Belize Times September 14, 2014

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 SEPTEMBER 2014 | ISSUE NO: 4912

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

FABER ABUSE COVER UP

Patrick Faber and his mistress Nickiesha Polanco during more civil times

Belize City, September 8, 2014 It is a shame that none of the normally-vociferous advocates of women have stood up to condemn the actions of Minister of Education Patrick Faber. Not even the Special Envoy to Women and Children, Kim Simpliss-Barrow, has issued a statement over Faber’s reported assault of a female employee of his Ministry. Could it be that her silence reflects her compromised position as wife of the Prime Minister? Is she more concerned that her comments on this issue would affect his political lifeline?

If it were not for the Opposition People’s United Party the entire nation would appear to be quite ok with the serious transgressions of the Minister of Education. Social media has been buzzing and boiling with views, opinions and enough criticism to force the Minister’s firing but the Prime Minister doesn’t budge at the stroke of keys. The expected voices of condemnation, which could have rattled Barrow’s

KHMH to pay for 2013 neo-natal deaths

cage, never came so there has been no reprimand.

Faber, 36, was accused by Nickeisha Polanco of assault. Polanco was at Faber’s residence from Friday night to the wee hours of Saturday morning, celebrating her 25th birthday. Polanco said she has known Faber since she was 16 years old.

According to the report received by the Police Department in Ladyville at 5:00am that Saturday, the birthday party turned into horror when Faber demanded to see Polanco’s cellphone while they were in his bedroom. She refused and he allegedly assaulted her by choking her on the bed.

Polanco’s report to the Police further stated that Faber grabbed her hair and pulled her off the bed to the corridor outside of the house. She told the cops that Faber punched her twice to the right side of the face.

Sometime between 5:00am Saturday morning to 7:00am Monday morning, Ms. Polanco reportedly withdrew her report, just in time for a morning session

Pg. 6

U.S. agents descend on Matalon Building

Pg. 23

Since March the mothers have been calling for justice for the deaths of their babies

Pg. 3

Another Government Vehicle Stolen Pg. 23

PB 02

THE BELIZE TIMES

OPINION OUT You cannot serve two masters, Insp.

Mark Flowers

!

Dear Editor, It was with incredulity that I watched Inspector Flowers, the Commander of the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) attack, with what appeared to be partisan undertones, a senior Member of Parliament and a former two-time Prime Minister of Belize.

My horror was derived not from the notion that the Rt. Hon. Said Musa was undeserving of a verbal flogging for his comments about the GSU, but rather that such a rebuttal came from a senior police officer— the head of the most feared, armed agency of the State.

I do not wish to dissect the comments of the Rt. Hon. Said Musa nor do I wish to dissect those of Inspector Flowers. My sole concern here is the message being sent about the state of our democracy, when a member of one of the constitutionally defined “disciplined forces” of Belize, can so publicly and so viciously attack a sitting member of Parliament. And with apparent impunity!

The comments of the Rt. Hon. Said Musa were political in nature; yes they were. But politics is the province of politicians, not professional police officers! Inspector Flowers had no place rebutting partisan political talk, even when those comments are about the unit that he commands.

Belizeans must understand the critical role that the Police play in our democracy. The Police Department is one of the three conduits through which justice must flow, and perhaps most importantly, the Police are the primary avenue through which our government exercises its

LOCAL 12 Aug

OUT

monopoly on the use of force. There is no greater threat to a democracy than the perversion of these two ideals: the delivery of justice and the proper application of force! When the Police cannot exercise its constitutional duties without the polarizing influence of partisan politics it imperils all of us as Belizeans, not just those who form the Opposition.

Some people argue that Inspector Flowers was entitled to his views and I concur. However, what he was not entitled to do, as a member of a “disciplined force”, was to express them in the manner that he did. It would be unheard of for an officer of the Belize Defence Force or the Belize Coast Guard (both constitutionally defined “disciplined forces”) to have conducted themselves in this fashion without career-ending implications. This is a function of the professional nature of their officer corps and their continued efforts to insulate themselves from harmful partisan political meddling.

Inspector Flowers’ conduct speaks directly to the state of professionalism in the Police Department and to the emasculation of the Commissioner of Police (ComPol). I can assure you that the Commander of the BDF would not have waited for political direction or approval, to discipline any of his officers who dare to behave in such a manner; neither would have the Commandant of the Coast Guard. Belize should be thankful!

It is my belief that this whole issue is most untimely. It comes on the heels of the writ of mandamus handed down by the Supreme Court to the ComPol, and the resultant growing public perception that there is direct and deep political interference in the work of the Police.

It also comes at a time when the nature and level of crime is such that it requires a serious bi-partisan effort if we are to restore citizen security to acceptable levels. The likelihood of any meaningful bi-partisan solution, if any such chance existed, may have been scuttled by this unfortunate incident.

Predictably, this matter has been reduced to partisan politics. Blue on one side, red on the other and the Belizean people in the middle. Some people revel in the idea that the Rt. Hon. Said Musa has been attacked in this fashion: their justification being the political indiscretions of his 1998-2008 administration.

What we don’t seem to understand is that when we allow an injustice to be visited upon someone simply because we

Will any of the 20,000 stand up?

!

Dear Editor, For a second time the women of Belize have been disrespected by the Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Patrick Faber. Adding salt to this injury is that none of the socalled women advocates are stand-

do not like that person, we unwittingly invite injustice upon ourselves. Have we already forgotten how, in November of 2012, the GSU chickens came home to roost? Have we already forgotten how, in November of 2012, they roughed up the wife of the present ComPol? This is what eventually happens when we fail to nip wrong doing in the bud!

For those who think that I am “defending” the Rt. Hon. Said Musa, I am not! He is more than capable of defending himself. For what it’s worth, I would feel exactly the same way if a member of a “disciplined force” had attacked the Hon. Dean Barrow, whilst he was the Leader of the Opposition, or any other Member of Parliament for that matter. It is wrong and it is extremely dangerous. Such behavior should never be condoned!

In parting, let me say that it is not my intent to “Berylize” Inspector Flowers. I know him to be a highly intelligent and capable officer and I am sure, that from a tactical perspective, he will do well as the commander of the GSU. I am unsure what led him to the position in which he now finds himself but he must seek to make amends. He needs to tell us that he works for the Belizean people and ONLY the Belizean people! He must convince us that our trust in him to head our most elite Police unit has not been misplaced! If he can do that, I as a citizen of this country, would have no problem in his continued superintendence of the GSU. Signed, Major Lloyd Jones (R)

14 Aug

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

The Truth Shall Make You Free

ISSUE NO: 4840

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

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

Alberto Vellos LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed and Published By TIMES NEWSPAPER LTD.

WEATHER 13 Aug

ing up for one of their own.

One would have expected that considering the gravity of the latest scandal against Minister Faber, the 20,000 would have come out strong and led by their media-darling Special Envoy to condemn the actions of the Minister. We can guess that as the PM normally says, “it ain’t gonna happen”.

Minister of Education Patrick Faber has confirmed that indeed his mistress went to the Police Station and filed a report of assault against him. Faber is dead wrong that everyone should stay out of his private life, because he is an elected member of Parliament who campaigned on a platform of integrity and honesty based on his private life. Now Faber has no integrity.

This is not the first time nor last time that Faber’s actions are abusive. As I have written before, Faber has been behaving very erratic as if he is suffering from chronic hormone imbalance. He comes off as a man on the brink of a mental breakdown.

His abuses towards teachers and education professionals have been recorded, as he resorts to name calling and humiliating teachers publicly.

With this latest incident, Faber has gone too far. Too far and someone has to put a stop to it. Don’t expect the PM to do so, he cares more about his political existence than the people of Belize. Come on “20,000 Strong”, show us that you meant it when you marched. Otherwise, you just wore an orange shirt and took a holiday on that day.

Signed, Ruth Neil

15 Sep

2616Mar Sep

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

27 Mar Sep 617 Feb

Email: belizetimesadvertisement@yahoo.com

editortimes@yahoo.com

Exchange rate of One Belize Dollar

United States (USD): $ 0.50

Barbados (BBD): $ 1.00

Eastern Caribbean Euro (XCD):$ 1.35 (EUR) : $ 0.37

Sterling Pound Guatemala Quetzal CANADIAN DOLLAR (GBP): $ 0.29 (GTQ): $ 3.91 (CAD): $ 0.54

CHINESE YUAN (CNY): $ 3.08

Trinidadian (TTD) : $ 3.17

INDIAN RUPEE (INR): $ 31.14

14 SEP

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES so whether it was one dollar or a million dollars, it never mattered to them in the first place. They felt disrespected, they felt that the hospital just threw them under the bus and this was an opportunity for them to vent, and certainly this was one of the reasons we took so long in the conference room, because they had that opportunity to vent, and it was very emotional, very traumatic but I think they do not want to have to go through this any longer. They just want their children to pass with dignity,” said Musa.

This has not let the hospital or Health Minister Marin off the hook however. The public complaints of poor health services at the KHMH and other public hospitals continue. Meanwhile the Ministry is facing numerous reports of major financial wrongdoing at hospitals across the country. All of this is happening under the watch of Pablo Marin, a licensed electrician with no qualification or previous experience in health care.

03 3

KHMH TO PAY FOR 2013 NEO-NATAL DEATHS Belize City, September 3, 2014 One year and four months after thirteen babies died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital due to gross maladministration, five of the mothers who endured the painful experience have seen some justice as the hospital has finally accepted responsibility and agreed to compensation.

