Andre Vega Stands Alone on Land Compensation Case

Andre Vega

This morning, Supreme Court Justice Courtney Abel dropped the case against Hilmar Alamilla, associate of Andre Vega and the former deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, as it relates to a claim for return of compensation of four hundred thousand Belize dollars to Government. Alamilla was named as the man who originally bought just over an acre of land near the Haulover Bridge, at Mile five between the Caribbean Sea and the Philip Goldson Highway, for two thousand five hundred dollars, on a discount given by Gaspar Vega himself as Minister of Lands. Employees made their higher-ups aware that the land was already privately owned, but the sale transactions to Alamilla and attorney Sharon Pitts were still approved. Alamilla’s portion was sold on to Andre Vega for fifteen thousand dollars at the end of 2013. But the Government took it back as part of its plans for the area and compensated Andre Vega and Sharon Pitts to the handsome tune of four hundred thousand dollars each. Attorney for Vega and Alamilla, Estevan Perera, discussed the consequences of the decision with News Five’s Aaron Humes this afternoon.

Hilmar Alamilla

Estevan Perera, Attorney for Hilmar Alamilla and Andre Vega

“After reviewing the claim, we felt that there was not a case really filed against Mister Alamilla; we felt that the entire claim was directed at Mister Vega. And as such we felt that it was proper for us to make such an application to the Court to have that defendant removed.”

Aaron Humes, Reporting

But Hilmar Alamilla, a known associate of Andre Vega and his politician father, Gaspar Vega, was seen as a key middleman in the infamous Haulover land deal that netted the younger Vega a cool four hundred thousand dollars – money that the Government now says he should not have been given. Nonetheless, attorney Estevan Perera, who says Government put up little defense to keeping Hilmar Alamilla as part of the claim, told us it is too early to determine how much the decision by Justice Courtney Abel has helped his remaining client’s case.

Estevan Perera

Estevan Perera

“We wouldn’t be able to say at this time; we just completed this portion of the hearing and now after seeing the result of what transpired this morning, we will look at Mister Vega’s case once more and then we will decide what we will do next with that matter.”

Perera says Alamilla is pleased with the outcome, but what about Vega and his defense? Perera mostly kept his cards close to his chest but offered one plank of that defense.

Estevan Perera

“Our position in terms of the defense is simply that there was a compensation that was done in respect of this matter; and we need to see how that will go with the court, once it is brought to the actual trial.  The claim itself that is being brought against Mr. Vega is in respect to a suggestion that there is a purported sale agreement that was signed; however, our position is simple – that it was a compensation agreement that was signed and that it should be maintained as a compensation agreement and that was exactly what was done.”

Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.

Further case management is expected before trial proceeds. The Government is represented by Solicitor General Nigel Hawke. In related news, a new defense for Pitts in her separate case was struck out in case management in April for being too long. It must be re-filed by May fifteenth in time for case management on May sixteenth. That case is before Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin.