks, and Brian “Brybo” White scored 12pts apiece In Belize City at Birds’ Isle, No Limits pulled off an 80-73 win over the Dangriga Warriors. Greg “Chippy” Rudon scored a game high of 19pts while Lennox Bowman added 11pts.

No Limits

At the Sacred Heart College auditorium in San Ignacio, the Cayo Western Ballaz blew away the NEBL rookies, Independence Thunderbolts: 105-52.

Elvis Usher, Winston Pratt and James Milton scored 16pts apiece and Emerson King added 14pts. Jamal Harris and Ivan Flowers added 8pts apiece.

Thunderbolts’ Hyram Augustine scored 16pts, as Alroy Foreman added 13pts and Jason Daly scored 7pts.

Upcoming Games: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Running Rebels (Friday, O.W. Multi-Purpose Complex) Belmopan Bandits vs. Tigersharks (Saturday, San Pedro’s Angel Nunez Auditorium) O.W. Running Rebels vs. Dangriga Warriors (Ecumenical Auditorium) No Limit vs. Thunderbolts (Independence High School Gymnasium)

Dangriga Warriors

Kraal Road FC qualified by eliminating Tut Bay FC: 4-1; even though Tut Bay held them to a nil-zip draw up to the half. Jason “Paxon” Young opened the scoreboard for Kraal Road in the 2nd half, blasting in the 1st goal past goalie Francis Lemott. Keeron Young scored a 2nd goal, but Tut Bay’s Thomas Castro narrowed the deficit by scoring from a free kick: 2-1. The Tut Bay defense simply ran out of gas in the final minutes of regulation, allowing Charlie Canton to race down the field and score a 3rd and 4th goals for the 4-1 win.

Hoare/Hernandez & Cabral/Sajia win in beach volleyball Belize City, January 17, 2015 The Belize Volleyball Association held the 4th stop of its national beach volleyball tour at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City on Sunday, where Emma Hoare and Leyla Hernandez won the female competition and Jason Cabral and Baydr Sajia won the men’s competition. The next stop of the tour will be in San Pedro on February 7.

Female champs Emma Hoare & Leyla Hernandez

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

SPORTS 11

Kulture Megabytes’ Kent ‘Bob’ Gabourel wins Weekend Warriors’ Altun Ha race Belize City, January 17, 2016 Team Kulture Megabytes’ Kent “Bob” Gabourel won the Weekend Warriors’ Maskall junction - Altun Ha - Belize City 42 mile race, with Sugar City’s Damien Gough winning the B Division and Team Stationery House’s Ingmar Perera taking the C Division race from Altun Ha to Belize City, on Sunday.

A Division Top 10 1st - Kent Gabourel – Team Kulture Megabytes - 1:40:06 2nd - Dave Yearwood – Team Lampaz – 1:40:12 3rd - Ray Cattouse – Team C-Ray 4th - Warren Coye – Team Santino’s 5th - Fitzgerald “Palas” Joseph – Team Lampaz 6th - Jack Sutherland – Team DigiCell 4G 7th - Kirk Sutherland – Team DigiCell 4G 8th/1st Female - Kaya Cattouse – Team C-Ray 10th/2nd Female - Alicia Thompson – Team Kulture Megabytes

B Division 1st/9th overall - Damien Gough – Team Sugar City United 2nd/13th overall - Manuel Esquiliano Truckers Posse 3rd - Joe Mckoy - Team Caribbean Tires 4th/22nd overall - Francis Cassasola – Team Santino’s 5th/23rd overall - Ian Abraham – Team Smart C Division – 30 miles Altun ha to Belize City 1st - Ingmar Perera – Team Stationery House - 1:20:27 2nd - Santino “Chief” Castillo – Team Santino’s – 1:20:40 3rd - Hewald Humes – Team DigiCell 4G 4th - Alejandro Morales – Team Caribbean Tires 5th - Enrique Morales – Team Caribbean Tires 6th - Alphonso Morales – Team Caribbean Tires 7th - Steve Gill – Team SMART 8th - Valentine Sosa - Truckers Posse 9th - Sydney Thurton – Team Kulture Megabytes 10th - Frank Moody – Team DigiCell 4G

Face of Belize advances to U-15 football semifinals Belize City, January 17, 2015 Face of Belize eliminated the Ladyville Jaguars 3-0 in the last back matches of the regular season at the MCC Garden on Sunday morning, advancing to the 2016 Belize District Football Association under-15 football semifinals The 1st and 3RD goals came from Mario Galindo, while Ajani Vaughan added the 2nd goal. Face of Belize will meet undefeated City Boys in Sunday’s semifinals.

Meanwhile, the Hattieville River Side Boys will take on the Bombers in the other semifinals game.

Top 5 winners A category

Top 5 winners B category

Top 5 winners C category

Wesley & A.C.C. lead male football competition

SCA’s Charlize Hunter attacks Ladyville Tech Wesley team

Defending champs SCA undefeated in football

Mario Galindo scored Face of Belize’s 1st and 3rd goals

Belize City, January 18, 2015 The defending football champs, St. Catherine’s Academy, are undefeated in the high school football competition, with 3 wins and 4 goals to their credit.

In SCA’s last victory, they drilled the Ladyville Technical High School girls 1-0 on Monday, with Renisha Martinez converting a penalty in the 1st half.

SCA had won the Wesley College girls 2-0 last Friday, when Wareyni Gillett scored in the 1st half, and SCA defender Kelsie Moss executed a free kick for a world class goal into the vee of the goalpost and crossbar.

Primary school basketball underway

12

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

BSI/ASR Crop Review - Week 6

(January 11, 2016 to January 17, 2016) Cane milled in Week 6: 38,932 tons Total cane milled since start of 2015/2016 crop: 243,768 tons Total cane milled in the same period in 2014/2015 crop: 308,862 tons Difference in this year’s crop: -65,094 tons Sugar produced in Week 6: 3,381 tons Total sugar produced since start of 2015/2016 crop: 21,029 tons Total sugar produced in the same period in 2014/2015 crop: 36,260 tons Grinding rate in Week 6 – 5,562 tons of cane per day Average grinding rate since start of 2015/2016 crop – 5,804 tons of cane per day Grinding rate in the same period of 2014/2015 crop – 7,354 tons of cane per day Juice purity in Week 6 – 82.74% Average juice purity since start of 2015/2016 crop – 83.48% Juice purity in same period of 2014/2015 crop – 87.96% TC/TS in Week 6 – 11.51:1 Average TC/TS since start of 2015/2016 crop – 11.59:1 TC/TS for same period in 2014/2015 crop – 8.52:1 Sugar pol level in cane in Week 6 – 95.74% Average sugar pol level since start of 2015/2016 crop – 94.94% Sugar pol level in the same period in 2014/2015 crop – 95.17% Factory Time efficiency in Week 6 – 80.51% Factory efficiency since the start of 2015/2016 crop – 91.55% Factory efficiency in the same period in 2014/2015 crop – 97.27% BSI Comments: - Mud levels improved with mud % in cane falling to 4.68% compared to 5.6% the week before.

- Efforts to reduce mud level must include avoiding the use of push-pilers by piling cane to suit grab size and lifting cane bundles instead of pushing bundles before loading.

Data compiled from Daily and Weekly Factory Reports prepared by BSI.

2016

NOTICE As the Supervisory Authority for Designated Non-Financial Businesses and Professions (DNFBP), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is the body responsible for ensuring compliance with obligations relating to Anti-Money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism.

Pursuant to the Money Laundering & Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2008 by amendment No. 4 of 2013 (MLTPA), a person who carries on, or intends to carry on one of the following businesses in or from within Belize, must apply to be registered with FIU as soon as possible: - Casinos - Real estate agents - Dealers in precious metals and stones - Non-Profit Organizations - Non-Governmental Organizations - Vehicle dealers - Lawyers, notaries, other independent legal professionals, accountants , auditors and tax advisors

Application forms (Form R101 –Registration of DNFBP) can be obtained from the FIU’s Website at www.fiubelize.org or by visiting our office at 4998 Coney Drive, Coney Drive Plaza, Belize City. Deadline to submit application is February 29, 2016.