Following weeks of mediation between the attorney for the families and hospital, Kareem Musa and Leshawn Torres respectively, the KHMH has agreed to pay $10,000 to each family for the loss of the newborns. The hospital has also agreed to apologise to the families.

The full details of the compensation package have not been revealed as both parties have agreed to keep them confidential.

In May 2013, thirteen babies died suddenly at the hospital. There was national outrage as a result of these deaths. The Chief Executive Officer Francis Gary-Longsworth claimed, astoundingly, that he was not aware of babies’ deaths and that he had learned of the cases through the evening news. The Minister of Health Pablo Marin hid from public scrutiny for weeks.

What was worst was that the hospital refused to claim any responsibility for the deaths. They prepared death certificates, discharged the mothers and still had the nerve to bill them for the time spent at the hospital.

The cause of the deaths was discovered to be a bacteria outbreak in the neo-natal unit. An investigation conducted by the Pan American Health Organisation substantiated that the hospital was under reckless care. The findings pointed to the bacteria Enterobacter cloacae which could have derived from the unsanitary conditions which the PAHO investigators found sections of the hospital to be in.

The PAHO report underscored the severe breakdown in the administration of the hospital. The report cited numerous malpractices that risked the lives of the hospital patients, including a failure at some of the most basic practices and procedures such as keeping the hospital units clean, cleaning air ducts to avoid the growth of mold and contaminants, insufficient hand washing liquid, and improper use of intravenous medication.

The report concluded that it could not confirm the cause of the deaths because blood samples taken from the patients were destroyed at the Central Medical Lab due to a lack of space.

Despite the evidence which revealed that the hospital’s maladministration was linked to the out-

break of the bacteria, Marin and Longsworth remain defiant and deflected blame, forcing the mothers to continue enduring pain by seeking the court’s intervention.

On Wednesday as the mothers’ received the good news that the hospital had accepted responsibility, their attorney, Kareem Musa, indicated that a final settlement on this issue will help the healing and recovery process and provide closure to what has been a nightmare.

“We have to realize that this thing is more emotional than anything else, and all they really wanted from the hospital was an apology,

Gary Longsworth

Pablo Marin

PB 04

THE BELIZE TIMES

on the

UDP NEGLECT AND DISRESPECT

By Francis W. Fonseca At the last sitting of the House of Representatives I rose on the adjournment to address the issue of the growing neglect and blatant disrespect of our rural communities by this UDP Government and the ongoing political victimization of our duly elected PUP Town Councils in Punta Gorda, Dangriga, and Orange Walk.

This UDP Government under the leadership of Dean Barrow is the most political Government that Belize has ever had. Every decision taken by the Cabinet and Prime Minister is based on a political calculation. What is in the best interest of the UDP? This has led to the creation

of a parallel government outside of the constitution and the structure of the National Assembly. UDP Caretakers are in place in each of the 14 constituencies that the PUP won in the last general elections and all government resources and activities are channeled through these caretakers. There is absolutely no regard or respect for the duly elected Representatives of the people in these areas.

But it gets worse. Even beyond the national level, the UDP has now taken this new divisive brand of governance to the town and community level. PUP Mayors and their Councils are ignored and bypassed where work is being

planned and executed in their towns. PUP village councils share the same fate. They too are ignored and disrespected while UDP cronies in these communities have their way.

PUP Chairmen and Alcaldes continue to be frustrated in their efforts to carry out their duties and uplift their communities.

In San Benito Poite, Toledo, the Chairman and Alcalde have been trying to get the Ministry of Works to repair their bridge on the river tributary for over three years to no avail.

In Santa Teresa Village, they have no electricity or water. The surrounding

communities of Mabil Ha, San Lucas, Corazon creek, and Dolores suffer the same fate.

To add insult to injury, these village leaders have sent many letters to the respective Government Ministries or departments, sought appointments to see Ministers, CEOs, and others in Government and have been sadly turned away.

No response. No respect.

Mr. Barrow’s personal, vindictive, and divisive approach to governing is tearing our nation apart and creating a growing anger and resentment among our people.

Political Parties are important and necessary but once the elections are over and a Government is elected, that Government and its Leader have a solemn duty and obligation to serve the people of Belize wherever they may live and regardless of who they voted for.

The nation’s resources are not the purview of one political party.

There must be equity and respect for all our communities across the country.

Barrow and the UDP are bad for Belize! It is time for a new inclusive, equitable approach to governance. It is time for a new PUP Government!

WATCH LIVE on CCV CH18 VIBES RADIO 90.5FM | 102.9FM

14 SEP

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

05 5

EDITORIAL The Prime Minister is a …. Liar

W

hat is worse than a lying Prime Minister? A thieving Prime Minister, perhaps? Or a lying and thieving Prime Minister?

We categorically condemn Prime Minister Dean Barrow for lying on Hon. Anthony Fuentes at last Friday’s meeting of the House of Representatives.

It was a shameful, low-down, dirty attack on the elected Mayor of Punta Gorda Town who was not present to defend himself and provide the facts to the nation. It is also a cowardly act.

This is not the first time, nor dare we say, the last time that the Prime Minister has used meetings of the House to engage in scurrilous attacks on persons he wishes to humiliate and scandalize.

It should be remembered that this Prime Minister has established quite a reputation as being a mean, malicious and vindictive person. He is quarrelsome and is of a petty nature. As the leader of his party he presides over the worse radio/ TV show featuring Joe and Alfonso, two horrible humans who have lost all respect for citizens who are not UDP supporters. Theirs is a daily diet of rumor mongering, slander, scandal and personality attacks. All gleefully endorsed and encouraged by their Party Leader and Prime Minister. Indeed, the only person to out-do those two is the Prime Minister himself.

The lie against Mayor Fuentes was uncalled for.

The Prime Minister said the Mayor had used public funds to pay his credit union loan. As Prime Minister and Minister of Finance the information could easily have been verified. But the Prime Minister deliberately chose to twist the facts to scandalized Mayor Fuentes.

Government’s subvention and project funds for the Punta Gorda Town Council are paid into the Toledo Teachers Credit Union. The Mayor who has a loan with the Credit Loan simply reminded them that his loan was to continue to be deducted from his salary and paid into the Credit Union. It is all public and transparent and easily verifiable.

Mayor Fuentes is a proud and upstanding Garifuna. He is a champion of workers’ rights and a former union leader. He knows he did nothing irregular or improper. But his colleagues, concerned about the Prime Minister’s behavior towards Garinagu and

Maya ethnic groups, thought this latest low-down slur should not go unanswered.

The Mayor and Party Leader, Hon. Francis Fonseca sat with the media and easily exposed the Prime Minister’s latest act of malice and petty politics. The media reported the matter faithfully to the nation. The Prime Minister is now the one to look like a knave.

The Prime Minister needs to be reminded that he has paid millions of public funds to his family accounts, principally ex-wife Lois Young Barrow and brother Dennis Barrow. Both have been paid huge legal fees for work which the Solicitor General and her staff of lawyers are employed to perform.

The diversion of public resources does not stop at Lois and Dennis. In an incredible act of arrogant nepotism, the Prime Minister has put his son in charge of the wealthiest company, B.T.L. That son is neither experienced, competent nor qualified to hold such a lucrative position. Unlike Mayor Fuentes, the son is not elected by anyone.

Another son, convicted and jailed for eight years for a criminal offence in the USA, upon being deported was transformed into a Musical Ambassador and is actually representing the nation of Belize all over the world (not in the USA were he cannot visit due to his criminal past).

A nephew, who is a computer repair man, mysteriously became the “co-owner” of multi-thousands of acres of a petroleum zone for oil exploration.

These are but a few of the Prime Minister’s many transgressions and breach of public trust.

In open defiance of the laws and ethics of the land, the Prime Minister has by-passed the time-honored practice of doing public works through the proper Ministry with public officers and Auditor General scrutiny and checks and balances. A so-called corporation known as B.I.L Belize Infrastructure Limited has been established and millions of public dollars put under the control of Ministers of Government. It is unprecedented and unheard of. It sounds like something Mugabe in Zimbabwe would do to siphon off and plunder public funds.

This is the Prime Minister who has the gall to stand up in the honorable House of Representatives last Friday to cast unwarranted aspersions on Mayor Fuentes.

Only a man without shame would stoop so low. So very low. Lying and covering up corruption.

You, Mr. Prime Minister are such a man.

You have no shame, and you are a damn liar.

PB 06

THE BELIZE TIMES

FABER ABUSE COVER UP

Continued from page 1

which the Ministry of Education had planned from the week prior with the media.

When confronted by the media with the allegations, Faber in his usual arrogant-style told the media and the public to stay out of his “private life”.

“The matter that occurred is a private matter. It is only public if there is an issue with the police.

There is no such issue any longer and I hope that people and you in the media will respect that,” he said.

But Faber seemed delusional and desperate. He confirmed that a report was indeed filed to the Police, but claimed that since the report was withdrawn, there is no longer any issue. We are not sure if he meant that the bruises had disappeared as well.

He also claimed that the revelation of the report was a “smear tactic” by Rhenae Nunez, whom he called a “crazy person”. Ms. Nunez responded to Faber stating “I didn’t concoct the report, neither did I file

it. I reported what was sent to me by police who are frustrated with the behavior of persons like you who act with impunity”.

Ms. Nunez further called on Faber to “GET HELP!” Even Police officials have played their role in covering up the incident well. Their priority, it appears, is to protect their political boss than to serve justice. There is no indication that the Police visited Faber’s house following

the report on Saturday morning. There is no evidence that any investigation was conducted.

