Former Telemedia Executive Chairman, Dean Boyce, to take the stand?

Denys Barrow

In the other case this morning, a request was made to have former Telemedia executive chairman Dean Boyce cross examined in the Court of Appeal. Boyce submitted an affidavit refuting a sworn statement by financial secretary Joseph Waight regarding government’s ability to pay damages if the B.T.L. Employees Trust wins litigation over the company’s re-nationalization.  The Employees Trust is currently among three parties with claims against the government stemming from the second nationalization of Telemedia.  In court this morning, Senior Counsel Denys Barrow made an application to have Boyce questioned on his conflicting statements alleging that government would be unable to pay damages since it has defaulted on its external debts. 

Denys Barrow, Attorney for Government

“The applications by the three appellants, each application is for an injunction and the basis of it is that if they win and an award of damages is granted against the Government of Belize, the Government of Belize will not be able to pay the damages, and this is because the government, they say, has defaulted on paying its external debts and, they say, this means that the government’s finances are in dire straits.  We filed an affidavit from the financial secretary, Mr. Joseph Waight, indicating that government is fully able to pay its debts, to pay any damages which are awarded and that the debt restructuring will be completed by the end of the year.  Mr. Boyce has filed a responding affidavit seeking to contradict what Mr. Joseph Waight, the financial secretary has stated, and he is seeking to put to this court his view as authoritative as to what is the state of government’s finances.  So I want Mr. Boyce to come to this court and justify the statements that he makes and to establish himself as a greater authority or speaking more informedly than the financial secretary.  So let Mr. Boyce come. The court has said that next week, it will give us a date this afternoon, and next week it will hear the formal application to cross examine Mr. Boyce.  So it may or may not decide to have him cross examined.  It will depend upon the court’s view as to whether, in the interest of justice and for their purposes, there is a need to cross examine Mr. Boyce.”

According to Barrow, the Court of Appeal will hand down a decision on that application next week.