How Dermen’s Application for Honorary Consul was Rejected
Lev Dermen
There is more to report on Lev Dermen’s ties to Belize, including an application through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for him to be appointed Honorary Consul to Las Vegas. PM Barrow says that Dermen initially approached Minister Michael Finnegan, who in turn referred him to the Foreign Ministry with the request. When the application appeared before Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington along with a curriculum vitae, it gave the impression that Dermen was a squeaky clean businessman. The U.S. government would later decline the request to have him named Honorary Consul to Nevada and that’s as far as it went. Here’s how the P.M. explains what happened.
Dean Barrow
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“If you read this CV you would think that the man would be entitled to apply to the government for a halo, that he was a saint. Anyway, the ministry did its due diligence, sent Mr. Levon, he was then known as term…, sent his name and his particulars to Special Branch to be properly vetted and the report dated May 25th, 201, signed by Mr. Vidal as head of Special Branch, reference is made to your request for vetting to be conducted on Mr. Levon who is being considered for appointment as Honorary Consul for Belize in Nevada. Comment: Interpol checks do not reveal anything adverse on the applicant. In his limited visits to Belize, however, it was confirmed that he associates closely with Zubair Mohamed Kazi, owner of the Paradise Shrimp Farm on the Coastal Road. And so, with that in hand the ministry proceeded to ask the United States whether there would be any difficulty with Mr. Levon being made Honorary Consul in Las Vegas. Alas and alack for Mr. Levon and good for Belize, the U.S. ultimately said no, we have our reasons, send somebody else or send us another name. He is not going to be appointed. And that, as far as I can tell, is where this matter rested until the events of recent occurrence.”