For more information, you can contact the FIU by phone at telephone numbers 2232729/0596.

Failure to comply with the requirement to register may subject you to criminal and/or administrative sanctions.

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES 2016 MEGA PUBLIC AUCTION SALE FOR ORANGE WALK DISTRICT

13

Licensed Auctioneer Noel J. Codd will sell the following properties at Noel J. Codd office located in Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District.

ON Monday January 25th, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.

ALL THOSE (2) pieces or parcels of land together comprising 1116.932sm being BLOCK 4 PARCELS 313 & 314 ORANGE WALK REGISTRATION SECTION. The subject building is a 2 story ferro-concrete structure with a gross floor area of 3325sft of which includes 1307sft open space and 2018sft is living area. The ground floor hosts 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms with kitchen/ dining and living room areas. Second floor is used as a family/entertainment room. Ricardo Villanueva.

ALL that piece or parcel being Block 4 Parcel 421 Orange Walk Town Registration Section, Orange Walk District and containing 711.11 square yards as shown on R.I.M Subject property is located in front of the B.S.I. football field.

Property belongs to Amory Jacobs

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 627.220sm being BLOCK 4 PARCEL 640 TRIAL FARM REGISTRATION SECTION. The Subject Lot hosts 2 structures.

Building #1 (main residence) is a one storey concrete bungalow with a gross floor area of 2154sft. The same is occupied as a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom residence with kitchen/dining ,living room & laundry room areas. House is fully tiled, secured, plastered and painted on both the inside & outside. Building #2 is a small one bedroom structure, tiled, plastered and painted with gross floor area of 272sft. Lot is fenced. Being the Freehold property of James Moreira

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, IN TRIAL FARM being Registration Section Trial Farm Block 4 Parcel 762, Orange Walk District, Belize. The property contains 3 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, living, kitchen, and dining area being the freehold property of Benjamin Torres.

ALL THAT LOT PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND BEING PARCEL 284/1, TRIAL FARM REG. SECTION BLOCK 4, O/WALK. Property contains 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, Living and kitchen area. Property for Lisandro Vargas

All that piece or parcel of land being lot No.72 situate at the corner of Evelyn & St. Peter Street,Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District. Being Block 4 Parcel 1618 Orange Walk TownRegistration Section, Orange Walk District and containing 479.3 square meters.

The subject building is a 2 storey concrete structure. Main level having 8 bedrooms, 1 part-bath,and living area.

2nd level 3 bedrooms,2 full bath, family room, laundry room, living, dining and kitchen. THE LOWER FLOOR IS USED AS DOCTOR’S OFFICE THE UPPER AS RESIDENCE. BUILDING IS IN VERY GOOD STATE being the Freehold property of Ricardo Fabro

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being parcel 510/1. REGISTRATION SECTION: SAN JOSE/SAN PABLO BLOCK: 1 PARCEL: 510/1. The Building is a 2 bedroom bungalow house. Being the leasehold property of Edwin Patt

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 1040.4 s. m. being Block 4 Parcel 12 Trial Farm Reg Sec. Land with structure the freehold of Ismael Teck.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being block 4 Parcel 3871 Orange Walk Town Registration section. The subject building is 1,260 square feet containing 5 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 2 livings rooms and 1 kitchen area being the Freehold property of Juan August.

ALL THAT piece or parcel being lot # 101, LUSIANA FARM WEST WHICH IS NOW PARCEL # 3939, ORANGE WALK TOWN REG SECT BLOCK 1, Located Corner Guanacaste Street, Louisana Farm West, Orange Walk Town. Holding 2 bedrooms one bath, living dinin and kitchen area. Property for Fernando & Emilia Ayuso.

ALL that piece or parcel of land containing 2160.701 square meters. being Registration Section Indian Hill East Block 4 Parcel 523, Orange Walk District. The property currently hosts a one storey structure which is unoccupied. Being the Freehold property of Roberto Santos

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 1045.045square meters being Lot 648 situated in Trial Farm village, Orange Walk District. Property is vacant lot. Being the Fee Simple property of Melbourne Rodriguez

All that piece or parcel of land containing 1770.83sm being Registration Section San Lazaro Village Block 4 Parcel 232/1. The Subject Building comprises of 2,544sft. It contains 5 bedrooms & 1 bathroom, complete with kitchen, dining & living room spaces. Being the Freehold property of Allan and Arsenio Carillo.

All that piece or parcel of land containing 645.890 s. m.3744 Cor. Palmar Boundary Road & Macal River Street, Orange Walk. The Subject Building comprises 1,360sft. The same is occupied as a family home of 2 bedrooms & 2 bathrooms, complete with kitchen, dining & living room spaces. Being the freehold property of Roger Tun.

14 Continued from page 13

All those 2 pieces or parcels of land containing 929.01 s. m. being all those two lots pieces or parcel of land situate in the New Residential Area of Orange Walk better known as Guadalupe Street. The Subject Building is concrete 1 1/2 storey structure with a gross floor area of 3,815sft.

The building contains 4 bedrooms, 4 Full bathrooms, 2 part bath, 2 kitchen, 2 Living rooms and 2 dining areas. Being the Freehold property of Emilcar Burgos.

All that lot, parcel or piece of land in Orange Walk being Registration Section Orange Walk Town Block 4 Parcel 1911. Property contains 4 bedrooms, 2 Full bathrooms, Living, Kitchen and dining area. The building is also comprised of 1786 S.FT. Being the Fee Simple property of Ana B. Castillo.

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, IN Orange Walk being Registration Section Ann Gabourel Block 4 Parcel 1814. The house contains 2 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, living, kitchen and dining area being the freehold property of Levy Blanco.

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, being Registration: Ann Gabourel Block: 4 Parcel: 1247/1. The property contains IA 26’ X 24’, 2 BEDROOMs, BUNGALOW DWELLING HOUSE being the leasehold property of Felix Rejon

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 348.33sm being BLOCK 4 PARCEL 1473 ANN GABOUREL REGISTRATION SECTION. Located at #49 Yo Creek & San Joaquin St., Orange Walk Town. The Subject Building is a one sto-

THE BELIZE TIMES rey concrete bungalow with a gross floor area of 1971sft, including open area. The same serves as a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom residence with kitchen/dining and living room areas. House was originally constructed in 1998 and renovated in 2011. House is 50% tiled, plastered and painted. There is also a second structure within the lot that is currently used as a store room. Property of Edison & Rosita Johnson.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 464.454 s. m. being lot no. 3235 CABBAGE STREET, Orange Walk District, Belize. The house contains 2 bedrooms, living, kitchen and dining area.

The house has an outdoor facility being the Freehold parcel of Martin Jimenez.

ALL THAT Being Block 4 Parcel 3706, Orange Walk Town Registration section being Registration Section Orange Walk Town Block 4 Parcel 3706, Orange Walk District, Belize. 3 bedrooms, 1 full bathroom, living, kitchen and dining area being the freehold property of Ester Vargas.

ALL that piece or parcel being Block 4 Parcels 623,624,625 & 631 orange Walk Town 2054.41 square meters Orange Walk Town Registration Section. Vacant Land. Being the freehold property of M.V. Imports Ltd

ALL that piece or parcel of land being Block 4 Parcel 1946 Orange Walk Town measuring 1199.638 sq yds. being the Freehold property of Ricardo Fabro.

ALL that piece or parcel of land being BLOCK 1 PARCEL 499 SAN ESTEVAN REGISTRATION SECTION in San Estevan Village, Orange Walk Town. Land measuring 461.9 S.M. Building:Concrete bungalow house with 3 bedrooms, full bath, living, Dining, Kitchen Area and laundry room.

