Billionaire senate candidate denies his yacht damaged Belize’s reef
The Westerhaven, the Great Escape and the Azteca were three notable vessels that ran aground on Belize’s barrier reef recently. But five years ago, another yacht, Summerwind, also damaged the reach but its owner is now claiming that his vessel never ran aground on Belize’s reef, despite irrefutable evidence. United States Billionaire Jeff Greene’s three story, and one hundred and forty-five feet luxury yacht left a fifty by two hundred foot path of destruction in 2005 near San Pedro. It made news this week in the United States because not only did Greene forget to pay for the damages, it seems he forgot the incident ever occurred. Greene is running for a senate seat, and according to his representatives, the grounding on Belize’s barrier reef never happened. News Five spoke this afternoon to Billy Leslie, the president of the San Pedro Tour Guide Association, he was present when the incident occurred and even spoke to the captain of the boat, shortly after his brief detention at the island’s police station.
Via Phone: Billy Leslie, President, San Pedro Tour Guide Association
billy leslie
“I was present at a meeting with the captain over at Wet Willies Restaurant and Bar at which he was notified of serious damages caused by the vessel which was still anchored at that time. He was notified that the case would be taken to court and then a magistrate decides what damages have occurred.”
Jose Sanchez
“Billy, are you aware if that ever went to court?”
Via Phone: Billy Leslie
“No, I have known that some errors were made especially by local police department who did not hold the captain after receiving information on his name, information, date of birth and so forth. They released him and told him when the Belize Port Authority arrives here he will need to be present. At that point that gentleman boarded the yacht and left San Pedro.”
Jose Sanchez
“Now Billy, this has come up again because a Billionaire Democrat candidate for the U.S. Senate is running for office. His representatives are saying this incident didn’t happen any at all and that’s their position. That was the quote given in the international press. Is this alarming?”
Via Phone: Billy Leslie
“It is very alarming when you own a vessel, you know of that vessel’s whereabouts at any moment. I think that the gentleman now running for office does not want to shed to the rest of the world that he has caused damage or his vessel has caused damage to a very pristine environment like we have in front of Belize, the coral reef.”
Jose Sanchez
“As a candidate running for the senate, do you think this billionaire, Jeff Greene, should at least admit the yacht did damage our reef and also try to pay some fine to show that he is sorry.”
Via Phone: Billy Leslie
“If you are somebody of such importance and somebody that has been successful in businesses it would be only right on his behalf to accept the damage his vessel has done and also show to the world that he’s going to do something so that damages like that won’t occur around that area. And what I mean, he should either contribute or pay fines that will allow us to be able to or place mooring buoys around that area so that no more vessels can cause damages of that sort.”
In the other cases, a multimillion dollar judgment was made against the owners of the Westerhaven in the Supreme Court. Mexican billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the owner of the Azteca, accepted responsibility and was allowed to leave Belize. However, the owner of the Great Escape, the eighty five feet luxury yacht, is yet to be charged with committing any offense. The owner of that vessel faked a heart attack and was allowed to leave the country before settling the matter.
Business as usual by big brother from the NORTH, always above the law when it come to small countries, suc as the one that was caught at the air port with fire arm and was able to get bail, What happen to him? But we are quick to bundle our citizens and hand them over at their demands. Because we are affraid of not been allow to enter the only country on the planet.
This story was in the U.S. news today & will hopefully pick up enough steam to make this man pay up. The residents along the Atlantic coast are still dealing with the oil spill, Mr Green can explain to his future constituents why the same rules that apply to BP should not apply to him.
H
Keep the spotlight on him.
How does someone fake a heart attack & get out of facing responsibility? Did it not occur to our officials to have a doctor look at him & if KHMH is good enough for us, it s good enough for him, if that is not incentive to stop faking & pay up, nothing is.
This story really infuriates me. Firstly does Mr Leslie realise that if this story were the reverse, the US government would be requesting to speak with him and very senior government officials at Capitol Hill? You only have to look at the BP situation in Florida and know that any damage to their coastline, however big or small would be dealt with accordingly. Therefore I think the discussion about damages of our reef caused by a US BILLIONAIRE senate candidate or anyone else certainly should never have taken place in a bar called “Wet Willies”. Imagine the US official meeting you to discuss something on a similar scale at Hooters? Do you see what I mean? Get your act together. They must think we’re a bunch of jokers.
This was such a serious matter that the captain should have been detained and any discussion occurred in a very formal environment (like the court house) so that they realised the magnitude of the situation. Given that the police department has displayed very poor skills at collecting evidence and documenting cases I would not be surprise that nothing will come of this.
This guy faking a heart attack, he should have been sent directly to KHMH. If it is good enough for the locals, then it is good enough for a billionaire and his friends. He wants to experience Belize, what better way to do so? You would see how quick he would have cough up the money; settle his bills to get out the country. That money would have paid for the healthcare reforms that it so needed.
This is a clear case, which demonstrates the lunatics from the asylum have taken over our country. What worries me is that these incidents just keep repeating, it is one thing to pay, but money cannot replace our ecological environment if allowed to continuously destroy. We need to be much more stringent than foreigners in Belize. I am certainly not anti-foreigners, however I think that officials in Belize sometimes lack the foresight and skills to handle these situations. Especially international incidents, which have the potential to have devastating effect on the country. People get away with a lot more than they would anywhere else in the world.
I feel the same about discovering oil in country; we need to probably send a team of BELIZEANS to Venezuela or Trinidad to receive apprenticeship training in the management/administration etc in this area. By all means have foreigners assisting but try not to have foreigners in charge. If they have to be in charge, then their contracts are short (two years). There will always be experts (with experience from Dubai and Nigeria etc) wanting to come to Belize to work in this field. Countries like Venezuela and Trinidad are examples of how discovering oil have really benefitted their economy and people. Similarly places like Brunei, they have very strict employment policies about hiring their locals first and limits on visas for foreigners. It is about protecting one’s birthright.
No one prepares you for public office (s), however it really is about using common sense. It is about having Standard Operation Policies (guidelines) for every situation and in all areas and applying to Belize our country.
He’s running for Senate so he has a FaceBook page on which i have already attack his credibility, let all bombard his web site until he owns up or pay up ! Belize fus !
This happens when you have a bunch of nimcompoops running the police station….
What is happening with our authorities? This US Billionaire damaged our reefs 5 years ago and hasn’t paid???? What about that the Mexican billionaire who owns TV AZTECA who also damaged our reef, has he paid???? Do you think that if a Belizean had done such a thing in either USA or Mexico he or she would be free?
Belizean Authorities, if you do not defend our country and our Natural Resources, then who will???? Come on, fasten your belts, grow a pair and do your job!!!!!
You all hit up his face book page like crazy. We da no fools what is this
What about contacting the media out here or the republicant party and let them in on his dirty little secret. No one will want to vote for the scum knowing he is not taking responsibility for what he did to the reef. The reef is put there for a purpose to protect the sea creatures and he destroy someting precious to the environment. Scum, now he out here with his fake smile running for senate.