Peace Movement Has No Issue with Lord Ashcroft Joining Case as Interested Party

Arthur Saldivar

Meanwhile, attorney for the Belize Peace Movement, Arthur Saldivar told the media that should the court determine that Lord Ashcroft joins in the case, it would not delay trial, as the attorney for the defendants argued in court.

Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Belize Peace Movement

“Insofar as anyone with an interest coming onboard; that is a prerogative that they can exercise. Mister Ashcroft is exercising his own prerogative; has nothing to do with the Peace Movement. But at the end of the day, should he come on or don’t, it doesn’t affect us—the claim goes on. This is a claim brought by the movement and they will continue to do it until it comes to its rightful conclusion. If he comes on fine; if he doesn’t, fine.”

Reporter

“So it doesn’t affect you, meaning it doesn’t delay the matter either as the attorney for the Attorney General’s Ministry was trying to argue just now? It doesn’t delay the process if they are allowed?”

Arthur Saldivar

“No it doesn’t delay the process because we will be seeking experts in any case. Upon case management we will be making requests to have expert witnesses be brought onboard. If those are readily available and Mister Ashcroft brings them as an interested party, fine. If it is that he has the interest to see that this goes the right way and he is not joined and allows us to utilize his experts, better. So we have no problem. He has the experts, we need the experts; we will seek to have him one way or the other since he has expressed that interest.”

Chief Justice Benjamin will rule on this application on February eighteenth at two p.m.