Closing arguments made in landmark land case against govt.
Samuel Bruce
Closing arguments were made today in the land case between Benque Viejo businessman, Samuel Bruce and the Government. Attorney for Bruce, Senior Counsel Said Musa and Priscilla Banner for the Attorney General’s Ministry ended two days of court battle over the four point four acre portion of land in dispute. On Tuesday Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh visited the site in Benque Viejo del Carmen. Bruce claims he purchased his nine acre property almost twenty years ago from a private landowner and had shared his ideas of constructing a multi-purpose facility with his area representative. But when authorities showed up at the site and ordered him to stop developing the land he took out an injunction to stop the government from taking over the property. The government, through their attorney, Priscilla Banner, wants to give the land to the Mount Carmel Primary School, and this according to Banner is an adequate reason for acquiring the land. But Musa pointed out in his arguments that the action was not done in good faith because the government never negotiated with Bruce to purchase the land. Moreover, he maintains, the school had already been allotted eight lots on which to expand. Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh will deliver his judgment within thirty days.
Bwoy, fi we krazy government, lol, this man buy his land from a private landowner 20 years ago, has all his documents to show, an now deh wah tek it weh, krice mek me fraid fi wah go home and buy land to.
Years ago land mi di sell very cheap, so weh the white man do dah buy it up, develop it mek yi look good now they wah tek it weh. Stop sell land so cheap to nonbelizeans.
Reuben: No where in the article does it state that Samuel Bruce is a Non-Belizean. Just because dih man white, nuh mean ih dah wah foreignah. Belizeans have varied ethnicities. And 20 years ago, there was a more equal playing field to buy land among locals and foreigners. Now — there is a huge discrepancy particularly in areas doing well in the tourism market where land is obviously priced for an outsider’s budget.
That story is made up by Samuel Bruce. Bruce is disliked in Benque Viejo by the community. He has a long bad history and the people perceive him with suspicion. The supposed park he is planning to build has no indepth study and no planning. There is no way he can affirm his half-cooked plan would benefit the community. He hasn’t even submitted any architectural nor structural plans to the Benque Viejo Local Building Authority. And that is because he has none. Now he says he had already started building. Seems to me that he was breaking the new law. Analyize the matter, people.
WOW, Benqueno sounds like you’re a Politician that got caught in your corruption and now desperate not to look so ridiculous. Fact: Bruce began conducting a public survey for support and layout for his planned entertainment park for the community 6 months before the local Minister decided to acquire his land, to give it to a “private institution”; which actually is illegal to give our tax dollars “public funds” away to a private institution, besides MCS already has more than enough land to expand.
In regards to Building Authority Plans, When Bruce started his project the new building Authority in Benque did not exist, and the way I understand it, he would be exempt from being required to anyway. Bruce’s character is a matter of documented fact what he has done for the community, however you maybe the suspicious one?
In reality the issue here is not the park, its private property rights of a land owner having their rights abused by GOB, now it will be determined by the Rule of Law, not by a Politician! Remember any property owner has the right to do as they wish with their land they paid for!