Speaking to the media on Monday afternoon, Press Officer Raphael Martinez pretended to be Houdini as he claimed that he could not comment on the incident because the report was withdrawn by the complainant and so “it no longer exists”.

Speaking on behalf of the PUP, Senator Lisa Shoman rejected the Faber’s notion that his private affairs are not for the public to know about.

“It’s eminently a public matter,” posed Senator Shoman.

She added that there should be an investigation into why Polanco withdrew her report. Under Belize’s laws, persons who mislead the Police with false reports can be criminal charged. Senator Shoman was more concerned that intimida-

tion could have taken place, since Faber was the first to declare that the allegations were dismissed.

Shoman also said that while she expects the Prime Minister to at the very least investigate Faber and take necessary disciplinary action, she was concerned that the organisations such as the Women’s Commission and Special Envoy on Women and Children have not made a statement on the issue.

This is not the first time that Faber finds himself in the middle of controversy triggered by his anger, abuse of authority and possibly even the abuse of certain beverages. In July, Faber escaped any official investigation by Police after his vehicle, purchased with tax-payers’ money, crashed into an incoming Police vehicle which was responding to an emergency. Then in March, Faber was accused of smashing his wife’s vehicle windshield with a brick. The married couple had separated but Faber had gone to visit her at her mother’s home on Gill Street in Belize City. When she refused to see him, her windshield was smashed with a brick.

14 SEP

THE BELIZE TIMES

2014

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE

By Dolores Balderamos Garcia

TOO BIG TO APOLOGIZE!!

On Friday September 5, 2014 the House of Representatives met in Belmopan. Earlier in the morning I called in to Plus Television to say that the Opposition members were expecting that Government would be introducing legislation to reduce the draconian provisions of the gun laws, and as well to say that I felt strongly that an apology and compensation should be given to ALL the mothers of the thirteen infants who died at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital last year, not only to the five mothers who had taken the issue to court.

In his address on the adjournment Hon. Johnny Briceno gave a strong and comprehensive presentation on this very matter of the thirteen babies and his feeling that $10,000.00 is measly indeed as compensation for these tragic and painful deaths.

I must say that I continue to believe that the single most outrageous utterance from Prime Minister Dean Barrow in the last two and a half years is his arrogant statement that his Minister of Health Pablo Marin need not have said anything in response to the great and numerous expressions of public outrage at the babies’

deaths because he was winning elections in Corozal at the time.

I honestly feel that if the Prime Minister has any conscience at all, then this statement will haunt him when he is sitting in his retirement mansion in Florida after leaving office. By the way, it was clear that he was in much pain and discomfort from his bad back throughout the House sitting yesterday. Could there be a little poetic justice here?

In any event, as Hon. Johnny was concluding his presentation some of us on the Opposition side called across the aisle to Minister Pablo Marin that he should at the very least apologize and not leave the apology only to Dr. Longsworth and officials of the KHMH. After all, as I have said before, he was and is responsible!!

Incredibly, it seems to me that Minister Marin “took shame mek vex.” He was visibly shaken and very annoyed, especially at me, as I was quite loud in my call for him not to be too big to apologize. When he got up to reply, he had no proper answer to Hon. Johnny’s hard-hitting remarks. All he did was attempt to insult, and he got very personal and silly to both me and Hon. Johnny.

He suggested that because I am a “female” I will blow everything

07 7 out of proportion. The feeble attempt to insult did not bother me one bit.

How can the deaths of thirteen newborns be blown out of proportion?? He ought to have resigned long ago. Now that we are calling on him to AT LEAST apologize he is taking great umbrage. We haven’t done him anything. He has been the one presiding over all the mismanagement and blatant corruption within the Ministry of Health.

And now he pretends not to be aware of the outcome of the mediation process and the paltry offer of financial compensation.

A government worker is accused of embezzling as much as $360,000.00 from the Southern Regional Hospital. Even if all the mothers were to be compensated, not just those who sued, a mere $130,000.00 is far too little.

The position of Minister Pablo Marin and the Government is simply indefensible. I repeat - he ought to offer his resignation, and the Prime Minister should accept it.

Alas, he is TOO BIG TO APOLOGIZE!!!

08 PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

14 14 SEP SEP

2014 2014

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

9 TOPMODEL 09

ENTERTAINMENT

NEWS

CARNIVAL JUNIOR KING & QUEEN COMPETITION

Mother Nature’s King Cetan

by Roy Briceño

Jump St. Masqueraders Queen Mia by Kalisha Mckay

Erotic Mas’ Queen Athena

by Anita Hamilton The Jump Street Masqueraders won both junior King and Queen in the annual Carnival King and Queen competition at the Rogers Stadium last Saturday night; where Erotic Mas Band’s Queen Athena won senior Queen and Mother Nature’s Creations’ King Fluoro won senior King.

Jump Street’s Junior Queen Mia costume worn by Kalisha Mckay the $4,000 1st prize, while Sunshine Masqueraders’ Queen Deandre de Lucifer costume worn by Monika Nunez won the $3,000 2nd prize; and Trenchtown Masqueraders’ Queen Iris costume worn by Keana Pollard won the $2,000 3rd prize.

Jump Street’s King Kamandala costume worn by Alfred Lynch won the $4,000 1st prize for junior King contest; while Trench Town Masqueraders King Syphius costume worn by 13-year-old Warren Smith won the $3,000 2nd prize. Pickstock Mas Band’s King Lala costume worn by Sean Theus won the $2,000 3rd prize.

Erotic Mas Band’s senior Queen Athena costume worn by Anita Hamilton won the $5,000 1st prize; Evolution Mas Band’s Queen Ixtabai costume worn by Amanda Taylor won the $3,500 2nd prize, and Mother Nature’s Creations’ Queen Budea won the $2,500 3rd prize.

Mother Nature’s Creations senior King Fluoro costume worn by Roy Briceno won the $5,000 1st prize, while Erotic Mas Band’s King Cetan costume worn by Brent Hamilton won the $3,500 2nd prize and Soca Moca’s King Venomous costume worn by George Parks won the $2,500 3rd prize.

Belizean beauty

Marjeli

TOP MODEL Clothing and Accessories provided by CATWALK FASHIONS

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

Cor. North Front Steet & Queen Street Belize City

M

PB SPORTS 10

14 SEP

THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

Belize scores vs Guatemala

Team Belize wins 5 medals at XVIII CODICADER Junior Scholastic Games Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, September 7, 2014 Team Belize won 5 medals including 1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze at the 18th CODICADER Junior Scholastic Games in Retalhuleu, Guatemala.

ACC’s Shanicka Augustine won our only gold medal when she cleared 11.42 meters in the triple jump at the Multisports Complex in Quetazlatenango on Thursday, September 4.

TCC’s James Bregal won silver in the 100m on Tuesday and Muffles College’s Catherine Tan won bronze in the javelin. TCC’s Ezhay Cayetano cleared 12.84 meters to also win bronze in the triple jump last Thursday. Belize’s track and field team came home last Friday, September 5, the same day Caesar

2014

Dyke of Sacred Heart College won Belize’s 3rd bronze medal in karate kumite in the 76kg division The National Secondary Schools Sports Association football champs, the Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico boys, have been putting on a good show, the best since Belize began participating in CODICADER in 2007. They drew 1-1 with El Salvador in Retalhuleu on Monday, and also drew 3-3 with Nicaragua on Tuesday, before they lost 0-5 to Guatemala on Wednesday. They also lost 2-7 to Costa Rica and on Sunday, they lost 2-5 to Panama.

Belize entered this year’s games as the defending gold medalists for basketball, after the Sadie Vernon boys won gold in Quetzaltenango in 2012, but the national Secondary Schools’ basketball champs the Sacred Heart College boys won only one game: 81-72 against Guatemala last Wednesday. They lost to Panama 72-75 on Monday, 61-100 to El Salvador last Thursday and 57-65 to the eventual gold medalists, Costa Rica, last Tuesday.

Belize had also won gold in female softball in 2012, but this time around the softball champs, the Gwen Lizarraga High School girls, took along 3 players who were below the minimum age of 15, and so could not field a squad and were simply not allowed to participate.

The last CODICADER 2012 in Guatemala was also the first time the Belize female volleyball team even medalled, the volleyball champs, the St. Catherine Academy girls had won bronze in Mazatenango in 2012, this time around they also had some underage players, and so did not have enough players of the right age to able to field a squad and so also did not participate! Yet in 2 friendlies, the SCA girls hammered Guatemala and Honduras: 3-0 each!

The male volleyball champs have yet to medal in 7 years of participation at CODICADER and this year was no different as the San Pedro High School boys lost to Costa Rica: 14 – 25, 22 – 25, and 18 – 25, to Nicaragua: 23 – 25, 18 – 25, 23 – 25, but actually won one set 26-24 in their 1-3 loss to Honduras, which went 12 – 25, 17 – 25, 26 – 24, 15 – 25; they also lost to El Salvador in 3 sets.

Belize out of Central American Cup 0-2 vs. Honduras, 1-2 vs. Guatemala, 0-2 vs. El Salvador BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX, September 10, 2014 Belize did not qualify to the Central American Cup finals to be played this Saturday, September 13, 2014 at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles.

Belize lost all three matches against Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

Deon McCauley scored the team’s only goal, against Guatemala, in the game played on Sunday, September 7th. Guatemala won the game 2-0.

Against El Salvador, the team looked less organised than in previous matches.

The man-to-man defense had been broken down, allowing El Salvador’s leading goal scorer, Rafael Burgos, to score in the 48th minute. Its midfield was slow and created very little opportunities for Deon McCauley or Daniel Jimenez to strike.

