Archie Lee threatens to close shop doors permanently

We have reported that businessman Archie Lee has been spending plenty time before the courts with more than fifty charges laid against him for licenses for his businesses. And now, as a result, Lee is thinking of closing down his restaurant and convenience store and going into retirement. This is if his latest appeal to the Minister of Local Government does not go in his favour. This decision by Lee comes five days after his shopping store and restaurant at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Raccoon Street was closed by City Hall. Special Constables of the Belize City Council last Friday night prevented Lee from selling liquor since he did not hold a valid license to do so. And in the ongoing saga, today the Belize City Council issued its own release saying that in fact, Lee paid the Council liquor license fees with checks that bounced. According to Chairman of the Belize Intoxicating Liquor License Board, Wilmott Simmons, that discovery was not made until earlier this month when police went to the establishment as part of random checks.

Wilmott Simmons, Chairman, Belize Intoxicating Liquor License Board
“They were made aware that the payment for Mr. Archie Lee’s Convenience Store liquor license, which was put towards his shop license, that payment was denied by the bank which meant that it bounced, that his application was null and void. He had no license to operate either a shop liquor or worse a convenience store liquor license. It bounced, not sufficient funds was stamped on the cheque when it was returned to the City Council. So Mr. Lee was made aware of that, that he had no license whatsoever and that’s when the police along with the Special Constables of the Belize City Council asked him to close down the liquor section of the convenience store, to take away all the alcohol off the shelf.”

Archie Lee Owner, Lee’s Shopping City, Archie’s Restaurant
“Even on the pre-approval meeting they already decided not to renew my license and right away I called the bank and I make a stop payment of the cheque. The reason why I have to make a stop payment is because you remember the things they carry from here from last year, up to now is one year, they noh give me back. If I mek dehn pass the money into their account I don’t know how long it will be with them. This is why I make the stop payment of the cheque.”

Marion Ali
“According to them it was two cheques that weren’t good.”

Archie Lee
“No two, four cheques including the trade license because I know they were not going to renew that. That is why, because I got some friends still working inside. They say I sell liquor after the hour, they noh prove it. You ker somebody to court according to what is the evidence. You can’t say you do this, you do this… prove it, prove it.”

Marion Ali
“The council is also saying they invited you for a meeting that was convened in order to explain your side of the story and you refused, you never showed up.”

Archie Lee,
“You know why I noh show up? On the same morning of the meeting, one of the junior, actually he’s a Chinese, before the meeting he tell everybody he get a threatening call the same morning and say noh approve my license or something will happen. If it happen like that why he noh report to police and find out who made the call and follow up the case. He want to put me in the picture and when I go there to do something, to meet a group of people to attack me. You got somebody threaten you, you call the police. You get a cell phone or whatever phone to police mek police check what number they call you or they threatened you.”

Simmons says the police have been vehemently opposing any issuance of liquor licenses to Lee because they claim they have had to warn him several times about selling liquor pass midnight, in breach of his licenses. But Lee says he is now awaiting the response of the Minister of Local Government to see whether any of the licenses will be granted.

Archie Lee
“I already go to a law firm, also go to a law firm of Mr. Fred Lumor law firm to send a letter to Local Government.”

Marion Ali
“And you think that will be favorable? Cause according to the board, you haven’t been adhering to the rules. You’ve been selling liquor after the agreed or the approved hour. You haven’t been paying the fees. You’ve been enjoying certain privileges as a past board member.”

Archie Lee
“For every night before midnight, I have a sign inside to stop sell the liquor. I also tell my security boy to put a padlock on all the cooler. Especially the last time they come. For the last time they come in three special constable. Mr. Perez I mean do his job as usual and next two special constable I thing it’s a lady. She go to check the cooler and also check all the cooler. Whenever I have liquor or I have beer all of them is lock. You can ask, all a deh is lock.”

Marion Ali
“The officers say you have been selling liquor after the hour.”