Being the Freehold property of Eudaldo & Macaria Patt.

24 JAN

2016

ALL THOSE THREE pieces or parcel of land containing 1,719.013 s.m. being Registration Section Indian Hill East Block 4 Parcel 514,515,516. Ishwar Mahbubani

ALL that piece or parcel Being Block 1 Parcels 228, 229, 230, 231 San Estevan Registration Section. Land measuring 657.1 sm, 710.8 sm, 641.7sm, & 729 sm respectively in San Estevan Village, Orange Walk. 39 x 39 feet Concrete bungalow structure: 3 bedrooms, 2 full bath, lkitchen, dining and living room. There is also an open shed, which is used as an additional kitchen & washing area. Being the Freehold property of Wilber & Erica Vega.

Lease property being lot no. 309 Guinea Grass Village, Orange Walk District, containing 1200.467 sqyds Two storey concrete structure; 2400 sqft Main: 1 living, dining, kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 2 bath rooms,laundry room Second Level - 80% completed: 1 living room, dining, kitchen , full bath, 4 bed rooms being the Leashold property of Primitivo Chan

ALL that piece or parcel Being Block 1 Parcels 485 & 486 San Estevan Village Lots Layout, Orange Walk and containing 1084.1 square meters (parcel 485) and 1018.6 square meters (parcel 486) respectively.

Land only Property of Amelio Cansino.

Fee Simple Property BEING PARCELS 157 AND 158, DOUGLAS REG. SECTION BLOCK 1, ORANGE WALK. LOT 158 CONTAINS 1045.159 S.M. AND IS THE CORNER LOT ON ROADSIDE. LOT 157 CONTAINS 1040.57 SQ. METERS AND IS THE INSIDE LOT FOR WHICH THE STREET IS NOT YET OPENED. BOTH LOTS ARE PRESENTLY IN ITS NATURAL STATE. Property of Erica Cabral

All that piece or parcel of land containing 522.5 Square Meters being Registration Section Orange Walk Town Block 4 Parcel 879, Orange Walk District, Belize. Land only being the freehold property of Pabel Torres

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Parcel 206/1 Block 1 Miller’s Bight Registration Section containing 36.7 acres being the leashold property of Apolonio Ramirez.

ALL That piece or parcel being Parcel 188 Block 1 San Jose/San Pablo Village.Containing a one storey concrete bungalow with a gross floor area of approximately 700sft.

Holding 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, living/ kitchen area.Being the Freehold property of Otilio Cacerez & Macedonia Chi.

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 20acres being BLOCK 4 PARCEL 65 DOUGLAS RURAL REGISTRATION SECTION. Located in San Jose/San Pablo Village being the Freehold property of Vicente Escalante.

ALL THAT piece or parcel being BLOCK 4 PARCEL 428/1 SAN JOSE/SAN PABLO REGISTRATION SECTION containing 1646.7 square meters being the Leasehold property of Miguel Briceno.

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PEICE OF LAND, IN ORANGE WALK being Registration Section Ann Gabourel, Block 4, Parcel 2755 being the freehold property of Van Clarke.

NOEL J. CODD Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Tel: Office: 677-5184 cell: 624-5184 Email:noelcodd@yahoo.com

@Noel Codd Auctioneer

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES 2016 MEGA AUCTION SALE FOR COROZAL DISTRICT ON Friday January 22nd, 2016 At 10:00 a.m. at the following places and time:

AT 9:00 a.m. on site

ALL that piece or parcel of land being Parcel 2157/1 Block 1 in Corozal North situate in Hall’s Layout, College Road, Corozal Town Land - 727.06 sqyds, Building 47.5ft x 32.5ft-split level concrete house, Main level holds 5 bedrooms, 2 full bath, 1 kitchen and living room. Second level 2 bedrooms and a storage area. There is also a 13ft x 15 ft single building in the yard being the leasehold property of Ezekiel Gilharry.

AT 10:30 a.m. on site

ALL that lot, parcel or piece of land, being Parcel No. 2163, Corozal North Registration Section, Block 1, Corozal.

Located in PORT SAUL AREA. Holding a bungalow concrete house with 2 bedroom, one bath, living/dining/ kitchen area. Land Measuring Approx 575.52 SQ YDS. Being the Freehold property of Roque & Maria Martinez.

AT 1:00 p.m. on site

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, BEING PARCEL # 1450/1 CONSEJO ROAD S.E REG SECTION BLOCK 1, COROZAL District being the Leasehold of Jose Cawich

AT 1:30 P.M. IN FRONT OF SCOTIABANK (Belize) LTD. Corozal Town Branch

AT 11:00 a.m. on site

AT 9:30 a.m. on site

ALL that piece or parcel being Block 1 Parcel 282, situated at No. 96 5th Street North, Corozal Central, Corozal Town, Land measuring 669.91 SqYds, Building - Concrete bungalow structure containing 3 bedrooms, 2 full bath, kitchen, living room, dining room, and office being the Freehold property of Froylan & America Gilharry.

AT 10:00 a.m. on site

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, BEING PARCEL # 31 Block 1, PARAISO/ SANTA RITA REGISTRATION SECTION. Building:2 ½ storey with 5,013 sq. ft. with Main:- 2,294 sq. ft 2 Bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 1 part bath, with kitchen, dining and living room areas and laundry room. Second:- 2,077 sq. ft. 2 Bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms, 1 part bath, with kitchen, dining and living room areas and laundry room. Third:-642 sq. ft. and is used as an additional living room space being the freehold of Ramesh Buxani Co Ltd

15

ALL that piece or parcel being Block 1 Parcel 682 Libertad Village Registration Section, Corozal District Land: 10,811.87 s. y Building is a two storey concreted dwelling - Main level contain 3 bedrooms, 1 full bath, kitchen, dining, living and laundry room, Second level is incomplete. According to the owner it has been sub-divided into 4 large lots. There is also a thatch house on the property a open trench that may have been initial work for a swimming pool. Being the Freehold property of Herman Botes.

Fee Simple Property being PARCEL # 552, LIBERTAD VILLAGE REG. SECTION BLOCK # 1, Corozal District, Belize. THE PROPERTY IS A BIG AND LONG LOT containing 1799.63 S.. IT IS DEVELOPED WITH 2 HOUSES. THE 1ST HOUSE IS A TWO-STOREY WOODEN AND CONCRETE STRUCTURE WITH 5 BEDROOMS, 1 FULL BATH, KITCHEN, DINING AND LIVING. IT MEASURES ABOUT 2100 SQ. FEET. WHILE THE 2ND AT THE BACK IS WOODEN WITH A CONCRETE, BACK ADDITION WHICH GIVES IT SORT OF AN L - SHAPED and HAS ABOUT 1300 SQ. FEET. IT HAS 3 BEDROOMS LIVING DINING AND KITCHEN. PROPERTY OF EMILIO & MELVA SARMIENTO (EMILA & BALDOMINIO MONTEJO)

ALL THAT LOT PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND BEING PARCEL 28,CAROLINA CALCUTTA REG. SECTION, BLOCK 1, COROZAL containing 907.43 SQUARE YARDS. THE PROPERTY IS IN KEN’S LAYOUT, AN EXPANSION OF XAIBE VILLAGE AND IS FIVE LOTS OFF THE MAIN ROAD. Building is a one storey concrete structure with 1 bath, living dining and kitchen area. Property is designed for more bedrooms but is not complete. Fee simple property of Valentin Nicholas

AT 11:30 a.m. on site ALL that piece or parce being Block 3 Parcel 614 Sarteneja Registration Section, Corozal District. Vacant land measuring 1106.8 s.m. being the Freehold property of Juan Perez.