Most of the match saw long pass attempts which were quickly intercepted by El Salvador’s players. In the 69th minute, El Salvador’s Arturo Alvarez made it 2-0 when he blasted a left-foot kick that struck the upper corner of the goal, out of goalkeeper Woodrow West’s reach.

Belize has never defeated El Salvador in any of the 6 meets in the Central American cup.

Belize: Woodrow West, Frank

López, Dalton Eiley, Ian Gaynair, Elroy Smith, Trevol Lennen, Demanrk Casey, Daniel Jiménez, Evan Mariano, Deon McCaulay, Jarret Davies.

El Salvador: Henry Hernández, Milton Molina, Alexander Mendoza, Andrés Flores, Richard Menjívar, Darwin Ceren, José Álvarez, Alexander Larín, Raúl Renderos, Rafael Burgos, Kevin Santamaría.

Deon McCauley tackled

Guatemala’s deadly goal strike

14 14 SEP SEP

2014 2014

11 SPORTS 11

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

Weekend Warriors’ Criterium results Belize City, September 7, 2014 Team Santino’s James Frampton won the A division, Team Smart’s Kaya Cattouse won the B division and Santino “Chief” Castillo won the C division of Weekend Warriors Cycling Club’s annual criterium on the downtown circuit of Albert and Regent Streets on Sunday.

A Division – 20 laps 1st James Frampton – Team Santino’s - 51.44 minutes 2nd “Big Mike” Lewis – Santino’s 3rd Jack Sutherland – Team Digicel 4G 4th Robert Mariano - Digicel 4G 5th Warren Coye – Santino’s 6th Santino “Chief” Castillo 7th Shelton Graham – Santino’s 8th Ray Cattouse - Stationery House/Medina’s Jewelry 9th Vallan Symns - Benny’s Megabytes 10th Eric Burns - Team Scotiabank B division – 15 laps 1st Kaya Cattouse - Smart C-ray team - 41.27 minutes 2nd Ray Cattouse - Stationery House/Medina’s Jewelry 3rd Isaiah Willacey - Digicel 4G 4th Eduardo Villanueva – Team Stationery House 5th Ian Abraham – Team Smart 6th Francis Cassasola – Team Santino’s 7th Ryan Willoughby – Team Stationery House C Division – 10 laps 1st Santino “Chief” Castillo - Team Santino’s - 28:51 minutes 2nd Ingmar Perera - Stationery House/Medina’s Jewelry 3rd Manuel Esquiliano - Truckers Posse 4th Sheffield Eck – Team Stationery House 5th Lawrence Craig – Truckers Posse 6th Joel Torres – Team Big Blade.

Kaya Cattouse wins B Div.

James frampton wins A Div.

Digicel’s Robert Mariano wins Devil’s Race

Devil’s Race – Devil take the hindmost 10th Kaya Cattouse Team Smart 9th Ryan Willoughby Stationery House 8th James Frampton – Team Santino’s 7th Michael Lewis – Team Santino’s 6th Warren Coye – Team Santino’s 5th Jack Sutherland Digicel 4G 4th Eric Burns – Team Scotiabank 3rd Vallan Symns – Benny’s Megabytes 2nd Shelton Graham – Team Santino’s 1st Robert Mariano – Digicel 4G

Ray Cattouse, 2nd in B Div.

Digicel 4G takes on BDF in volleyball finals Belize City, September 6, 2014 BTL Digicel 4G and the Belize Defense Force will meet in the Belize District volleyball interoffice championship finals on Thursday and Friday, September 11-12.

Digicel 4G won over the SQ Dragons in 3 sets on Saturday.

BTL’s Victor Hernandez, Adrian Mahler, Otis Clother and Rasheed Pollard led the offensive scoring points on plays set by Janine Salazar, Emily Turner and Shanti Roches, and libero Amir Arnold rotated into play to help on defense whenever they lost the serve, but nothing seemed to work in the 1st set which the Dragons won 25-10.

Alex Evans, Kelsey Balderamos and Nerissa Ramirez led the Dragons’ attacks at the net spiking home points at the net, and the Quan brothers James

BTL’s Shanti Roches tricks ball

and Peter, and Antonio Quan received, set or tricked the ball over the net, but they had bloodied BTL’s nose. The Digicel crew moved in for the kill and won the 2nd set: 25-11 and the 3rd set: 15-10. Digicel had also won the 1st semifinal: 25-14, 25-15.

The BDF also won both matches in their semifinal series with Scotiabank, never allowing the bankers to win a single set. Ernest Broaster, Francis Usher and Bobby Dee Usher spiked home points to win the 2nd match: 25-10, 2520.

The week before Scotiabank’s Arthur “Fish” Neal, Oscar Arnold, and Michael “Suit” Hernandez had got in more points on balls set by Sharmaine Augustus and libero Robbie Gongora, but the soldiers won: 25-14, 25-15.

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

14 SEP

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

The Citizen Kim - Elvin Penner Immigration Corruption Saga Extracted from the Auditor General’s Preliminary Report dated March 19, 2014

Passport Application Wonhong Kim – Passport Number P0246777 Section 3(1) (a) of the Passport Regulations 2013 stipulates: An applicant shall submit his application for a passport to be issued – In his own name, in the form set out as form I in Schedule I The application form dated 3rd September was found in the file processed on 9th September 2013, for Wonhong Kim was not the original application, but a photocopied form.

We observed that the surnamed on the application submitted by the applicant was stated as Kin and not the surname Kim in which his passport P0246777 was issued in. The supporting documents which included his native Korean passport M38368121 issued 23rd December 2008 with expiry date 23rd December 2018, nationality certificate number 28577/13 dated 22nd April 2013 signed by Minister Elvin Penner. Also included were recommender forms A and B endorsed and signed by Alfonso Cruz Jr. and Minister Elvin Penner dated 2nd and 3rd September 2013, stating that they knew him for 4 years and 3 years as a friend respectively.

These were all attached to the application form which had the name Wonhong Kin. This applicant therefore, or the individual who filled out his application and by extension the Director of Immigration and Nationality failed to ensure that the information on the application form was correct in accordance with section 3 (1) of the Passports regulations 2013 Wonghong Kim did not submit the required two photographs along with recommender forms 3A and 3B Section 6 (1) (f) of the Passport Regulation 2013 stipulates: 6 (1) “An applicant shall furnish with his application all the relevant particulars to demonstrate his identity, citizenship and eligibility to apply for a Belize passport, including the following – (f) Two identical photographs, of the applicant or child in respect of whom the application for a Belize Passport is being made……..”

We noted that the required two photographs were not attached to recommender forms 3A and 3B for Wonhong Kim which violated the above quoted section 6 (1) (f) of the Passport Regulation 2013.

Elvin Penner

13 A prosecutable offense may have been committed by the recommenders who signed forms 3A and 3B of Won Hong Kim application form Section 5, page 1 of Schedule 1, form 1 of the passport application form under Authentication of application states that:There is a Warning to the applicant and the recommender which states: “It is a prosecutable offence (contrary to Section 3 (e) and (h), Chapter 164 of the Laws of Belize by making a false representation which respect to information requested by the form.”

We noted from the two recommenders forms attached to Wonhong Kim (Kin) photocopied application form that Alfonso Cruz Jr., Office Manager, declared in writing, endorsed and signed that he knew Wonhong Kim for 4 years on form 3A through relationship which was specified as friend, while Elvin Penner, Minister of State, also declared in writing, endorsed and signed that he knew said Wonhong Kim for 3 years through relationship specified as friend.

These two individuals as well as Wonghong Kim may have committed a prosecutable offense by making a false representation with respect to the information requested by the form and inserted thereon by them. Of note is that Alfonso Cruz is his recommendation of another individual stated that he was a “Minister’s Aide” on the applicant’s application form.

The OIC did not sign the photocopied passport application form for Wonghong Kim Stages in the Belize Machine Readable Passport Application and Issuance Process (BMRPAIP) Section V The Officer in Charge (O/C) is responsible for approval of applications on the Machine Readable System once it reaches this desk Subsection 1 state: “The O/C must ascertain that the application has been vetted by the counter/ process supervisor by ensuring that the form is duly signed on the space provided” Section VI the Print Operator (PO) prints passports after having confirmed applicant’s data Subsections 1 state: “The PO must ensure that all previous officers have signed off on the allocated space on page 2 of the application and must NOT proceed with the printing process is this has not been complied with.”

Section VII the Quality Assurance Operator (QAO) is responsible for final assessment of the passport in the MRPPS. This involves the following: Subsection 1 state: “The QAO must ensure that all previous officers have signed off on the allocated space on page 2 of the application and must NOT proceed with the quality assurance process if this has not been satisfied.

We noted that there was no signature of the Office in Charge (OC) on the photocopied application form however the BPIS confirmed below that the application form and passport P0246777 was approved by Officer in Charge of Passport section at the time, Sharon Flowers. (…to be continued next week)

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

14 SEP

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

Representative Democracy – A Necessity Contributed The problem of functionality of violence is implicit in traditional political and legal parlance. For on the one hand, we learnt that the state has a legitimate monopoly of force or violence or the monopoly of sanctions for the allocation of values and such statement that violence is functional to the political system or order when employed by its legitimate rulers or power wielders, but not when employed by others J. Carl Freidrick, Man and His Government, 1963.

