Media personality, Glenn Tillett, wins case against G.O.B.

Glenn Tillett

This morning, the Belize Court of Appeal handed down a judgment in favour of media personality, Glenn Tillett. Viewers may recall that in 2011, Tillett had claimed declarations against Lois Young, Net Vasquez and the Belize Social Security Board (S.S.B.) that the decision of the S.S.B. to purchase fifty million dollars of B.T.L. shares from G.O.B. was tainted by the apparent bias of Young and Vasquez. At the time of the investment, both Young and Vasquez were members of the B.T.L. board while simultaneously being members of the Investment Committee of the S.S.B. and the S.S.B. itself. Tillett claimed that their dual roles amounted to apparent bias and rendered the decision by S.S.B. to purchase the shares, null and void. When the matter came on before Acting Chief Justice Awich, a preliminary issue was taken that S.S.B., as a public body, ought to have been served with Notice under the Public Authorities Protection Act. Awich had ruled that the requirements of the Act had been satisfied. Young, Vasquez and S.S.B. appealed.  In the meantime, proceedings were stayed…awaiting the decision of the Court of Appeal. In a fifteen page written decision this morning, the Court of Appeal determined that no notice was required for such claims.  This decision therefore frees up Tillett’s claim to proceed before the Supreme Court. Costs have been awarded against the defendants.