Court of Appeal Dismisses LPG Importers’ Appeal

An inaugural shipment of liquid petroleum gas arrived at the Port of Big Creek this morning, following a direct route from the U.S. Gulf Coast.  At news time this evening, the vessel is offloading one point four million gallons of LPG at a storage facility in the south.  On Wednesday night, however, a panel of three judges presided over an appeal brought before the high court by a group of LPG importers whose license to bring in butane and other gases expired today.  The appeal filed on behalf of Z Gas, Gas Tomza and BWEL by attorney Audrey Matura was dismissed at around ten o’clock in a late night decision.  Matura had filed an injunction against the Government of Belize at the Supreme Court which had also been dismissed by Chief Justice Michelle Arana.  This afternoon, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte briefly commented on the matter.

Michael Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“The Court of Appeal did rule last night around ten o’clock which is an unusual time that there was an appeal by some LPG providers, Gas Tomza and them.  They wanted to force the government to buy their butane and the Court of Appeal upheld the position that the government decides who it buys butane from.  They cannot force the government or the people to do what they don’t want to do.  So the ruling did come down in favor of the government last night.  Gas Tomza and them, I think they were represented by Audrey Matura and Molina, and the government was represented by Ms. Agassi Finnegan.  So if I’m not able to give an interview on that, that is what happened last night officially because some people are not believing that a judgment was handed down at ten last night.  But that was the case, we won the case we will see now whether or not Ms. Matura and Mr. Molina will try their luck at the Caribbean Court of Justice.”