Aside from the inherent problem, a bigger problem exists in the “functionality of violence” when the “Legitimate monopoly of force” unleashes unwarranted force and strips its citizenry of their constitutional values in carrying out its function. This has become the concern of the vast majority of Belizeans living in the downtrodden neighborhoods of the Southside of the “Jewel”.

Constant allegations of GSU brutality and illegal searches have been made against the Gang Suppression Unit. The people have been crying out for the representative democracy that should be afforded through the present Government of which members of the United Democratic Party comprise the majority.

The unfavourable actions of the present GSU serve as a glaring example of the general failure of the present UDP Government.

In this regard, Rt. Hon. Said Musa became the political voice for the weak, the disenchanted, the disadvantaged majority of our society, sounding the call to dismantle the Gang Suppression Unit. Mr. Musa in addressing the people attending Cordel Hyde’s endorsement for the Lake Independence constituency for the next general election adamantly stated, “The GSU is out of control and if I have my way; if I have anything to do with it that is one of the first things the PUP will do; out with the GSU”.

Consequently, the newly appointed Head of the Unit Inspector Mark Flowers, frothing at the mouth like a madman, launched a nonsensical verbal assault on Honorable Said Musa. Flowers alluded that if the GSU were disbanded, there would be impunity from crime. Contrarily, the Honorable Francis Fonseca, leader of the Opposition People’s United Party, stated that gang violence must be fought vigilantly with proper structure in place to achieve the necessary end. It is the fratricide violence that has justified these GSU crackdowns encroaching on their rights and the wider community.

Flowers also indicated through the media that no gangs exist in Belize. Yet there is an elite, highly-trained unit to combat gang activities. There is also the creation of a new portfolio for gangs, proudly led by Minister of State Mark King. Questions such as what exactly he does, and what kind of budget he is afforded, remain very obscure.

In the 1980s a special unit known as CRASH (Community Resources Against Street Hoodlums) was initiated to combat the gang warfare in the “City of Angels”, Los Angeles.

The unit became the model in fighting the gang phenomenon – gangsta for life THUGS. Conviction rates rose in the courts of LA. Subsequently, the Unit came under fire with allegations of brutality, entrapment and murder. Eventually, a member of the unit’s Rampart Division was caught with 6 pounds of cocaine that went missing from the Police in his car and he turned into a whistleblower. The unit was cited for abuse, execution and drug distribution. It was disbanded in 2000. Over 100 convictions had to be overturned in the courts of Los Angeles. The city became faced with numerous lawsuits paying out more monies than the lawsuit brought by Rodney King.

In Jamaica, a special Police unit known as the Crime Management Unit (CMU) was accused of the killing of seven youth, execution style in 2003. The case became known as the Braeton 7. To date the question lingers: “who let the dogs out” on the George Street 4 that were “surgically” killed. That case has gone cold.

Unless a whistleblower emerges from within the rank and file of the Gang Suppression Unit, Mr. Flowers can continue to protect this elite unit.

The conception of the Gang Suppression Unit, under the Barrow Administration in 2009/2010, was to abate the gang violence that was and is occurring in Belize City. History will show that there have been centrally controlled police organisations involving heavily armed security police units that were essentially military in nature. Navy seals? The combination of central control, rigid selection of recruits (often through the army), special recruitment of and training of command personnel, was the aim in producing a highly efficient police unit that would have been free from local politics. This unit Mark Flowers is representing may have meant to be a similar force. However, it is the method of engagement that Mr. Musa spoke of.

Honourable Said Musa was expressing the will of the people in calling for the dismantling of the GSU. He was demanding the respect for the rights of all the citizens of Belize. Like one brother said, respect mi area, respect mi family, da jus respect a di deal wid.

15

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

Home Economics My tomato dream for Belize

By Richard Harrison Tomato is a vegetable-fruit that can be grown year-round in Belize.

Belize can produce a large surplus of tomato, using a fraction of the land used to produce corn. However it would have to develop greenhouse tomato production and/or expand irrigated systems production to make this happen.

In 2007, the US imported ONE MILLION metric tons of tomato, amounting to about US$1 billion. In that year, the US consumed around US$1.3 billion of fresh tomato, and about US$1.2 billion of processing tomato.

In 2007, Mexico exported around ONE MILLION metric tons of tomato, earning around US$1.2 billion, supplying close to 90% of US imports. That same year, it imported around 48,000 metric tons, at a cost of around US$48 million.

That same year, Trinidad & Tobago, which supplies much of the CARICOM market for tomato-based sauces, imported around 2000 tons of tomato paste. Barbados imported around US$1.3 million of tomato ketchup, mostly from Trinidad.

Tomato is approximately 50% water, so that two pounds of fresh processing tomato can theoretically yield about one pound of industrial tomato solids. If Trinidad used fresh tomato to substitute all its imported tomato paste, it would need about 8 million pounds of tomato.

Belize currently produces about 10% of the tomato-based sauces that it consumes, and imports the rest from CARICOM (Grace Kennedy), USA (Hunts, DelMonte, Heinz, Kraft, others), Guatemala (Regia, Criolla, Grace), Mexico (La Costeña, La Anita), and a few smaller quantities from other destinations. The total consumption is estimated at around BZ$1.5 million per annum.

In short, tomato can be big business for Belize, both domestically and regionally.

VERENA FOODS is currently the only MANUFACTURER of tomato-based sauces in Belize, and started operations in 2002. The company grew rapidly when it had a development concession, and when the import-duty on finished imported competing products was at 20%.

In 2010, the Government of Belize used its discretion not to renew the development concession and lowered the import duty on competing imported products to ZERO. This forced VERENA FOODS to raise its costs and lower its prices, thus destroying the value that was being created….putting this nascent domestic industry into great risks, having taken on significant commercial debt to invest in Belize.

VERENA FOODS can sustainably compete regionally if it was allowed the domestic market space

to supply around 50% of the domestic demand of tomato-based sauces. At that scale, its cost of production would allow it to compete within CARICOM, USA and Central America, with tomato ketchup, unique tropical fruit/spice flavored BBQ sauces, pizza sauces, spaghetti sauces, salsa casera and salsa dulce.

HOW CAN THIS BE ACHIEVED? Firstly, the company needs to source its raw materials duty free, as does the companies in Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica and Guatemala, with whom it must be able to compete. It currently pays around 34% on its packaging materials in duty and taxes, yet its competitors pay ZERO. This could be achieved by amending the Customs Tariff Law so that imported input material is zero rated of import duty. It would achieve the same thing as having a development concession, except that it would not be politically driven and discretionary, and it would not make our industry appear to be heavily subsidized with concessions. This would make the investment climate much more attractive, with competitors on a level playing field.

Secondly, the company needs some breathing space in its domestic market. This can be achieved by temporarily increasing the import duty on finished competing products to the CSME-allowed bound rate of 60%, gradually reducing it over five years back down to 20%.

This will allow the company to rapidly take up the 50% of domestic market demand that it requires to scale up its production and lower its unit-cost-of-production to levels that will allow it to compete sustainably in the export markets. This small, nascent industry does not have the resources to invest at levels to compete in export markets from the get go. It has to build its war chest from profit flows over time.

Thirdly, the company needs to upgrade its plant, automation technologies, quality certification, development of distribution channels and brand development. It can only do this from profit flows earned from expanding its domestic market base. Profit flows will be optimal, and sufficient to achieve these goals in record time, should the previous two recommendations be adopted.

It will take more than a lifetime to achieve these goals, if the government of Belize continues on its destructive path of recklessly opening the Belize market to imports…. without consideration for nascent domestic industries…refusing to defend the countries interest within the treaties that we have signed… demanding no reasonable degree of reciprocity from its trading partners.

VERENA FOODS currently im-

port industrial tomato paste to process its sauces. However, it has the know-how to substitute at least 50% of its tomato solids, using locally grown tomato. At 50% of market share, substituting 50% of tomato solids with fresh tomato, its demand for locally produced tomato could reach 1.5 million pounds per year. This quantity could explode once the company is successful at exporting.

With a demand for so much tomato, investments in green-house and fully irrigated tomato production would become very viable, so that Belize could produce surplus tomato year-round. This could transform the entire landscape of vegetable production in Belize, because green-house technology can increase significantly the efficiency, quality and competitiveness of strategic vegetable production in general. Belize could go on to export surpluses into the winter vegetable markets in the USA. However, the processing of Belize tomato into sauces would be the anchor of the industry, providing a limit against losses, by processing the vegetables before they are lost to wear and tear and spoilage in the market.

This is the concept of a wholly integrated product-market chain.

Belize is a country where tomato prices currently float be-

tween US$0.10 to US$2.50 per pound, where tomato quality and availability is very inconsistent. A wholly integrated tomato industry of the kind described here, would allow for a stable year-round price, much higher and consistent quality, generating surplus for exports, with enough to supply at least 50% of domestic processing needs, creating at least 500 direct jobs in farming, transporting, processing, administration, distribution, marketing and sales….and another 500 indirect jobs in advertising/media, accounting, legal, computer, repairs and maintenance, customs and brokerage, freighting and shipping, health certification and monitoring, banking and insurance, human resources development, mechanics, plumbing, engineering, etc., etc.

This is my tomato dream for Belize. Is it too ambitious a dream to aspire for?

