FECTAB Calls for Punishment in Paumen Affair

Bradley Paumen

Today, FECTAB called a press conference to air concerns which they are facing in the industry, and called on government to hear them and act on a number of issues. The umbrella organization has maintained a contentious relationship with large foreign companies Dark Night and Chukka, claiming that they have been given unfair advantages. The recent Bradley Paumen murder for hire scenario has provided more fuel for the fire because the American national was given bail of fifty thousand dollars for allegedly ordering hits on four persons. According to FECTAB’s David Almendarez, Paumen needs to face real justice, and so do all those persons in government departments that have facilitated Dark Night in Belize going so far as to acquire land owned by Michael Modiri.

David Almendarez

David Almendarez, Executive, FECTAB

“This is the height of the high season, yet we at FECTAB holding a press conference. It’s ironic that you have a press conference when it should be a time of making money because it is being harder and harder and harder for us to make that same money. What are we asking for? We are asking for government to step into NICH and do a comprehensive review of everybody who was involved in this Dark Night deal. We’ve seen the judgment. Go read the judgment for yourself Belize; even the judge is appalled that NICH was involved in acquiring land that was supposed to be used for public use when only one tour operator is using it. How can they be involved? How can the Minister of Lands when interviewed on the television has no idea that that had taken place? How did that get taken place? How did you get the land without the Minister of Land knowing that you have the land? It’s corruption and it stinks.  How can a tour operator who is alleged of murder and trying to hire a hit man; it’s ironic you label we at FECTAB as criminals. They label we as persona non grata; we are the ones that are not supposed to be in the industry, yet you are the one being hauled in front of court—you and your accomplices and your employees and the list goes on and on. And it is business as usual and the people at NICH had allowed that deal to go and it is still business as usual and our government who has just been elected come and sit down and say this is okay. Well I am saying it is not okay. Somebody has to be held accountable for such level of corruption. We hire you; we give you the mantle to be our leaders and you put people in high places to sell us out and we should say nothing about it. Well we are asking for this to be addressed. It’s a very serious allegation; it’s a very serious black eye for Belize. How can the people who allow this to happen still hold their offices; still go to their work from Monday to Friday to allow this to happen again? It’s like the NICH and the Bliss Institute and the B.T.B. and the Minister of Tourism and the government on a whole is waiting for the breeze to blow over.”