ALL that piece or parcel of land being Corozal Central Registration Section Block 1 Parcel 278, located at No. 8th Street North, Corozal Town, Corozal District. Land - 505.33 sq yds. Building - One single storey bungalow house with 1 bedroom, 1 bath, living, dining and kitchen area. The original house is 21 X 31 fully complete, with an extension that is considered 40% completed and measuring 17 X 31 being the freehold of Abimael & Monica Catch.

ALL that piece or parcel being Parcel 62 Block 1 COROZAL CENTRAL REG. SECTION. Located at No 3. 4th Ave Corozal Town. Building is FULLY CONCRETE, DWELLING COMPRISING OF A PARTIAL BASEMENT WHICH CREATES A TWO-STOREY. Measuring aprox. 1800 sq ft. Property of Albertico Gongora

ALL that parcel Sarteneja Registration Section, Block 3, parcel No. 348/1 COROZAL. Structure is a mix concrete bunglow with addition at the top, holding 3 bedrooms, bath, living/dining/kitchen areas.

Property of Ariolo & Diana Samos

ALL THAT LOT PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND BEING PARCEL 57/1, BUENA VISTA REG. SECTION BLOCK 1, COROZAL. Containing Approximately 1310.6 S.Y. THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS NEAR CENTRALLY LOCATED LOT IN THE VILLAGE AND TWO STREETS PARALLEL TO THE NORTHERN HIGHWAY. Holding a two storey concrete building: main level has 1 bed room, living and dining area. Second level has 3 bedrooms, living, dining and kitchen area. Leasehold property for Florencia Pott

16 Continued from page 15

THE BELIZE TIMES 4 PARCELS OF LAND

ALL THAT pieces or parcels of land being 1 Parcel 120 containing 50.2 acres Parcel 97 containing 14.798 acres, Parcel 95 containing 62.79 acres and Parcel 86 containing 88.16 acres situated in Libertad Rural Registration Section cane land only being the Freehold properties of Armando Martinez and Ervin Rancharan.

All that piece or parcel containing 1.17 Acres being lot 5 situate approx 10 1/2 Miles On the Belize Corozal Road.

Land Only being the freehold property of Noguera Sugarcane Derivatives

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, BEING PARCEL # 131 PARAISO/ SANTA RITA REG SECTION, BLOCK 1, CORZAL being Registration Section Paraiso/Santa Rita Block 1 Parcel 131.

Property of Narciso Flores/ Floes & Sons

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1 Parcel 221 Libertad Rural Registration Section. Building is 1410 square feet.

Contains 2 bedrooms, 1 full bath, a living, kitchen and family room. Being the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1 Parcel 13 Libertad Rural Registration Section. Land only. Being the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

ALL that lot, piece or parcel being Block 1 Parcel 93 Libertad Rural Reg Sec. Land only. Being the Fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1, parcels 302 Libertad Rural, Registration Section. Only being land is the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1 Parcel 53 & 54 Corozal Central Registration Section. Building is 1615 square feet 2 storey building. Lot 53 houses a radio station and studio at the top and a television studio at the bottom. Lot 54 has an out toilet, concreted courtyard/dancehall with a portion of a kitchen/bar. Being the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1, parcels 302 Libertad Rural, Registration Section. Only being land is the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

All that piece or parcel containing 639.4 Square Meters, being Registration Section Grants Land Block 1 Parcel 322/1 Copper Bank, Corozal District. The property is appraised under the assumption of good marketable title in fee simple volume 28 of 2002. The property in review has a single family bungalow residence with a gross square footage of 980 sq ft at ground floor and 260 sq ft at first floor and land 639.4 S.M. being the freehold property of Sarah Cobb

ALL THAT LOT, PARCEL OR PIECE OF LAND, IN SAN ANDRES/ RANCHITO being Registration Section San Andres/Ranchito Block 1 Parcel 792 Corozal District. The building contains 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, living, and kitchen area being the Freehold of Jeorge Zetina

2016

Leonardo Folgarait Properties

All that lot, piece or parcel land being Block 1 Parcel 129 Paraiso/Santa Rita Registarion Section. Land with frame structure. Being the fee simple property of Leonardo Folgarait

ALL THAT piece or parcel being PARCEL 539/1,SANTA CLARA/ SAN ROMAN REG. SECTION, BLOCK 1, COROZAL being the leasehold property of George Moralez.

24 JAN

All that lot, piece or parcel of land being Block 1 Parcel 877 Corozal North Registration Section. A 2 storey structure with 4,860 square feet. Main floor consists of 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, with a kitchen, a living and laundry room. Second floor consists of 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and 2 dining and 2 living room areas being the Freehold property of Leonardo Folgarait

ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 2995 sm being Block1 Parcel 141 San Andres/Ranchito Registration Section.

The Subject Property houses 3 structures.

Building No.1 is 1,200sft. and is occupied as a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom home complete with kitchen, dining & living room spaces.

Building No.2: concrete two storey structure of 1,920sft. Each floor is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom space each with kitchen, dining & living room spaces. Building No. 3 is aq 1,200sft. structure with floor & walls in place only Freehold properties of Armando Martinez and Ervin Rancharan.

NOEL J. CODD Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Tel: Office: 677-5184 cell: 624-5184 Email:noelcodd@yahoo.com

@Noel Codd Auctioneer

24 JAN

2016

Sea breeze pelicans

By G. Michael Reid November 4th 2015 was a day when my emotions were as mixed as they have probably ever been as far as politics is concerned. I desperately wanted the People’s United Party to win because I sincerely believe them to be the better party to govern this country. They are more inclusive in their style of governance, more competent in their stewardship and more creative and effective in stimulating the economy. This is not to say that they are perfect but I believe the PUP to be more socially responsible and more concerned about the welfare of the country as a whole. The United Democratic Party seems merely concerned with addressing the needs of party stalwarts and sycophants and in feathering the nest of Ministers and their families. The Barrow family in particular, over just a few short years, has established themselves as the dominant elite of this country for generations to come.

So while I wanted the PUP to win, I also intuitively understood that the better scenario would be for them to lose. In fact, except for the bottom feeders and blind supporters, I also believe that many even within the UDP also understood that a loss would have served them better. The handwriting was on the wall.

Notwithstanding the admitted obsession with a third term as Prime Minister, I sincerely believe that Barrow would have readily foregone that feat for a golden ride into the sunset; leaving behind this mess for the PUP to clean up and bear pressure from.

As it stands, Belize is on the verge of a major muddle and the days ahead look dark indeed. Dean Barrow knew this well in advance and it played no small part in his decision to call early elections. The drop in sugar prices on the world market was already known albeit not announced until the week following the elections. It promises to get even worse in 2017 when pref-

17

THE BELIZE TIMES

erential market comes to an end.

Figures from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) shows a continued increase in Belize’s trade deficit as the primary exports of sugar, citrus and bananas all find themselves in crisis mode. In recent years, Belize has shifted more focus toward tourism but of course, that market itself remains vulnerable to the delicate shifts in global economies. Recent stock market figures show America on the verge of another recession and it has long been known that, “When America sneezes, Belize catches a cold”. The recent murder of two high profile foreigners (Canadian & U.S. citizen) in the Cayo District as well as the recent jacking of some wealthy tourists aboard a yacht will not help and we can be sure that it

produce in abundance is now being imported leaving local farmers with produce rotting in the fields. While domestic exports continue to decrease, Belizeans covet more and more the imported goods. The rich go to Miami, the middle class shops in Chetumal and the local farmers and market venders struggle to make a few pennies off the poor. The big fish eat the little fish and the ocean don’t give a damn!

There is also a serious crisis brewing in the banking industry and this has been coming for some time now. The exit of First Caribbean Bank was but portend to an impending doom and this promises to get a lot worse before it gets better. As the banks of Belize lose their correspondent relations with banks in America, the situation becomes dire and the business sector will find it increasingly difficult to secure even basic goods from abroad. While we indeed exist in a global village, it is ridiculous that we have not done more to ensure that our own little corner of this village could have become more selfsufficient.

