G.O.B. will seek Supreme Court help in B.T.L. case
The transcript of Thursday’s hearing in Miami’s U.S. district court is in, and while the ruling is not quite as emphatic as ICC’s lawyer Lanny Davis would have us believe, his account was basically factual.
“The Government of Belize is in contempt”, said Judge Ursula Ungaro-Benages, and invited submissions from both sides on what, if any, sanctions should be imposed. While the judge expressed a reluctance to tread on areas of Belizean law, she was adamant that as regards the issues litigated in her courtroom, the G.O.B. ignores her at its peril. I quote:
“So again, the Government of Belize needs to hear and needs to understand that I’m in this for the long haul…and they are putting themselves at risk by not complying, because I assume Belize has assets in this country.”
According to the court, the government has been in contempt since March twenty-ninth when it failed to recognise a B.T.L. board meeting called by Jeffrey Prosser. Another board meeting–with four Prosser directors and four government sanctioned directors, is scheduled for Monday afternoon. Whether the G.O.B. directors will attend has not been confirmed although we are informed by the Government Press Office that Solicitor General Elson Kaseke will be in the Belize Supreme Court first thing Monday morning seeking a ruling that will put them firmly in control of the telecommunications company. The government maintains that B.T.L.’s articles of association allow G.O.B. to appoint six of the eight directors and Belmopan is banking that the Supreme Court agrees.