Three Prime Parcels in Sugar City Sold for Dirt Cheap

Kevin Bernard

Emir Cruz was issued parcel forty-three-zero-four while Derrick Gillett was sold parcel forty-three-zero-three and plot forty-one-thirty-five was given to Roman Alvarez. Both Gillett and Cruz paid eight hundred dollars for a piece of the Jewel, while Alvarez paid only one thousand dollars. Bernard says that that is just a small portion of the mass land grabbing happening in the Orange Walk District and that the hustling at the Ministry of Natural Resources is becoming more exposed.

Kevin Bernard, Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“I’m gonna tell you this because this is but a tip of the icing. I’m pretty sure because what was happening in 2009, when they went into office, there was a lot of land grabbing. Recall the land registry was closed down and only people of the United Democratic Party and close relatives to Gapi Vega were able to have access. We are hearing all kinds of rumors now where you have close people to him now own cayes and all of these things. I mean you are talking about a lot of issues. I think once the government changes, we need to get into that land registry and really find out what has taken place. The Vega family has gotten lands and grown exponentially in wealth. I mean you go to San Estevan…people that we knew, people that studied with me and some of their families members have not even completed sixth form, yet they own big mansions—mansions the size of Gapi Vega’s house in San Estevan Village. That’s the kind of things that have been happening and it is all about him and his family and his cronies. This is what these land documents are showing. The proof is in the pudding, as they say. And this is now coming to light that a lot of hustling was taking place in the Ministry of Natural Resources.”

Duane Moody

“Sir as the mayor of Orange Walk town, is there anything that you can do in your power, in your authority, to have these lands reverted back to public property?”

Kevin Bernard

“Well I can only say this, that a new P.U.P. government will definitely return those lands back to the people because it was deserving to those farmers who need a place to go a sell their produce.”

We attempted to get comment from the Commissioner of Lands Wilbert Vallejos earlier today, but he would not take our calls nor respond to our text messages.