Lands Department Shutdown to Prevent Further Suspicious Activities

As one of his first acts as Prime Minister, John Briceño ordered the shutdown of the Lands Department in Belmopan today. The offices will re-open on Monday and that’s after an incident this morning. Attorney Llewellyn Usher, the legal counsel for the Ministry of Natural Resources was removed from the premises by law enforcement officers.  We are told that Usher allegedly punched one of the officers in the face, causing him to bleed.  PM Briceño says that he ordered the closure as part of an investigation into the many suspicious activities that has occurred in the Lands Department.

John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I have asked that the Lands Department due to the incident that happened this morning, we were hearing a lot of conflicting reports about people taking out files and trying to do a lot of stuff. When we take that in to consideration about what has happened over the past two or a few weeks where you saw like a frenzy at the Lands Department. I have asked that the Lands Department be shutdown until Monday so that we can avoid any problems. When the new Minister of Natural Resources takes over on Monday. So, again thank you very much. I ask asked everybody and the public service that we are ready to work and we will be working with them to make sure that we can provide.”