And now to the biggest elephant in this living room. I have written ex-

volatile and it made no sense for us to hitch our wagon to that lone star.

Now that our star has burned out; cometh the supernova and we had better brace ourselves for the impact.

The government has all along been perpetuating a fraud with their so-called “massive infrastructure programs”. It was nothing more than window dressing while the store shelves behind remained empty.

Everything that was being done was only for a show and to present a false sense of growth and stability. Many of the hurriedly paved streets are now already breaking up and with even just a little drizzle, our streets are turned into canals.

One has only to look around Belize now, whether in the city or in the districts, and it is obvious that the so-called transformation has come to a screeching halt. The roundabout in Belmopan is going on two years, yet it sits far from completion and remains a major inconvenience to motorists in that area.

The Hummingbird Highway is now an obstacle course, with more potholes than solid surface. This once smooth and scenic drive has deteriorated badly even though for three consecutive years, government has signed massive loans for its resurfacing. The new “Chetumal Street bridge” is long completed, but the work on the approach from the south side has also completely stopped.

And then there’s the other elephant; the white one known as Marion Jones Stadium. In construction for almost twenty years, it shows no sign of readiness. After making millions for erecting a fence, former Minister Herman Longsworth has now been rewarded with a long term paid vacation in the U.S. Good work if you can get it.

A victory for the PUP in 2016 surely would have been pyrrhic and it becomes more apparent every day that this lee breeze has blown these political pelicans exactly where they both needed to be. Shalom!

Marine exports also fell by $18 million as our waters become overfished and the shrimp industry struggles to recover from a recent viral infestation. I’m not saying that the sky is falling but some heavy clouds are forming overhead. won’t be long before the US issues another state warning.

Crude oil exports which had been an added boost to Belize’s economy since 2005 has seen a steady decline and seems to have hit the bottom of the barrel. Pulu Lightburn once commented to me, “What if that is all there is”! Explorations have turned up no new finds and with the low price of crude on the world market investors are putting their money elsewhere. Plummeting prices have made a bad situation worse and with sanctions being lifted on Iran, we can expect oil prices to go even lower.

Meanwhile, as pump price around the world go down, price of gas in Belize continues to rise. In classic audacity, the government made no bones about the fact that our rise in pump prices is simply the result of higher taxes; and the best is yet to come.

Marine exports also fell by $18 million as our waters become overfished and the shrimp industry struggles to recover from a recent viral infestation. I’m not saying that the sky is falling but some heavy clouds are forming overhead.

The gap between what Belize exports and what it imports continues to widen and recent SIB reports show an increase of 6.2 percent over already relatively high figures. Even stuff like carrots and rice which we

tensively about the Petro Caribe issue and had been keeping abreast with the developments as they occur in Venezuela. I expended much ink trying to sound the alarm but of course, the kool aid was flowing and people drank their fill. It was obvious that Petro Caribe could not last forever and while the rate of interest was appealing low, it was nonetheless a loan, and loans have to be repaid.

The situation in Venezuela was far too

18

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

Belizean family convicted in U.S. benefits fraud case Jan 20, 2016 A brother and sister have been convicted by a federal jury of multiple felony counts for using false identities to steal almost $300,000 in unemployment funds and other federal benefits, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

Two other family members were also convicted of fraud for their part in the scheme to unlawfully obtain unemployment compensation funds.

Frederick Vernon Williams, 35, his sister Jacqueline Louisa Gentle, 27, his wife, Denise Allison Williams, 36, and his other sister, Carolyn Shelmadine Willis-Casey, 40, all of Belize, were convicted on Friday, Jan. 15. The trial lasted for 10 days and was presided over by U.S. District Judge James C. Mahan.

Frederick Williams and Jacqueline Gentle were convicted

of conspiracy to commit mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, mail fraud, theft of government money, making a false statement in application for a passport, and making false citizenship claims.

Gentle was also convicted of misuse of a U.S. passport and misuse of a social security number. Denise Williams and Carolyn Willis-Casey were each convicted of one count of mail fraud.

Frederick Williams faces up to 290 years in prison, plus two to four years consecutive for the two aggravated identity theft counts, and not more than $4.75 million in fines. Gentle faces up to 83 years in prison, plus two years consecutive for the aggravated identity theft count, and not more than $2 million in fines.

Denise Williams and Willis-Casey face up to 20 years in prison and not more than $250,000 in fines.

They are scheduled to be sentenced on April 18, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

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 27th day of October, 2011, between FAURA CARDINEZ of Big Falls Village, Toledo District, Belize, and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 24 of 2010 at Folios 361 – 410, 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 piece and parcel of land situate at Mile 67 Southern Highway, Big Falls Village, Toledo District, Belize and being Lot No. 26 containing 1482.92 Square Yards or 1239.90 Square Meters and bounded and described as shown on Plan No. 304 of 2003 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and thereon.

DATED this 20th day of January, 2016.

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

2016

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 HURL M. HAMILTON of the one part and HRCU of the other part.

HRCU will at the expiration of three 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 348.26 square metres being Parcel 1609, Block 16 in the Vista Del Mar Registration Section situate on Red Snapper Avenue, Vista Del Mar, Belize District, TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of HURL M. HAMILTON DATED this 14th day of January 2016 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

NOTICE

BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE LICENSE AUCTIONEER NOEL J. CODD WILL SELL the following chattels on Saturday 23rd January, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in front of the Caye Caulker Village Park.

1- 2007 green club golf cart 1- 2009 green club golf cart 3 - 2010 green club golf carts TERM: STRICTLY CASH LICENSE AUCTIONEER: NOEL J. CODD

Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Office: 677-5184 or Cell: 624-5184 Email: noelcoddauction@yahoo.com

24 JAN

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

JAMAICA ADVISES WOMEN TO DELAY PREGNANCY DUE TO ZIKA VIRUS play their part in taking the necessary steps to rid their communities of the Aedes aegypti mosquito which transmits the Zika virus.

Citizens, he said, should destroy mosquito breeding sites by looking for anything in and around their immediJamaica Observer, Tuesday, January 19, 2016 THE Ministry of Health yesterday urged Jamaican women to to delay pregnancy for the next six to twelve months given the possible connection between the Zika virus infection and the neurological condition, microcephaly.

At the same time, the ministry cautioned pregnant women to take extra precaution to prevent being bitten by mosquitoes.

The Zika virus is caused by bites from the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries the virus that causes dengue fever and chikungunya .

Microcephaly results in the underdevelopment of and abnormality in the shape of the head and brain of the foetus which conditions arise from infection during the first months of pregnancy. It has been reported that babies who develop microcephaly in the womb may not live to full term, may be born prematurely, may be still-born or may survive but with a life-long disability.

The most common symptoms of the Zika virus are fever, rash, joint pain, or conjunctivitis (red eyes). Other common symptoms include muscle pain and headache. The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.

While Jamaica has not yet seen any recorded cases of the Zika virus, there have been confirmed cases in other countries in the Caribbean such as Haiti and Barbados as well as in South American countries such as Brazil, where the virus is suspected of causing over 3,500 babies to be born with brain damage.

American’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently issued a travel alert for people, especially pregnant women, travelling to certain countries affected by the the Zika virus.

According to Minister of Health Horace Dalley, although there is no absolute proof that the evidence from Brazil as well as information from the Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO/ WHO) and other technical partners, is strong enough for the ministry to take a such position, it is seeking to prevent any possible negative outcome to pregnant women.

Dalley also stated in a press advisory that the “virus is inching closer to Jamaica as several of our Caribbean neighbours have reported cases”.

The health minister said he was, therefore, calling on every citizen to

ate environment that may collect water and either keep it covered, keep it dry or dispose of it.

