No less than nine members of the Government, the United Democratic Party, have indicated that if and when the Appropriation Bill makes it to the House of Representatives they would vote no. Prime Minister Dean Barrow indicated on Wednesday that this would be up to their ‘conscience.’ But Senior Counsel Magali Marin-Young is of the […]
The Prime Minister seemed to argue on Wednesday that a vote in parliament, either way, would be the end of the matter. But Senior Counsel Magali Marin-Young says not so. She suggests that if such a vote comes to pass, the matter would go back to the courts because the Constitution, and not parliament, is […]
On occasion in the past, mayor of Belize City Darrell Bradley has clashed with his own party on issues of national importance. But it is clear that with regard to the U.H.S. arbitral award, the United Democratic Party has closed ranks on an issue that has always been, at least recently, a bee in their […]
The decision not to pay the UHS loan has serious ramifications for the economy as it relates to investors confidence. The PM is not daunted by the possibility that the already sluggish economy could be affected. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “We don’t know how the house will vote, but assuming the house votes no, […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow finally broke his silence today exactly one week after the Caribbean Court of Justice delivered a ruling in which it granted leave to the Belize Bank to pursue the enforcement of a ninety million dollar award. That compensation is in respect of a mounting debt which stems from a private loan […]
The Prime Minister is duty-bound to table a proposal in the House of Representatives at its next sitting requesting the appropriation of that eight-figure sum from the Consolidated Revenue Fund based on the ruling of the CCJ. In tandem with the Crown Proceedings Act and the Constitution of Belize, the process that government now has […]
According to the PM, the mandate of the CCJ does not extend to parliament so it can be struck down by a majority vote. In this case, he says the debt will remain unpaid because the CCJ cannot compel parliament to pay. This scenario will be a first for Belize for government to table a […]
With most ministers already saying no, the PM says that a conscience vote will end with U.D.P. parliamentarians voting against the bill. In this instance, interest will admittedly continue to accrue past the ninety million dollars, because the debt will not go away from the Government’s balance sheet and in essence, he is kicking the […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington has gone on record to chide the CCJ, after losing an appeal in respect of a private land dispute involving Progresso Heights. He soundly criticized the bench by stating that he was denied a fair chance to present his case before the appellate jurisdiction, perhaps because of a preconceived notion that […]
Until the UHS debt is settled, the outstanding balance continues to accrue interest at a rate of seventeen percent monthly. Is government’s refusal to pay the debt an act of irresponsibility on its part? Here’s the Prime Minister’s response to that question. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “History is replete with examples of debt that […]
This afternoon, the Belize Bank issued a brief release in response to the Prime Minister’s statements. It reads: “The Belize Bank does not concur with the views expressed by the Prime Minister and Government of Belize representatives at today’s press conference concerning the decision of the CCJ and the Bank’s ability to enforce payment of […]
Cabinet met in Belmopan this morning, ahead of a scheduled press conference for ten o’clock in Belize City on Wednesday, to discuss government’s position on the pending ninety million dollar U.H.S. debt. Last Wednesday, the Caribbean Court of Justice gave leave for the Belize Bank to enforce collection on the judgment for the loan which […]
Perhaps the biggest proponent for Belize’s signing on to the Caribbean Court of Justice as its final appellate jurisdiction in March 2015, was former Attorney General Wilfred Elrington. He was the country’s chief legal officer at the time of the transition from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. While he once advocated for the […]
According to Elrington, the C.C.J. leaves a lot to be desired, particularly since there is a total of five jurists presently sitting on its bench. He says that only one of its judges is responsible for the writing of judgments, notwithstanding the number of judges presiding on any one matter. Wilfred Elrington “One of […]
Elrington was critical of the court saying that the four-member CCJ is unwelcoming and has arguably had the most contact with Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay who has appeared before the court on a number of cases. Wilfred Elrington “I’ve never seen a more hostile court than this one and they simply continued to repeat […]
In anticipation of Wednesday’s announcement, The Belize Bank Limited is speaking out on the ninety million dollar judgment ordered by the Caribbean Court of Justice. Much of the Bank’s three-page release offers the background in terms of the winding nature of the court case, which has been heard in one form or another in four […]
As it relates to the position of the People’s United Party, that will be taken on Wednesday afternoon at a parliamentary caucus. The party leader, John Briceño, returned to the country this afternoon and reserved comment in light of the scheduled meeting. Their position, however, can hardly affect the outcome of the vote in the […]
Murders may have blessedly slowed to a trickle, but that doesn’t mean crime has abated in the Old Capital. Two robbers took advantage of an opportunity on Monday night, but what they didn’t know is that they were caught on camera. News Five has obtained surveillance footage of an attack on two women on King […]
In northern Belize, a second suspected drug plane has been found in less than six months to signal that the drug trade is thriving. The burnt scrap of the aircraft was discovered in a remote cornfield near Hill Bank, Orange Walk, on Sunday morning. A joint taskforce comprised of police officers and B.D.F. personnel was […]
Belize City resident, Clinton Arthur Davis, was beaten to death and his decomposing body was found three days later on Friday at his property. Davis owns a piece of land beside Old Belize on the outskirts of the city. The land was passed down in his family but his wife says that it has caused […]
And while Davis’ immediate family believes that a close relative was responsible for his murder, police say they don’t have anything to corroborate that claim. But they are questioning several persons. On the night of the murder, police say they received a tip of a body in the area but didn’t find anything until Friday […]
There is very little progress to report on an allegation of rape that reportedly occurred a few weekends ago inside the lockup at the Independence Police Station. Earlier today, police informed that a file will be forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions whenever an internal investigation into a claim that two […]
Burglars stole almost twenty-thousand dollars’ worth of valuables from a home in Sand Hill Village. Well-known education officer, Yvonne Davis, says she wasn’t home between Thursday and Friday and later received reports that several men with two vehicles were spotted in her yard between midday and about three on Friday afternoon. The burglars gained access […]
A trio of men was busted with a significant quantity of marijuana in the Corozal District on Saturday. Twenty-one-year-old Ian Mossiah, twenty-five-year-old Vincent Aldana and thirty-seven-year-old Abner Cardenas were nabbed in an area known as Estero, reportedly a transshipment point for the passage of Mexican-grown weed into the country. The men were arraigned before the […]
Twenty-one-year-old Maninger Singh, a student at the Belize Medical College, was reported missing by his roommates on Friday. He wasn’t seen or heard from since November ninth. The Indian national is a resident of the Los Lagos community and last attended classes at the institution on the Boom Road on Thursday, the day before his […]