Archie Lee
“No, no. They lie, because I sell the liquor through the restaurant side,but not through here. I sell all the liquor under the legal hour. For example if they say during the week that I have to close by midnight, I close by midnight. On weekend, from Thursday to Sunday, every night I pay for extension. I pay for extension from Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, every week.”

Marion Ali
“According to him he keeps his alcoholic beverages section locked with a padlock and a chain.”

Wilmott Simmons
“According to the police that is not true. According to the police that is not true, they have constantly been made aware of Mr. Lee selling alcohol beyond twelve o’clock at night. So, they advised the board, this is a new sense to them and the public, please don’t give Mr. Lee a license for him to open at twelve o’clock.”

Marion Ali
“This was also for the restaurant section because he also has a convenience section and a restaurant section?”

Wilmott Simmons
“Well for public information, he had told us that he was closing down the restaurant and he wanted to open a night club at that particular section of the building. Anyway, also, the special constables that worked along with the City Council, advised the board to please don’t give Mr. Lee the liquor store license for the same reasons that the Belize City police department was advising that they were having problems with Mr. Lee. In some cases, they were physically threatened by patrons of that establishment when they come to ask to quit selling liquor after twelve o’clock. In one particular instance, their tires were punctured by patrons of that establishment. Those were the reasons they were advising the board not to give him a convenience store liquor license. The board then asked Mr. Lee’s agent if he would accept a shop liquor license like any other shop in Belize City, which he refused.”

Marion Ali
“This was when?”

Wilmott Simmons
“This, that was I think on the twenty-ninth of January. And we were verbally told through his agent that he will not get a convenience store liquor license. Nevertheless, Mr. Lee had applied for this and paid for a convenience store liquor license. It so happens that he continued selling alcohol after the thirty-first of January, when the old license expired. But because he was told verbally he would get a shop liquor license, he was not bothered for the first week of February.”

Marion Ali
“He is saying that it’s all political. That he’s been summoned to court fifty two times and never has he been convicted of anything.”

Wilmott Simmons
“Well I am not aware of that. I have recently become the chairman of the Belize Liquor License Board for the past nine months and I’m not familiar with the previous cases that he has had through the courts. I’m familiar with the different encounters he’s had with the police and the Special Constables. I’ve met Mr. Lee personally and we spoke about it. I told him I’ll be fair and this is nothing political as far as I’m concerned. I’m just listening to the various supporting bodies who advise the board and who recommend that he should not get a Convenience Store Liquor License.”

“We didn’t close him down. His check was returned by the bank which means his application was not complete in that sense and he can operate his store. He has a genuine convenient trade liquor license where he can sell through the shop. The next step he has appealed already to the minister which is the route you can take when you are agreed or denied by the board, he appeal to the minister for the minister to reconsider his application and that’s where it’s at right now. He has lodged that appeal with the minister and then the ministry will make that final decision providing that he pays for his application which as we know right now, according to records, there’s no payment.”

Archie Lee
“I have to pay legal fee. Fifty-two time. You can imagine how big the legal fee. You understand what I mean?”

Marion Ali
“So, but your not making any money here with your shop close. And that’s your decision why would you choose to? Why would you choose to not open when you could make money?”

Archie Lee
“Because Perez say, on the same night he come, he say if I open. He will take people in to move all my things. Like last year, he moved all my things. Plus, I can’t stay like that for once a year.”

Marion Ali
“So what will you do now?”

Archie Lee
“Close it, close it.”

Marion Ali
“You will close down your business?”

Archie Lee
“I don’t make it, they don’t make it. Because so much money I pay to the City Council for the extension of the liquor license. No problem.”

Marion Ali
“You’ve been known as a business man throughout decades.”

Archie Lee
“I got no choice. I got no choice.”

Marion Ali

“You’ll just retire?”

Archie Lee
“Maybe, maybe I retire for a couple years.”

Meanwhile, Simmons says the City Council has liquor that was seized from Lee’s business about a year ago that will be returned to him.