Jamaicans were also urged to repair leaking pipes and outdoor faucets, cut their grass, trim shrubbery and clear roof gutters and eaves to prevent any

19 water settlement. “Persons should also fill in and drain any low places in the yard where puddles are likely to form following rainfall,” the minister said.

For personal protection against mosquito bites, persons were also encouraged to use insect repellent containing DEET and wear longsleeved clothing where possible.

The Ministry of Health, meanwhile, said it has heightened its alert and had increased its vector-control activities.

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24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

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Head transplant carried out on monkey, claims maverick surgeon

The plan to perform a human head transplant is on track, says Sergio Canavero, after successful experiments on monkeys and mice 19 January 2016 The head transplant juggernaut rolls on. Last year, maverick surgeon Sergio Canavero caused a worldwide storm when he revealed his plan to attempt a human head transplant to New Scientist. He claimed that the surgical protocol would be ready within two years and said he intended to offer the surgery as a treatment for complete paralysis.

Now, working with other scientists in China and South Korea, he claims to have moved closer to that goal with a series of experiments in animals and human cadavers.

“I would say we have plenty of data to go on,” says Canavero. “It’s important that people stop thinking this is impossible. This is absolutely possible and we’re working towards it.”

“Science through PR” The work is described in seven papers set to be published in the journals Surgery and CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics over the next few months. New Scientist has not seen the papers and has not been able verify the latest claims. The issue of CNS Neuroscience & Therapeutics will be guest-edited by one of Canavero’s collaborators.

The fact that Canavero has gone public with the latest results before the papers are published has raised eyebrows. “It’s science through public relations,” says Arthur Caplan, a bioethicist at New York University School of Medicine.

“When it gets published in a peerreviewed journal I’ll be interested. I think the rest of it is BS.” Thomas Cochrane, a neurologist at Harvard Medical School’s Centre for Bioethics, agrees that Canavero’s premature disclosure is unorthodox. “It’s frowned upon for good reason,” he says. “It generates excitement before excitement is warranted. It distracts people from actual work that everyone can agree has a valid foundation. As far

as I can tell, that operation has mostly been about publicity rather than the production of good science.”

Although we can’t verify them, New Scientist has seen images and videos of some of the procedures Canavero describes.

These include the video above of mice sniffing and moving their legs, apparently weeks after having the spinal cord in their necks severed and then re-fused. C-Yoon Kim, at Konkuk University School of Medicine in South Korea, who carried out the procedure, says his team have demonstrated the recovery of motor function in the forelimbs and hindlimbs of the animals. “Therefore I guess it is possible to reconnect the [spinal] cord after complete severance,” he says.

Canavero says Kim’s work shows that the spinal cord can refuse if it is cut cleanly in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG), a chemical that preserves nerve cell membranes. “These experiments prove once and for all that simply using PEG, you can see partial recovery,” he says.

As well as the use of PEG, the procedure Canavero outlines in the papers includes techniques to aid recovery such as spinal cord stimu-

lation and the use of a negative pressure device to create a vacuum to encourage the nerves to fuse.

According to Canavero, researchers led by Xiaoping Ren at Harbin Medical University, China, have carried out a head transplant on a monkey. They connected up the blood supply between the head and the new body, but did not attempt to connect the spinal cord. Canavero says the experiment, which repeats the work of Robert White in the US in 1970, demonstrates that if the head is cooled to -15 °C, a monkey can survive the procedure without suffering brain injury.

“The monkey fully survived the procedure without any neurological injury of whatever kind,” says Canavero, adding that it was kept alive for only 20 hours after the procedure for ethical reasons. New Scientist was, however, unable to obtain further details on this experiment.

“We’ve done a pilot study testing some ideas about how to prevent injury,” says Ren, whose work is sponsored by the Chinese government.

He and his team have also performed experiments on human cadavers in preparation for carrying out the surgery, he says.

Rich backers needed

Canavero is seeking funds to offer a head transplant to a 31-yearold Russian patient, Valery Spriridonov, who has a genetic musclewasting disease. Canavero says he intends to make a plea to Mark Zuckerberg to finance the surgery.

Last week, Trinh Hong Son, director of the Vietnam-Germany Hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, offered to host the procedure.

“If the so-called head transplant works, this is going to open up a whole new science of spinal cord trauma reconstruction,” says Michael Sarr, editor of the journal Surgery and a surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “We are most interested in spinal cord reconstruction using head transplantation as a proof of principle. Our journal does not necessarily support head transplantation because of multiple ethical issues and multiple considerations of informed consent and the possibility of negative consequences of a head transplant.”

Against the odds Caplan says Canavero should study nerve regrowth with PEG in people with spinal cord injury before attempting a head transplant.

“There are hundreds of thousands of people who could benefit from something that would regrow the spinal cord. It’s like saying I want to fly to the next galaxy when it would be nice to set up a colony on Mars, and I think about the same odds.”

Nevertheless, Canavero believes head transplantation is the only treatment that will work for paralysed patients. “Gene therapy has failed. Stem cells, we’re still waiting. Even if they come now, for these patients there is no hope.

Tetraplegia can only be cured with this. Long term, the body decays, organs decay. You have to give them a new body because even if you take care of the cord, you’re going nowhere.”

24 17 JAN

2016

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

THE BELIZE TIMES

Violent protests rock Haiti ahead of presidential vote 19 Jan 2016 Protesters have taken to the streets of Haiti’s capital to demand the suspension of a runoff presidential vote over alleged irregularities.

The demonstrations in Port-au-Prince on Monday came as attackers in rural areas burned several electoral offices.

Some of the thousand-strong group of protesters burned vehicles, threw rocks and attacked a petrol station in the downtown area of the capital.

Haiti is due to hold a runoff vote backed by international donors on Sunday, but tensions have risen since the opposition candidate Jude Celestin said last week he would withdraw.

Celestin accuses electoral authorities of favouring the ruling party.

“We are moving toward a selection, not an election,” Celestin told the Associated Press on Saturday.

Elections and transfers of power in Haiti have long been plagued by instability, and international observers said October’s vote was relatively smooth.

However, several of the 54 candidates said the government had twisted the results.

Censorship fears persist as YouTube returns to Pakistan Government removes three-year ban on video-sharing website but material deemed offensive can now be blocked Pakistan has removed a threeyear ban on YouTube after the Google-owned video-sharing website launched a local version but the news has been met with scepticism over fears of online censorship in the country.

Pakistan banned access to YouTube in September 2012 after the anti-Islam film “Innocence of Muslims” was uploaded to the site, sparking violent protests across major cities in the country.

The ban was overturned on Monday following the launch of the local version that allows authorities to demand removal of material it considers offensive.

Protesters vow to derail Sunday’s runoff vote after candidate accuses electoral authority of backing ruling party.

Gunmen kill prominent ally of Venezuelan president Caracas (AFP) - Gunmen killed a prominent ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, prosecutors said on Wednesday, a crime the socialist leader suggested was politically motivated.

Ricardo Duran Trujillo, 45, was fatally shot near his home on Tuesday night, the state prosecution service said in a statement.

There were conflicting suggestions as to whether Duran, a former journalist and ex-head of media for the National Assembly legislature, was the victim of a botched robbery or a targeted killing.

He was a high-profile supporter of the president, who is locked in a political standoff with opponents.

Prosecutors, citing witnesses, said Duran “was intercepted by three men” in the west of the capital and resisted when they tried to rob him.

NEWS

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Supreme Court to judge Obama immigrant protection plan United States justices to review lower court’s decision to block Obama’s order, which shields millions from deportation.

19 Jan 2016 United States President Barack Obama’s effort to shield more than four million immigrants from deportation has been given new life after the Supreme Court agreed to review lower court rulings which blocked the initiative.

Obama’s 2014 executive order lifted the threat of deportation against immigrants with no criminal record whose children are US citizens, but upset a large number of states which argued that the president had overstepped his bounds.