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

For Sale

By Order of the Mortgagee 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 25th day of March, 2002, between DIONICIO ACK of #13 Lords Bank, Ladyville, Belize District, Belize, of the one part and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD. of the other part and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 11 of 2002 at folios 1253 to 1276; and 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. THE SCHEDULE ABOVE REFERRED TO ALL THAT LEASEHOLD INTEREST IN ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 13 situate in the Lord’s Bank Village, Belize District, and bounded as follows:- On the Northeast for 36.561 Metres by Lot 14; On the Southeast for 24.374 Metres by Lot No. 2; On the Southwest for 36.561 Metres by Lot No. 12; On the Northwest for 24.374 Metres by a Street containing 891.138 square metres as shown on Reg. No. 4 Entry 3100 at the Office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys TOGETHER with all buildings and developments standing and being thereon.

DATED this 28th day of August, 2014.

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

14 SEP

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

King’s comments and subsequent endorsement by the Prime Minster resonates profoundly through corridors of our consciousness; “UDP first, Belizeans second and PUP last”….How can any right thinking Belizean hear that and simply brush it off?

There are things that were done by the PUP in the past that certainly could have been done differently, but we must move forward and ensure that we learn from these misof writers and there are some who I takes and that they are never again admire and look up to. Zee Edgell, Asrepeated. I continue to support the sad Shoman and Evan X Hyde immediPUP and write for the BELIZE TIMES ately come to mind. Then there are the because I believe that Francis Fonnewcomers who have entered the fray seca is the best person to lead this and offer up thoughts and comments in country right now. His humility, honthe weekly periodicals. I peruse and if esty and dedication is admirable and something catches my eye, I pause and I am convinced that very soon, he give it attention. The writer who I find will get the chance to prove his metmost interesting if not most controvertle and true worth. Trust me on this sial is the Publisher of the Amandala. one; we will be pleasantly surprised.

While I quite often disagree with his Belize is desperate for good leaderoverall assertions and I find him many ship and for people with vision to be at the helm. It is I believe that the United Democratic Party has a time for men of action and done more harm than good to this country and integrity not simply men of grandiose promises, big that the People’s United Party has better ideas, words, exaggerated gesmore competent people and a better plan for ticulations and pompous the future. While the UDP promotes dispontification. The times are unity, disparity and political tribalism, the hard and getting harder and we will need leaders with PUP has a more “big tent” approach and strong character to see us is more inclined to governance for all the through. What we have people. now simply will not do.

Of course, it is imperative that all hands come on Guardian. We must remain critical in deck. We have much work to do if times rewriting history to favor his own our assessment however, and exercise we will return our country to a point contributions and importance, the man reasoning and commonsense.

Do not where we can feel safe and share a is prolific and proficient in the art of take anything on face value and spend sense of meaningful and beneficial making a point. His arguments flow and a little time to verify facts. Writers will ownership. Too long have we abdione can easily follow and make sense of write but readers simply cannot just cated our responsibilities and we his rhetoric. That’s what makes him danread and ingest without process; be give too much leverage to politicians gerous and able to influence opinions smart! to do as they will with our financand thought patterns. While my musing I write for the BELIZE TIMES and es and resources. We must involve is not in any way about him, suffice to yes, with a bias toward the PUP but ourselves to a greater degree. Us say, big respect is due. with good reason. I believe that the writers must also continue to ploy I give it ample effort myself and United Democratic Party has done more our trade and keep the people thinkI am blessed in that I have folks who harm than good to this country and ing, involved and informed. All of us endure my offerings even on days that the People’s United Party has betmust develop or recognize a niche when I am not at my best; or during ter ideas, more competent people and and put a shoulder to the wheel. We those times when I present points a better plan for the future.

While the writers will write and should the ink with which they might differ. I try to UDP promotes disunity, disparity and well run dry, well, “we scribblers will maintain humility and I remain eterpolitical tribalism, the PUP has a more cluster around its brink call for more nally grateful to those who allow me “big tent” approach and is more inclined pens, more paper, and more ink“. space in their reading-time allotments. to governance for all the people. Mark Happy September Celebrations!

There are a couple of people, and I

Reid Why I write…

If all the trees in all the woods were men; And each and every blade of grass a pen; If every leaf on every shrub and tree Turned to a sheet of foolscap; every sea Were changed to ink, and all earth’s living tribes Had nothing else to do but act as scribes, And for ten thousand ages, day and night, The human race should write, and write, and write, Till all the pens and paper were used up, And the huge inkstand was an empty cup, Still would the scribblers clustered round its brink Call for more pens, more paper, and more ink. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes

By G. Michael Reid I have been at this business of writing columns for well over two decades. I have had advice, compliments and criticism; yes and even condemnation. I must say, I enjoy the feedback and take them all in stride.

I pay heed to every critique and take note of anything that anyone has to say. If it is complimentary, I fluff up a bit but try desperately to not let things go to my head; cognizant that some folks will tell you anything. If there is reproof, I examine it and if with merit, reflect and grow; if I find them baseless, I toss them aside for I feel it, so I know. Whatever I find constructive, sensible and with merit, I embrace and forge forward in my futile resistance to this unyielding “cacoethes scribendi”.

I imagine that writing comes easy to some people but for me, it is quite the effort. I try to stay with topics that will interest readers and try to write in order that readers can readily follow the points I am trying to make. While attributed to several persons, I believe it was Alexander Pope who said, “Easy reading is damn hard writing.”

Someone flipped it around and said that “Easy writing is damn hard reading”.That reverse version carries equal validity and veracity.

Belize has produced a fair share

mean two in particular, who have messaged me to say that they have given up on me. They shall remain unnamed but according to the pair, I have now gone too political. I imagine there are a few others who feel the same way but have not bothered to make comment.

Truth is, I do write for a political organ but aside from that, I sincerely believe in what I write.

As readers, we have a responsibility to shift through the rhetoric and to draw from whatever offering, any morsel of thought that can add to our overall body of understanding. We must be critical in our assessment and desist from simply, believing all the hype. We must discern between propaganda and fact and between honest musing and mischief. Whatever we do though, if we don’t write then we must read, remain aware and become involved in this fight to make our country better. Yes the BELIZE TIMES is a political organ and to get a balance, many also read the El

17

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

Corralling the Private Bar

By E. Andrew Marshalleck SC Last week Friday the Government tabled in the House of Representatives a Bill proposing to amend the Legal Profession Act of Belize to abolish the mandatory requirement that attorneys-at-law called to the Bar in Belize be members of the Bar Association of Belize and to re-configure the General Legal Council.

The primary reason advanced by the Prime Minister for the change is that Government has taken the view that mandatory membership in the Bar Association is unconstitutional. He however unashamedly admitted that a second reason is because the Bar Association is controlled by persons supportive of the People’s United Party and is used for political purposes. In other words, the Bar has been too critical of him and his government’s policies on legal matters, particularly judicial appointments, so that it must be regulated and controlled.

The Bar Association is a body corporate established by law comprising all Attorneys-at-Law qualified to practice law in Belize and is charged with responsibility for regulating the conduct of its members in the public interest. In addition, it enjoys by virtue of the Constitution the power to appoint a member of the Judicial and Legal Services Commission and so also directly participates in the appointment and oversight of judicial officers in Belize in the public interest.

The Association albeit non-governmental is nonetheless very much a public

SERVICES AVAILABLE H&G Services of San Lorenzo Housing Site, Orange Walk, now offering the following services within Orange Walk Town and Belize City: Janitorial, Home Makeover, Prescription Filling and Payment of Utility Bills. No Job too small or too big for us. Call 662-4424.

FOR SALE 2004 Volkswagen Jetta, 4-door, 2.0L, FULLY LOADED and in excellent conditions. Contact 601-0379/667-4043.

FOR SALE 1999 Volkswagen Passat, 4 door, 1.8L, Selling as it. Contact 601-0379/6674043

institution in that it is created by act of parliament with the overarching object of promoting the administration of justice in society in the public interest.

The General Legal Council is the legal body charged with responsibility for hearing complaints against the conduct of Attorneys-at-Law and making recommendations to the Chief Justice for punishment including disbarment.

It is comprised of the President of the Bar Association and 4 members elected by the Bar Association and is chaired by the Attorney General. The Bill now proposes that the Council be chaired by the Chief Justice and appointed entirely by the Attorney General, a political appointee. The Council is also being directly conferred with power to discipline attorneys. The Council is therefore being directly conferred with the power to disbar legal practitioners and its control is being vested firmly in the hands of politically appointed persons.

It is clear that the change to the law is motivated not by any wish to

improve the system but to provide for some measure of control by the government over private attorneys. Contrary to recognizing and giving effect to constitutional principles it unashamedly

seeks to undermine them. The repercussions to society at large may well be more significant than most realize.

