More allegations of corruption at Lands Department surface

Allegations of corruption at the Ministry of Natural Resources, have surfaced from time to time but generally have been ignored by G.O.B. But today those charges made it to the editorial of the Reporter Newspaper. According to the edition released today, the act of bribing officials of the Lands Department has become common practice. The paper reveals that some individuals have paid hundreds of dollars to receive a service which should be free. The editorial goes on to say (Quote) “Does the new Minister of Lands, Mr. Gaspar Vega, know about this? Many are saying today that under the U.D.P., the bribes at the Lands Department have become substantially bigger.” (Unquote) And while no specific case was mentioned, the Reporter says that because of the number of complaints, they have decided to ask for sworn statements from people who have made payoffs to persons at Lands. For months now, News Five has been investigating land deals that were allegedly completed without going through the proper channels. Our investigations revealed that certain individuals were given leases and land titles for portions of the seabed near San Pedro Ambergris Caye without Environmental Impact Assessments. We have also reported that over forty cases were being investigated by the Department of Environment and other relevant government departments, checking for legitimacy. At his last press conference, the Prime Minister Barrow went out on a limb to defend the Ministry of Natural Resources over reports of licenses given to the driver of the Deputy Prime Minister.