Press ordered to leave Belize Bank hearing

Things got dramatic at Court this afternoon when the press was ordered out of a hearing before the Appeals Board of the Central Bank in which the Belize Bank is appealing to stay an order by the Central Bank to return twenty million dollars gifted to the government of Belize by Venezuela and Taiwan. The Belize Bank had requested an in-camera hearing on the basis that dissemination of confidential information would be a breach of the bank’s duty of confidentiality. Senior Counsel for Central Bank Lois Young opposed the Bank’s request arguing that the issue was of public domain. But the Chairman of the Appeals Board, Justice Awich decided that the hearing will be in-camera and that the judgment will be a public hearing.

Last Friday, Chief Justice Conteh ruled against the bank lifting an injunction that was placed on the Central Bank by the Supreme Court to enforce a directive to return the monies. Conteh also ruled against the Belize Bank’s claim that the composition of the Appeals Board was impartial, saying that he was not convinced that the Prime Minister’s appointments undermine the impartiality of the appeals board.