The Supreme Court’s justices said on Tuesday that they would review a November ruling by the New Orleansbased 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a February 2015 decision

by US District Judge Andrew Hanen in Brownsville, Texas, to halt Obama’s action.

The border state of Texas is leading 26 states in challenging the immigration plan.

Thailand to drill 4,300 wells as drought hits hard Almost $100m redirected for urgent construction of wells to supply drinking and washing water after lengthy shortage Thai authorities are rushing to drill thousands of wells across the country to ensure enough water for drinking and washing, as farmers grapple with a drought and a months-long water shortage.

Authorities examined the water supply and demand nationwide and decided to drill 4,300 more wells, said Suphot Tovichakchaikul, secre-

tary of the National Water Board, which comprises water officials and is chaired by the prime minister.

“We are focusing first on water for consumption and daily use for drinking, bathing and washing.

We have asked farmers for their cooperation to not yet use water for irrigation,” said Suphot, who is also chief of the Department of Water Resources.

“We estimate that the end of this year’s dry season is May 30. The water we have now has to last for the next four months,” he said on Tuesday.

The government will divert a $96m budget from the Department of Groundwater Resources - originally set aside to dig 6,000 wells at temples, schools and farms - for the urgent construction of the 4,300 wells.

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THINK ABOUT IT

RAPED IN POLICE STATION A young lady was raped inside the San Ignacio Police Station last month.

Not a word from government, or the Minister, or the Commissioner. In fact after the report was made it took over a week for the Police to take action and they only did so because a family member called Channel 7 which promptly saw the sensational nature of the matter.

Channel 7 even showed the young lady’s face, condemning her for the rest of her life as the “gial who police rape”.

What a brave young lady.

Her thirst for justice is strong. What a coward set of women in the various women’s organization who have said not a word. No calls to tighten up on Police procedures when dealing with females and children. Not a word.

A female resident at the “mental hospital” in Belmopan was raped, not a word from the so-called National Children and Families Commission.

Three minors burnt to death at the Female Hostel and not a word.

As for the police, how could a male police take the keys to the female’s cell, open it and remove the young lady. Surveillance camera showing the police removing and returning the young lady condemns the administration or lack thereof in Police lock-ups across this country.

Was a young man not beaten to death inside the Caye Caulker Police Station?

Yes. Did no other Police hear the beating, the screams, or see the CIB move a limp and dying young man back into his cell?

No change in protocol. No calls for reform. The government and the police continue on their merry way.

Maybe, just maybe, if we had a special envoy for women, or a Women’s Commission or a real advocacy group for women. Maybe....

VEGETABLE SCANDAL Several UDP cronies have written permits to import vegetables and fruits from Chetumal. They transport the vegetables from Chetumal to Belize City and then they barge it over to San Pedro island.

The money they make each year is more than the farmers and vendors crowded inside the Queen Square Market.

This is nothing short of a scandal. It is also an insult to the hard-working farmers and vendors in this country.

This has been going on for several years now, in open view of those in authority and with their involvement.

The vegetables are not transported undercover of dark, or away from the eyes of the media. It’s been going on in open view on a bi-weekly basis and it deprives Belize of millions of dollars.

A handful of persons get rich, the corrupt politicians get their bribes and hundreds of small farmers and their families get the shaft.

There must be a version of the book “Animal Farm” in this type of scandal. All of us should be equal, but......

And the beat goes on.

It’s called the best is yet to come, sorry, the mess is yet to come.

JUDGE MOORE The bravery of Supreme Court Judge

24 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES

Antonette Moore in granting bail to Bradley Pauman must be applauded.

Mr. Pauman is accused of a very serious offense, that of plotting to killing another American. It is an allegation. It may or may not be proved. Should a person be kept in jail for a year or two before a trial comes up? Absolutely not.

Recently, another judge had an application for a foreigner accused of a far lesser offense. He is a professional with a university degree. He has a child and common law and as in the Nanes matter, refused the person his freedom.

Judges are the only hope for hundreds of citizens wrongly treated by police and the system and who have nowhere else to seek justice but at the Courts.

Judges Hannomansingh, Lucas, Gonzalez and now Moore are to be commended for standing up for justice. That is their sacred duty to God and the Queen’s unfortunate subjects who are living on animal farm in Belize.

A NEW DANGEROUS VIRUS Now it is ZIKA. Another deadly virus which has entered the Caribbean or Latin America regions. Spread by mosquitoes this one is worse than Chik-V. This new one causes microcephaly, a situation in which babies in a woman’s womb may be born prematurely or stillbirth. If they survive sick babies will have abnormally small heads and underdeveloped brains.

Jamaican health authorities have taken the precaution this week to advice women becoming pregnant for up to one year.

This is serious.

Need we say people have to suffer first before anything is done in Belize?

THANK YOU CHIEF JUSTICE There are four hundred persons languishing in jail awaiting trial this is a shame. Almost thirty persons are wasting in jail for over five years without trial. The Chief Justice, Hon Kenneth Benjamin, who is the head and leader of the judiciary, which is one of the three branches of government, has spoken the truth over slowly collapsing judicial system. He said at the official opening of the Supreme Court last week that compared to 2014, the year 2015 has seen the situation worsened.

Let us pause and put the blame where it belongs-Prime Minister Dean Barrow and his minister. They have treated the judiciary worse than how they treat the Maya in Punta Gorda and the young people on the Southside of Belize City. With an annual budget of one billion dollars per year and an extra 300 million dollars from Petro Carib, the prime minister refused to find one or two million dollars to get our judicial system back on track.

The prison population has risen to 1,500 inmates, one third whom don’t belong in jail. The parole system has become a sick joke. The remission system has disappeared. The new, inexperienced magistrates have been locking up persons before trial on many minor allegations. The procedures required by law whereby all persons who are in jail awaiting trials must be brought before a Judge who is to grant bail when necessary is ignored. Hundreds are being denied ac-

cess to justice.

Of the handful of lawyers who do criminal defense work only three attended the official opening ceremonies.

There are over one hundred lawyers in Belize, all eager to get rich but cannot be bothered with poor people issues. Said the Chief Justice, “the number of attorneys practicing at the bar, willing to do criminal cases, continues to challenge the ability of the court to assign counsel (lawyer) in capital cases”.

The Chief Justice also said “there has been no change in the problems afflicting the criminal justice system.”

You heard that Dean Barrow? You have been prime minister for eight years and you have done nothing to improve a system that has gotten worse under your lack of leadership and don’t-give-adamn government.

In what will be an echoing crying for years to come, the Chief Justice has said in clear unambiguous non lawyerly words- “The necessity for criminal justice reform therefore remains an urgent issue.” This is terrible indictment of the prime minister. Human beings are suffering terrible injustice.

LOCAL TV DISAPPOINTING CONT’D …Love FM/tv does the news from Monday to Friday and has a morning show which has lost its ratings with the forced departure of outspoken conversationist Nuri Muhammed. Love in the mornings is a poor shadow of its former self. The hosts strut their hour at the mike and dodge any semblance controversy and urgent national issues. It is an appearance at a show for the purpose of commercials.

Krem Tv is Oscar and Grammy Awards. In addition to news, the daily morning show from Monday to Fridays is no holds-barred. Krem journalism features educational documentaries on important historic personalities and events.

They are the leaders in pushing local sports and culture.

Right behind Krem is newcomer Plus TV. Although at heart it’s a religious station, the morning shows are excellent and the host is a serious rival to Krem.

The way to fight foreign TV is to produce quality and attractive local shows. Belizean deserve much better than what is happening from their local tv much better.

BUJU Buju Banton, one of the most talented of the post-Bob Marley era of reggae/ dancehall music, was sentenced in 2011 to ten years in an American jail for allegedly trying to distribute cocaine in the USA. All Rasta know he was framed up.

