Belize’s exemplary but fictional medical school
The story began two years ago when a local businessman was approached for the use of his property along the Western Highway to establish an offshore medical university. That discussion led to an impressive full blown internet promotion, which News Five’s Jose Sanchez found out, was a fraud. The advertised university never got off the ground.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The University of Central America School of Medicine’s website says it is located at Warrie Head Lodge in Teakettle Village. It boasts a faculty of one hundred and fifty members on campus, some of whom are listed online. Every need of foreign students studying in Belize has been addressed. Everything that is, except that the University does not exist. The owner of Warrie Head Lodge, John Searle, says he was approached by Dr. Baker Niazi, to establish medical school at the lodge two years ago.
John Searle, businessman
“At that point in time I was negotiating with another group for the sale of Warrie Head. And I, therefore, put to him in touch with the people I was negotiating with and arrangements were being made for them to lease the place from the people proposing to purchase the farm. They then went to the University of Belize and met with the then president to see what was required for them to obtain a license to operate this offshore medical school. They were told that government was not too pleased with the way the majority of the license holders at the moment were operating their facilities, therefore they would not be issuing any new licenses thereafter. Baker Niazi then came up with the idea of purchasing one of the faltering offshore medical schools and revamping it and putting it back on its feet and re-establishing it at Warrie Head. As it turned out, the people that were interested in buying Warrie Head, never bought Warrie Head; I still have it. He never bought, Dr. Niazi never bought a license, or one of the offshore schools that held a license though he is still in negotiations for doing that.”
Incidentally, the website named Searle and his son-in-law as members of the board of trustees for the phantom medical school.
John Searle
“Dr. Kalim Habet, that is my son in law, though he was never actually involved, they asked him to be involved but he never became involved, and myself.”
Jose Sanchez
“Are you a member of the board of trustees for this school?”
John Searle
“As far as I know, the school doesn’t exist. So I’m not a member. It was suggested that I join them on the board as a business advisor. The company didn’t get a license the school was never formed… it didn’t exist. Unknown to all of us Dr. Niazi established a website. Now when he didn’t get the license and when he did not get the use of Warrie Head, he should have taken the website off the air, which he did not. I say Baker you have to get yourself down here and explain this. I said this is getting ugly. Its all quite innocent except for one point that I am not happy at all with and that is when somebody called the number and somebody apparently answered the number and someone answered the number and said “Oh yes all the facilities are there and its up and running.” Now I don’t know who did that and I don’t know anything about the website. I put it to Baker this morning. He doesn’t know anything about that.”
After speaking with Searle this morning, Niazi shut down the website.
Jose Sanchez
“Will he speak for himself?”
John Searle
“He has to speak for the website which he established.”
Jose Sanchez
“When will that happen?”
John Searle
“He tells me that he’s gonna come down this weekend so I imagine by Monday he should give an explanation to the press and an apology to the government.”
Niazi has a lot to explain when he gets to Belize. So far the only lesson learned from this phantom institution is that “All that glitters is not gold”. Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