When the notion of the abolition of the compulsory membership in the Bar Association was first publicly introduced back in March last year on the basis that compulsory memberContinued on page 20

14 SEP

2014 LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that MYRA BRUHIER is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Zoey Mini Shop”, situate at San Jose Palmar Village, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that HUI SHENG YE is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Campus Shop”, situate at 67Cemetery Lane, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that ZHOU RONG LI is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Jian Ye Shop”, situate at 3 2nd Street, King’s Park Area, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that HAY TUEN TONG is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Tong Shop”, situate at 28 A Baymen Avenue, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that RUI XIN CHI is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “A&G Shopping Center” located #29 Baymen Avenue, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that TYRONE VALDES is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Coca Cart” located #8 Fort Street Tourism Village, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that CHRIS LARA is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Moho Chocolate Co. Ltd” located #8 Fort Street Tourism Village, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

THE BELIZE TIMES Notice is hereby given that WENDE YAN is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “OK De”, situate at #1 Kelly Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that WEN KANG CHEN is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Dragon Restaurant”, situate at #9 Neal Pen Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that JIAN HONG WU is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Wang Jiao Shop”, situate at #8 Mapp Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that YOU QIU CHEN is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Wong Guk Restaurant”, situate at 11 6th Street, King’s park Area, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that MARVIN RIVERA & GLENDA SARAVIA is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Cheap Town Hardware & Shop”, situate at 9171 La Croix Boulevard, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that MARVIN RIVERA & GLENDA SARAVIA is applying for a Malt & Cider Liquor License to be operated at “Cheap Town Hardware”, situate at 9171 La Croix Boulevard, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that CARLOS H. TZOT is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Amy’s Shop”, situate at 34 Vernon Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that PING YIN WU LI is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “Wu Ma Fast Food” located 863 Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that GEN WAN LIU is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “New Road Supermarket” located #84 New Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that KEILA SAWERS is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Belizean Chinese Fast Food” located 62 A Cemetery Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that HUA YAN ZHOU & JIAN HONG BU is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “K&K Fast Food & Restaurant” located 124 New Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that MUAMMER KOC is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “Celebrity Restaurant” located Plot A Goal Lane, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that MUAMMER KOC is applying for a Restaurant Liquor License to be operated at “Golden Crown Caribbean Ltd” located 5 Miles George Price Highway, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that XIN YE ZHANG is applying for a Night Club Liquor License to be operated at “Good Fortune” located 190 Newton Barracks, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that SHAO HUA ZHU is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Linda’s Shop” located 5763 Meighan Avenue, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

19 Notice is hereby given that HUI QUN CHEN is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Neffy’s Shop” located 1221 Coral Grove, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that RANJIT BALANI is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “One Click” located 3 Hopkins Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that SHAO QUN ZHOU & HUI ZHI HUANG is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “William’s Supermarket 2” located 26 Central American Boulevard, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that ZHI WEI & SHAO QUN ZHOU is applying for a Publican General Liquor License to be operated at “William’s Supermarket Ltd.” located 24 6th Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that YE HE ZHANG is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Judy’s Restaurant” located 8 Vernon Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that XIN LIANG LI is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Xin Xin Shop” located 4104 Flamboyant Street, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that ENNA GUADALUPE EK is applying for a Liquor License to be operated at “L&B’s Cool Spot” located at Texas Road, Scotland Halfmoon Village, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

A Blue Luna Produkshan

The OAPN PAKI TALK SHOW wishes all Belizeans a HAPPY 33rd ANNIVERSARY OF OUR INDEPENDENCE Enjoy a Safe September Celebrations Remember to watch OAPN PAKI every Sunday from 10:15 - 12:15 ON BBN9

Corralling the Private Bar Continued from page 18 ship was unconstitutional, the Bar Association commissioned a legal opinion from Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith and Rodwell Williams. In a 20 page joint opinion Smith and Williams came to the conclusion that compulsory membership was not unconstitutional so that at its lowest the issue is not as clear as the Government presents it. That opinion was circulated to the entire membership of the Bar many months ago so that no doubt it has been available to the Attorney General and the Prime Minister. When this is recognized, the true and only motivation for the Bill is laid bare - to provide for political control over the private bar. This conveniently plays into the hands of the Attorney General given that there is at least one serious complaint pending against Senior Counsel Wilfred Elrington pending before the General Legal Council which, no doubt, he needs favourably resolved.

The importance of an independent Bar Association has been judicially recognized in the strongest terms. In the very recent decision of Federation of Law Societies of Canada v. Canada (Attorney General) 2013 BCCA 147, Justice Hinkson explained as follows: “The independence of the Bar is fundamental to the way in which the legal system ought fairly to operate …

In Canada (Attorney General) and Law Society (British Columbia), [1982] 2 SCR 307 at 335-336, Mr Justice Estey commented that: “The independence of the Bar from the State in all its pervasive manifestations is one of the hallmarks of a free society. Consequently, regulation of members of the law profession by the State must, so far as by human ingenuity it can be designed, be free from State interference, in the political sense… The public interest in a free society knows no area more sensitive than the independence, impartiality and availability to the general public of the members of the Bar and through those members, legal advice and services generally…” …One of the great and often unrecognized strengths of Canadian Society is the existence of an independent Bar. Because of that indepen-

dence, lawyers are available to represent popular and unpopular interests, and to stand fearlessly between the state and its citizens.”

The Bill tabled undermines the independence of the Belize Bar and threatens the ability of lawyers in Belize to stand fearlessly between the government and its citizens. It works only for the political party in control of government which no doubt is why it was tabled. From the standpoint of the ordinary Belizean, it should properly be viewed not only as hair-brained but also dangerous.

LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that YOU QIANG CHEN is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “New Hope”, situate at 35 Baymen Avenue, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that XIN CHAN SU & YOU WEI TANG is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “New Glory Shop”, situate at 19 New Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that RAMON GONGORA is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Puma Ramon’s Service Station”, situate at 2 Miles Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

GIDEON MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD. # 28,151 (“the Company”)

Pursuant to Section 102(8) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that GIDEON MANAGEMENT SERVICES LTD. has been dissolved as at 5th September, 2014 and has been struck off the Register of International Business Companies.

Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent

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 Kenrick Jones (Deceased) Surety for Nessie Jones and the said Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited.

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 508.9 square yards being Parcel 63, Block 16 in the Caribbean Shores/Belize Registration Section situate at No. 5865 Corner Seashore Drive and Broaster Avenue, Belize City, Belize District, TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of KENRICK JONES (Deceased) Surety for NESSIE JONES DATED the 11th day of September 2014 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738

14 14 SEP SEP

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

2014

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

21

Obama ‘to strike IS wherever it exists’ US president to outline in speech plans to destroy Islamic State group, which operates in Iraq and Syria

Survey says 53 percent of Scots to vote ‘no’ New poll says its likely that voters in next week’s referendum will vote against splitting away from the United Kingdom Fifty-three percent of Scots intend to vote against splitting away from the United Kingdom in next week’s referendum, according to a new poll.

The survey, carried out by Survation on behalf of the Daily Record newspaper, showed 47 percent intending to vote yes to the split.

The figures, late on Wednesday, excluded 10 percent of people who were undecided.

The latest poll findings came on a day when British Prime Minister David Cameron said he would be heart-

broken if Scots vote to tear apart the family of the nations of the United Kingdom.

Cameron’s plea aimed at preserving the 307-yearold Anglo-Scottish union and preventing himself from going down in history as the last prime minister of Great Britain. He is likely to face pressure from his Conservative Party to step down if Scots vote to secede.

“I would be heartbroken ... if this family of nations is torn apart,” Cameron told an invited audience at the

Edinburgh headquarters of the Scottish Widows insurance firm.

While Cameron has ordered the blue-and-white Scottish flag to be flown over his office at No. 10 Downing Street until the vote, his critics noted that he did not risk speaking before an uninvited audience of Scots on the street.

Cameron’s Conservatives are deeply unpopular in Scotland, where the welfare cuts, unemployment and privatisation of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s time are remembered with bitterness.

‘Desperate attempt’ Many independence

supporters cite the Cameron government’s budget-slashing policies as one reason they want to leave the United Kingdom.

Cameron insisted the vote was not about giving “the effing Tories” a kicking.

“This is not a decision about the next five years,” he said. “This is a decision about the next century.”

Cameron also cautioned that a currency union with an independent Scotland would not work and that if Scots did vote for secession, Britain would not share the pound.

El Salvador ex-president under house arrest Francisco Flores, accused of misappropriating $15m from Taiwan for quake relief efforts, had earlier handed himself in A court in El Salvador has ordered the house arrest of a former president after he turned himself in ahead of his trial on corruption charges.

Francisco Flores, who was president of the Central American country from 1999 to 2004, will be allowed to remain under house arrest for the duration of the trial, judiciary spokesman Ulises Marinero said on Friday.

Flores, who had been on the run since January and was believed to have been in Panama, had turned up unexpectedly with his lawyer at a San Salvador court earlier on Fri-

day.

He is accused of misappropriating $15m donated by Taiwan for earthquake relief efforts in 2001.

“I presented myself voluntarily and in respect of the law.

I don’t think I’ll be able to make any other comments right now,” Flores said, flanked by police as he left the courtroom.

After the hearing, police transported Flores unhandcuffed to his residence in the upscale Colonia San Benito district, west of the capital, where he will remain under 24-hour surveillance.

Protests Dozens of people had gath-

ered outside the courtroom to protest against the former president’s alleged corruption, calling for his imprisonment.

Prosecuting lawyer Bertha de Leon told reporters the prosecution would appeal against the judge’s decision, arguing that Flores should be imprisoned after being on the run for months.

“For us, the judge’s decision is not technically correct; for us, the judge has ignored what needed to be done; he has ignored the circumstances and the facts, and has favoured him with this decision,” she said.

US President Barack Obama is expected to announce that the United States will wage a military campaign that will target Islamic State fighters with air strikes “wherever they exist”.

This indicates the US will expand its air campaign across the Iraqi border to Islamic State targets in Syria.

Obama will deliver a major address on Wednesday evening laying out his plan to deepen the US military role in the Middle East.

In excerpts released in advance, Obama says the US will lead a broad coalition to degrade and then destroy the self-declared jihadist fighters.

Obama says the campaign would not involve US combat troops on the ground.

Obama, in the speech, is expected to compare the US plans for the Islamic State to Washington’s counterterrorism efforts in Yemen and Somalia. The US has launched drone strikes in those countries for years.