There is still a pending allegation that Buju was in possession of an illegal firearm. This could be another five years.

Buju’s attorney cut a small deal where for dropping the firearm charge he would not pursue his pending appeal. Buju’s release date is December 2018. The US government reduced his sentence by only two months. Them sweating babylon fever over Buju’s song “BOOM BYE BYE”. Buju’s other top hits are too many to list “DESTINY”, “UNTOLD STORIES”, “MURDER”, “CHAMPION”, “LOVE HOW THE GIAL DEM FLEX”.

BOB-THE LEGEND Come 6 February 2016, Bob Marley would have been 70 years of age. The an-

2016

niversary events planned are too many to list. Hope the local Rasta, Boboshanti, roots and conscious posse in Belize put together a week of activities to celebrate our Jamaican cousin who was a legend in his own time and has been such an awesome inspiration to so many.

SHAKESPEARE The undisputed greatest writer in the English language is William Shakespeare.

The dude is so great, many respected scholars are on record that Shakespeare was like a company, a group of brilliant writers who collaborated in producing plays. They say no single person could be so smart, so knowledgeable and so insightful into worships of human nature.

They are wrong. The man is simply the best, and over the years he has passed the test - of time.

April coming will be the month of remembering the greatest. He was born 26 April 1564 and died 23 April 1616. It would be encouraging to know that students in Belize are required to learn at least one Shakespeare play. Sorry for those who have never read a play by Shakespeare.

OBAMA’S READING LIST We read in the foreign press that while US president Barack Obama was on a short vacation recently, apart from playing gulf, spending quality time with family and approving the killing of socalled jihadists in far away places, he found time to read several books. These include “THE WHITES:” by Richard price, “Purity” by Jonathan Frazen, “the Tree Body Problem” by Lui Cixin and “the Wright Brothers” by David Maccullough.

Can we add - reading is to the mind what religion is to the soul, and what food is to the body. Please make time to read books.

BANGLADESH There are over one hundred nationals of Bangladesh living with us in our tiny, beautiful special Belize. Bangladesh is the eighth most populous nation on earth with over 169 million citizens. The country is 57,000 square miles. They had to fight a long bloody war with Pakistan to get their Independence in 1971. Next month, 21 February, is to be celebrated as language day which is observed every year as a reminder of how even their language was being taken away from them.

Their native language is Bengali. In terms of religion demographics, they are about 85% Muslim and ** % Hindu.

We welcome the Bengalis in our country and hope they do not become as selfish as their other Asian counterparts who are here and are all for themselves.

BOOTS “FAVOURS” B.Q. Honourable Anthony Mrtinez, also known as Boots, look just like B.Q. Pitts.

The resemblance is uncanny.

BET YOU DIDN’T KNOW THIS The commercial banks in Belize, like other countries, change interest when you get a loan from them. In Belize, interest rates are high, criminally high. You know this. But bet you didn’t know that to charge interest on loans is a violation of the word of God as written in the Holy Bible. Yes the people who started the banking business and who today are rotten rich off the loans they change interest on are defying and violating the word of God. Take heed.

24 JAN

2016

23

THE BELIZE TIMES

COLA calls on GOB to come clean over new port interests

“Is former opposition changing its tune on failed Carnival Cruise Port Project?”

Belize City, Wed. Jan. 20, 2016 – Twelve years ago, there were plans to change the face of Southside Belize City by introducing a cruise port project in Port Loyola.

That project, funded by busi-

LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that FRANCINE AUGUST is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “The Water Hole Cool Spot”, situated at 26 1/2 Miles Biscayne Village, Philip Goldson Highway, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that DONG SHENG ZHENG is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Caribbean Chinese Restaurant”, situated at Caye Caulker Village, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that NELSON COLLIARD is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Stress Free Paradise”, situated at West Collet Canal, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that SHAHEDA KHANAM HAPPY is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Chowdhury & Shaheen Chowhury”, situated at 46 Vernon Street – Olive Tree, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that GLENDA MORENO & AARON GONGORA is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “D Spot Neighborhood Pub”, situated at 5 Hopkins Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that LAURA THOMPSON is applying for a Bar & Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “Wet Lizard”, situated at Fort Street Tourism Village, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicated Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

nessman and developer Luke Espat and supported by Carnival Cruise Line and many others, failed to get off the ground and was eventually shelved, costing nearly $30 million for taxpayers.

Now, it appears the current Government of Belize – then Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition – is trying to revive a project that was thought to be dead on arrival.

Then-Leader of the Opposition Dean Barrow spoke to News 5 on October 5, 2004, following the publication of the contract signed by thenPrime Minister Said Musa on April 29.

He registered vocal opposition and dissent, pointing out the following: “What the agreement does is to exempt Carnival from the requirements of several of our laws; several

12 year old accuses stepfather of rape Stann Creek District, January 19, 2016 Stann Creek District Police have detained a man after he was accused by his 12 year old step-daughter of rape.

The child, accompanied by her uncle, went to the Police on Monday, January 18th, and reported that she was raped twice by the alleged perpetrator.

She reported that the first time was on Thursday January 14th. She said that after she came from school her stepfather pulled her into a bungalow house, tied her hands behind her back, covered her mouth and her eyes with a rag, and then placed a knife on her neck as he proceeded to rape her.

The child said that the man repeated his abuse the following day, on Friday January 15th, while they were at home.

A medical examination conducted on the child has confirmed that she was sexually violated.

Police have detained the step father pending charges of “Rape”, Aggravated Assault” and “Threatening Words”. Once charged, the name of the accused will be released to the public.

of our statute laws in particular the Hotel and Tourist Accommodation Act… the Environmental Protection Act, the Public Health Act, the Housing and Planning Act and the contract says that those … are not to apply.

Meanwhile, Port Loyola representative Anthony “Boots” Martinez supported the project in principle, but even he had his doubts. Here is what he told 7 News on October 6, 2004, one day after his leader’s statement: “They need clarity to the clause in regards to Belizean workers. I think they need to clarify that. I think that the amount of tourists that visit the site I think that they need to address that and I think those are the main concerns of the Belizean public.”

Two years later, when the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project was brought up in the House of Representatives, Collet representative Patrick Faber questioned who was there to protect the residents in that area in case of flooding:

“What this says to the people of this country is that the government is more concerned about Mr. Luke Espat and the Port Authority.

They are far more concerned about that one individual than they are about, and if my colleague from Port Loyola was sitting here he would tell you, about the twenty odd thousand plus residents of Port Loyola who will be affected should the situation be that there will be further flooding.”

Our question at COLA is this. If this project was so vile then, what has makes it so right now?

While COLA has been on the record as supporting the need for a cruise port in Belize City – the sooner the better – we cannot support this failed project, disguised and repackaged by Ports Investment Limited and supported by the moving hand of the Alliance.

Exactly what is the role of Lord Michael Ashcroft behind this latest move, if any? This was a man despised to the depths by the UDP both in Opposition and in Government until the takeover of the public utilities was settled last year (though not quite, as Belizeans will continue to pay). So is everything now hunky-dory between them?

Before any advance is made on this proposal, the Government must satisfactorily answer these two questions. Otherwise, Belizeans must be wary of this “puss eena bag” approach to an industry that needs structured development and wise decision-making.

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 27th day of October, 2011, between ARTON GARCIA of No. 3 Victoria Street, Belize City, Belize and TRISHA MOREIRA of No. 27 Cuello Avenue, Lords Bank, Ladyville Village, Belize District of the one part, and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 23 of 2011 at Folios 643 – 678, 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 piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 124 containing 870.677 square metres situate in Lord’s Bank Village Extension, Belize District, bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 255 of 2005 attached to Minister’s Fiat (Grant) No. 255 of 2005 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 7th day of January, 2016.

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

24

THE BELIZE TIMES

24 JAN

2016