Archie Lee closed down by City Council

It is four days now that Archie Lee’s Shopping City Convenience Store and Restaurant on Central American Boulevard has been closed for business. And according to the proprietors, the losses incurred as of today stand at thousands of dollars and continue to grow. Nine workers have also been sent home. Friday night’s closure is the latest move by the Belize City Council against Archie Lee, who has a record of another fifty-two charges brought against him by CitCo, all which have come up empty handed. The store and restaurant, located at the corner of Raccoon Street and Central American Boulevard, was shut down by authorities representing the City Council at exactly twelve p.m. Friday night. News Five was at Lee’s store when Special Constable Clifton Perez dropped in to close down the business. Lee provided documents to News Five to show that one month ago he applied and paid for renewal and extension of licenses of his business but over a month has passed and he has not received any response. On the night of the closure, one of the busiest nights for his business, CitCo declared he was operating without permission. Here is what Archie Lee had to say.

Archie Lee, Owner, Lee’s Shopping City
“About like nine o’clock a team of special constables from Belize City Council, they come here. So I went out to see what happen. Whenever the one that bring them in, Mr. Perez, and then when he saw he said he don’t want to talk to me. And then we wanted to find out why they come to my building. They bring our paper, a list and they say I don’t pay for no extension. And so I told him for this new year, I changing my license to a nightclub license, because I also serve in the liquor license board for over the past eight years. So I know on the nightclub license I can open until two in the morning that’s why I noh pay for the extension. He asked me to show him the license. I told him I get the license through my agents, so I have to talk to them. So I show him the receipts for the trade license and my liquor license; two for trade and two for liquor license. So they say that that don’t mean the license was approved but it don’t mean the license was refused. I told him if you don’t want to renew the license then give me something in writing so that I could tell my customer and my workers why the place closed. And then man start to say something else. He says he will do something to me this year just like last year. You remember last year what they do to me, they moved all my liquor and then they ker me court. I won the case and then one of the judgments from the magistrate to return everything to me and up to now. February last year to this year, I noh get even a single bottle of thing from them. So if this year, if they move everything from me again. So I don’t know how I can upkeep my business and upkeep my workers. So I don’t know what I can do. If they do the same thing to me this year just like last year.”

Duane Moody
“Do you think it’s a personal vendetta against you sir?”

Archie Lee
“Yes. I think so, I think so.”

Duane Moody
“Why?”

Archie Lee
“You see different people have different friends or different minds. You support your people, I can support my friend. This is a free country, especially I live in this country over thirty-five years so I got some friends. I noh say today you are the minister, today I come to you and when the party lose and you are not minister no more and then I just get lose out.”

Duane Moody
“So you think it might be politically affiliated?”

Archie Lee
“Yes, even when in the court I talk to some of the people who always there. They say since U.D.P. take over the City Council only me one the get charge. If they want to close it, if they don’t want to renew it, give me something in writing. Don’t just send some boys to come in and threaten the customers and so and so.”