Aspiring politician will sue B.E.L. and offer cancer screening

The clock is ticking for twenty-three vendors who operate under Belize Electricity Limited’s main transmission line.  The Mahogany Street vendors have until the end of December to move because that is when B.E.L. says is the deadline to cut power to their businesses.  Two aspiring politicians for the Lake Independence area have come forward to help dialogue with B.E.L., P.U.C. and the City Council. But today Percy Lewis came to News Five to say that he is filing a lawsuit against the electricity company on behalf of the vendors because he feels they are in danger of catching cancer.

Percy Lewis, U.D.P. Lake I Political Aspirant

Percy lewis

“The residents and businesses on Mahogany Street and elsewhere are free to join in a law suit against B.E.L. and the reasoning is that they are negligent in placing those hydro lines there. They could have put a substation outside of the City limits.”

Jose Sanchez

“Now your lawsuit has something to do with cancer doesn’t it?”

Percy Lewis

“The persons who on both sides of Mahogany Street and elsewhere including Mala’s Store on New Road where the hydro lines also pass and the residents and businesses there and elsewhere are in a contaminated area. And they are subject to catching cancer from radiation.”

Jose Sanchez

“You sighted an instance of cancer in your press release. Tell me about that.”

Percy Lewis

“That’s right. Prudence’s mother in 2006, she died from cancer and she had been working there for a couple years in a business there.”

Jose Sanchez

“So you’re alleging her cancer is related to the lines?”

Percy Lewis

“Well she is dead now. I can tell you about the horror and you can talk to her daughter and interview vendors around there about that—when she died, all her bones were brittle. It’s terrible.”

Jose Sanchez

“Are you sponsoring people being tested for cancer? Is that what your release is saying?”

Percy Lewis

“What we’re doing [is] we are working with lawyers and doctors to get free medical checkups and to gear up to file a civil suit against this multilateral as you call it.”

Jose Sanchez

“Where will these testings be done? Who is involved? Who’s your attorney?”

Percy Lewis

“Well we will not reveal our sources because as you can see we are working in a hostile environment and people are talking…”

Jose Sanchez

“But then an attorney has to come forward. I mean if you don’t want to disclose the name of your attorney, it sounds a little bit suspicious or fishy.”

Percy Lewis

“Of course, in due course. But when you’re dealing with B.E.L. and the City Council and talking about the heads of these vendors and businesses and residents instead of working with them in partnership, then we can’t show all your hand here.”

Jose Sanchez

“But there is no show of hand for an attorney. You have an attorney. This is who your attorney is. Why is it so difficult for you to say who your attorney is?

Percy Lewis

“Like we said, in due course. We are still in the process of taking the positions and giving checks and doctors have to connect the dots and we will go from there.”

Jose Sanchez

“Percy, you know some people may say that this is a publicity stunt prior to your convention and after that we won’t hear anything about you or any lawsuit.”

Percy Lewis

“Well let me tell you something, these residents and businesses have a pending letter with a deadline for the end of the year to vacate. That is their livelihood. Now they have health risk compounded on top of that. This is no time to joke man.”

Jose Sanchez

“Percy, your competitor also says that he represents these same vendors.  Is it you or is it Mark King?”

Percy Lewis

“It doesn’t matter to me. All I can tell you is; it is time for people to champion the causes of those who have no voices.”

Jose Sanchez

“Percy which doctors or which hospitals can they go to to get these cancer checkups?”

Percy Lewis

“We will call. When I receive the call, we will arrange the checkups.”

Jose Sanchez

“So even that you can’t disclose?”

Percy Lewis

“We are not prepared at this time to disclose.”