A New Interim Chairman to be Appointed to B.T.L. Board

Alan Slusher

Former Central Bank Governor Alan Slusher has been selected to replace Nestor Vasquez as chairman of the Belize Telemedia Limited’s board of directors.  His appointment as presiding officer will be short-lived, as his tenure is also set to come to an end in late October when Prime Minister Barrow demits office.  In the wake of the Vasquez scandal, the B.T.L. Board is meeting this evening to formally appoint Slusher as the immediate successor.  Slusher, as part of his responsibilities at the helm of the company, is tasked with oversight of the investigation into Vasquez’s personal expenses using B.T.L.’s corporate credit card.  It is unclear what timeline the investigation will be conducted on and whether it will be completed prior to the end of the prime minister’s term of office.  But can the incoming chair be independent? Like Vasquez, he is highly connected; his credentials with the U.D.P. are well-known and the list of his appointments is long. Slusher already once served on the B.T.L. Board.  He has been named advisor to the PM, Governor of Central Bank and later Director on the Board of Central Bank. Up until 2017, he was President of the University of Belize. Now that the proverbial Pandora box is open, another lingering question is if Slusher will look into other allegations of rampant corruption at B.T.L. involving contracts on cell phones and excessive spending.