Dissident B.T.L. board meeting thwarted; Prosser cries foul
In other news from the B.T.L. front, it was hardly a surprise, but after the Government of Belize and Michael Ashcroft appointed directors of Belize Telecommunications Limited failed to show up at a board meeting called by Jeffrey Prosser, the American businessman says he’s taking his case back to the courts. According to Prosser’s local attorney, Lionel Welch, his client is the non-executive Chairman of B.T.L. and therefore was well within his rights to call today’s meeting. For Prosser, the non-appearance of the other directors constituted a contempt of separate court orders made by Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh and the Court of Appeal which, Prosser claims recognised him as chairman of B.T.L. and gave his company, Innovative Communication, four directors on the B.T.L. board. We caught up with Welch outside the Princess Hotel following this morning’s aborted session.
Lionel Welch, Attorney for Jeffrey Prosser
“The meeting was scheduled to be by teleconference, nine a.m. this morning at Princess. The room was prepared, all notices were sent out to all the board directors and the purported board of directors, but only those directors that’s from the Belize Telecom side showed up by telephone. They include Mr. Jeffrey Prosser himself, Bobby Lubana, Sir Ronald Saunders and Mr. Vondras, but no other persons from the purported board of directors showed up; that is Mr. Keith Arnold, Ms. Carla Barnett and the others who were given notice.”
Janelle Chanona
“So what happened, you all just waited and then…”
Lionel Welch
“We waited and we called the meeting to order and we discussed what should happen, based on the no-show of the others. And what is decided is that we should adjourn until the ninth of March, give out the necessary notices again, and during that time we would seek the intervention of the courts.”
Janelle Chanona
“To do what?”
Lionel Welch
“For the meeting to be held there are some necessary books, registers, and so on that need to be provided at the meeting, so we’ll be asking the court for an order directing those persons to present the books at the meeting.”
Janelle Chanona
“Now, to what end, what instructions have you gotten from Mr. Prosser as far as what the end result of all this is going to be? He wants to be the sitting chairman once again of B.T.L.?”
Lionel Welch
“Not that he wants to be, but he is the non-executive chairman of B.T.L.”
Janelle Chanona
“And he wants that right enforced?”
Lionel Welch
“That is correct.”
Janelle Chanona
“And what lengths are you all prepared to go? This legal wrangling has been going back and forth for on for some years now…”
Lionel Welch
“We will continue until the, until Mr. Prosser has been duly recognised. … We have to trust the judicial system and the judicial process and I think that these cases have shown has shown that we have a strong judiciary and that is the way how Mr. Prosser intends to continue.”