The US is already launching air strikes against Islamic State targets in Iraq

YEMEN’S PRESIDENT FACES POLITICAL STALEMATE Yemenis are asking whether the president’s ‘divide-and-rule’ policy led to the ongoing standoff with Houthi rebels Sanaa, Yemen - Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi is facing one of the biggest crises of his two-and-a-half year presidency as members of the country’s Houthi rebel movement have flooded into Sanaa, setting up protest camps in and around the capital and holding daily protest marches in the city’s centre.

On September 9, as many as seven people were killed when Yemeni security forces opened fire on protesters gathered in front of the prime minister’s office, sparking fears that a declaration of war from the Houthis was imminent.

While many Yemenis are sympathetic to their embattled president who has tried to broker a compromise deal with the Houthis, many are also asking if the opposition group’s arrival in Sanaa was unavoidable, or the result of the president’s divideand-rule tactics.

According to Adnan al-Odaini, a spokesman for al-Islah, Yemen’s main Islamist party, Hadi “has not been doing his job by upholding the law” against the Houthis.

Some Yemeni analysts cite other reasons. “He [the president] did not want to confront al-Islah party so he let the Houthis fight his battles for him, and now it has created a situation that is hard to handle,” said Nadia al-Sakaff, editor-in-chief of the Yemen Times, a local English-language newspaper.

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

E

V

I

E

W

Scientists: ‘Extreme’ solar storm heading to Earth

By SETH BORENSTEIN WASHINGTON (AP) — An extreme solar flare is blasting its way to Earth and could mess up some power grids, satellites and radio transmissions, scientists say.

It’s been several years since Earth has had a solar storm of this size coming from sunspots smack in the middle of the sun, said Tom Berger, director of the Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Solar storms happen often, especially during peaks in the solar cycle, and don’t directly harm people. But what makes this one more worrisome is its location on the sun along with

its strength, he said.

“There’s been a giant magnetic explosion on the sun,” Berger said. “Because it’s pointed right at us, we’ll at least catch some of the cloud” of highly energized and magnetized plasma that can disrupt Earth’s magnetic sphere, which sometimes leads to temporary power grid problems.

Fo r e c a s t e r s don’t yet know

when Wednesday’s solar storm will arrive here and which part of the planet will be facing the sun and bear the brunt of the effects.

It could arrive as early as

Thursday morning or may take a few days.

Berger said scientists will have a better idea after they get more satellite data. The first part of the

storm, which arrives in only a few minutes, has already affected radio transmissions. It can also damage satellites.

The flare is considered “extreme” on forecasters’ scale, but just barely so, Berger said.

On the plus side, sun flares expand the colorful northern lights so people farther south can see them..

Early autism intervention speeds infant development 10 September 2014 by Bob Roehr Early interventions may be effective at treating the symptoms of autism in very young infants, according to a pilot study in children under 18 months.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) normally start receiving treatment at about 2 years old or older. This is an improvement on 10 years ago, when children with ASD were unlikely to receive treatment until they were 4 years old or more. But Sally Rogers and Sally Ozonoff at the University of California, Davis, have sought to intervene even earlier, in infants as young as 6 months old.

In a pilot study, Rogers and Ozonoff taught the parents of seven infants

with symptoms of ASD, aged between 6 and 15 months old, how to overcome developmental delays through interactions during play, bathing and diaper-changing.

Two researchers independently used multiple tests and evaluations to distinguish between infants with symptoms of ASD and those who might just be developing more slowly than average. “These were very symptomatic infants,” says Rogers. “In general these babies did not use their bodies, faces or voices to send and receive messages from their caregivers on what they liked or didn’t like, or wanted more or less of.”

The programme adapted positive-reinforcement strategies known to reduce symptoms in older children.

Plastic brains

Six of the infants began to show accelerated development by 18 months of age, and by the time they were 3 years old, their development was in the normal range, says Rogers. In contrast, four infants who qualified for the study but whose parents chose not to participate continued to show a worsening of ASD symptoms.

Rogers speculates that the reason for such a dramatic change is that the programme intervenes when infants’ brains are most plastic, when babies are establishing social skills.

She cautions that a large, randomised trial is needed to prove that the intervention works.

Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, director of autism research at the University of Alberta in Canada, calls it “a significant study because it demonstrates the ability both to detect symp-

tomatic infants and provide a meaningful intervention prior to 12 months of age.”

He says parents and doctors should feel encouraged by this approach as it is specific to autism, rather than a generic treatment drawn from experience with infants with developmental delay.

Parents spend much more time with their baby than a professional therapist can, and so are likely to have a greater impact on their development, says Paul Wang, head of medical research at the advocacy group Autism Speaks, which also supported the study. Because parents can be trained to deliver these interventions, they should be cheaper and more widely available.

2014

THE BELIZE TIMES

Another Government Vehicle Stolen Police link Guatemalan black-market to thefts

City of Belmopan, September 11, 2014 The way late-model vehicles are disappearing under the nose of Government officials, one would think they are aimlessly being given away at the expense of tax payers.

Another vehicle – the fifth in just three months– went missing sometime between Tuesday September 9th and Wednesday September 11th morning. Just vanished into thin air.

The 2008 white-in-colour Toyota Hilux with license plate marked

U.S. agents descend on Matalon Building US accuses Belize offshore firms of operating billion dollar scam Belize City, September 9, 2014 Belize’s Police and United States Department of Justice officials invaded the Matalon Building on Tuesday afternoon on the strength of a warrant to search the 4th floor which houses Titan International Securities Inc. Titan International Securities is linked to IPC Management Services LLC, a Belize-based investment firm accused of a US$500 million scheme to launder money and hide investments. IPC also has an office on the 4th floor.

Authorities were also looking to arrest three persons named in a U.S. indictment who have Belize residences. They are 51 year old Belizean Andrew Godfrey, and Bahamians 34 year old Kelvin Leach and Rohn Knowles.

The men are accused of partnering with U.S. citizen Robert Bandfield to “masquerade as financial professionals,” concocting inter-related schemes in which they used offshore companies to conceal clients’ ownership interests in U.S. companies, manipulating stock prices in those companies and helping the clients to evade U.S. tax reporting requirements as well as launder proceeds.

Bandfield was arrested in Miami on Tuesday.

“Bandfield with Godfrey’s assistance designed an offshore system to deliberately keep the rest of the market from knowing that someone owned significant amounts of particular stocks,” said Michael Paley, cohead of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission microcap fraud task force, in a statement.

The men were charged with conspiring to commit securities fraud, tax fraud and money laundering, according to an indictment unsealed today in Brooklyn. Prosecutors allege four other individuals and six companies including IPC took part in the scheme.

Two other persons Canadians Brian De Wit and Cem Can, who have both been involved in the offshore sector in Belize, are also named in the indictment.

In addition to Titan International Securities, Inc., another company, Legacy Global Markets S.A. and Uni-

corn International Securities LLC have also been named.

Attorney for Titan and its principals Kelvin Leach and Rohn Knowles, Jacob S. Frenkel, said in an e-mail to U.S. media that the charges were levied “without even the slightest of advance notice” of an investigation.

“Our clients will respond at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner to the allegations,” he said.

“We are confident that our clients will be exonerated.”

The Police left the Matalon Building shortly before 9:00PM. The U.S. says the men arrested will be extradited to face criminal proceedings which have been started before the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York (Brooklyn).

BMP-B-0026 which was assigned to the Ministry of Health was parked on the Ministry of Health compound and left there by the driver at 6:30pm on Tuesday September 9th.

Because of the September 10th holiday, it wasn’t until this morning, September 11th, that the driver went to check on the vehicle and noticed that it was missing.

As we mentioned, this is the fourth vehicle stolen in Belmopan in several weeks. Prior to this was a brand-new Toyota Hilux donated by the European Union to the Ministry of Health’s mosquito-control department was stolen outside the Western Regional Hospital.

The vehicle was parked outside the hospital over the weekend of August 24th when it was stolen. It wasn’t until Monday August 25th morning that someone noticed that it was missing. The Police have been called in to investigate and are now trying to find out who all may have had access to the keys to the vehicle. It is suspected that the vehicle theft is connected to the black market cross-border trade with Guatemala. This illegal trade targets luxury vehicles in Belize which are taken into Guatemala. The Government of Belize which gets high-end vehicles through donations and which has poor security measures in place has become an easy target.

Before that, a 2008 Toyota Hilux with license plates B-0108 belonging to the Department of Environment had disappeared. The vehicle

23 was parked at the capital city’s busy market square. The last person driving the vehicle was Government employee Edgar Eck who said he parked the car and thought it was secure.

Upon returning for it, its “new owner” had collected it.

Police say that the thief possibly had access to the vehicle with duplicate keys.

Belmopan’s Inspector Dennis Myles said the separate acts of vehicle stealing had a common pattern.

“To me they are targeting a specific type of vehicle and vehicles that are assigned to the government of Belize and as you well know the vehicle that went missing from the Forestry Department was also a Toyota Hilux. The police are of the impression that these vehicles are easily taken across the border, across to Melchor,” he suggested.

It is not clear if that circumstance fit the previous cases. A vehicle belonging to Mayor Simeon Lopez was stolen. It was a red-incolour 2008 Mitsubishi Nativa with license plates marked “MAYOR” that was parked right outside his office. The Mayor said he did not notice when his vehicle went missing, even though he normally has a plain view of it through his office window.

Then two weeks before that, a 2014 high model SUV assigned to the Chief Environmental Officer, Martin Allegria, disappeared while it was parked outside the Forest Department on Forest Drive.

The Barrow Administration does not appear concerned about these major losses, as they have not indicated how they will crackdown on the stealing of these valuable assets or hold anyone responsible.

CARTOON

14 SEP

PB

THE BELIZE TIMES