Late this evening, News Five spoke with attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, a relative of Senior Counsel Young. He shared with us a brief reflection on the personal and professional life of the venerated lawyer. Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, Relative Michael Young “Actually we are in fact related by blood. His father and my mother, who […]
On Monday, the P.M. announced that Minister of Agriculture Gaspar Vega had resigned from cabinet, but not as area rep. Today, there is another move that will affect cabinet, but only for one week. The beheading of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas in July this year brought to light the relationship between Minister John Saldivar and murder […]
Speculation was rampant all morning that once powerful Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and, more recently, Minister of Agriculture, Gaspar Vega, had resigned this morning. The conjecture followed a story that News Five broke last Tuesday and later picked up by other media houses. This afternoon, PM Barrow confirmed that after meetings […]
Vega has been in cabinet since 2008 and was first named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources. According to the Prime Minister, “his personal friend,” is not demitting office as area representative for Orange Walk North. PM Barrow was rather circumspect, curt even, in responding to the question of the dubious land transactions […]
The entire transaction outlining the initial acquisition of the property in question, as well as its allotment and subsequent purchase by Pitts and Vega was presented in great detail by Lands Minister Vanessa Retreage, corroborating our reports last week. In the case of Pitts, there were missing documents from the file. But Retreage admitted that […]
Both Pitts and Vega were compensated by government more than eight hundred thousand dollars over the course of seven months. In the case of Pitts, payments commenced in March 2015 and concluded in September. Andre Vega’s compensation similarly began with a bulk payment of one hundred thousand dollars in September 2015 and was completed in […]
Even as the Prime Minister was announcing the resignation from Cabinet of Gaspar Vega, additional information was surfacing about land deals that stink to high heaven. The following has to be the mother of all land deals. In April 2012, one point six acres of land was transferred by the former Minister Gaspar Vega to […]
There is another instance of compensation paid for land in the peninsula. In February 2012, unknown to the residents of Placencia, who had been agitating for a reserve, land was parceled off within a designated reserve in the Placencia area to four individuals. A total of four parcels located on two islands were granted to […]
On Friday, the Belize National Teachers’ Union had declared that its strike action would go into a third week. It insisted that this was because the critical labour issues, including the proposed deferral of a three percent salary adjustment, were not being addressed to time by Government and Prime Minister Dean Barrow. The Prime Minister […]
The Belize National Teachers’ Union will continue its industrial action into a third week, possibly matching the length of the 2005 strike called after then-Prime Minister Said Musa introduced tough economic measures. This time the issues are broader, encompassing both labour and good governance. At a press conference this afternoon in Belize City, B.N.T.U. president […]
During the meeting between the B.N.T.U. and the PM on Thursday, President Luke Palacio says that there was agreement that the presidents of the B.N.T.U., the Association of the Public Service Senior Managers and the Public Service Union would meet with the Prime Minister on Monday afternoon. According to B.N.T.U., PM Barrow has now backtracked […]
The Prime Minister met until into the evening with the B.N.T.U. on Thursday. When he emerged from that meeting he told the media that there was agreement on many of the eight demands of the union. The salary adjustment, Social Security coverage for incidents happening away from work and pension coverage for support staff and […]
For the first time since the strike began, there appears to be a division established in the solid eight-point agenda of the B.N.T.U. – nine, if the salary adjustment on which they are jointly negotiating with the Public Service Union and Association of Public Service Senior Managers is included. Today, former General Secretary George Frazer […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Bill is among a few demands that the trade unions, including the B.N.T.U., have with the business community. It is the final point on a list of demands put together by teachers. That item was removed from the agenda during Thursday’s discussion as it was agreed that B.N.T.U. will address […]
Speaking after the PM’s press conference much later in the evening on Thursday, B.N.T.U. president described the meeting as even more difficult than the previous. The eight points presented to government have not been addressed and fulfilled in their entirety but there is a willingness to return to the negotiating table. B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio […]
Earlier today, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry advised its members that it is yet to receive a formal response to a letter written to the Prime Minister on their positions taken in respect of a shutdown of businesses countrywide and their withdrawal from the senate select committee. When he was asked about support […]
The Prime Minister met with the Belize National Teachers Union beginning at two o’clock this afternoon. At five-forty this evening, the P.M. spoke about what happened inside; in respect of the demands made by the union and the good governance agenda. There was agreement on some areas, but common ground was not found in all […]
In respect of the Integrity Commission, PM said he waiting for a list of persons to be presented by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry. But as it relates to the thirteenth senator; after stalling on this for years, the he announced he would move on it. But still, there needs to be work […]
The Chamber of Commerce met on Wednesday night in Belize City; there were two motions to discuss and determine as pressure grows to accomplish a good governance agenda. We can report tonight that Business Senator Mark Lizarraga has officially vacated his seat as a member of the recently appointed Senate Special Select Committee. The decision […]
A chair for the Senate Select Committee could not be appointed, since each of the three social partners senators declined to head the working group; they have respectively declined for various reasons. The chairperson of that committee, based on existing standing orders, is not permitted to vote, unless there is a stalemate among members of […]
After lengthy discussions, even though it was decided that the Chamber would remove itself from the senate inquiry if the committee is not reconstituted as directed and the terms of reference are strengthened, the Chamber is proceeding with a series of amendments. Those revisions put forward by the membership of the BCCI will be tabled […]
The People’s United Party didn’t participate in the first meeting of the Senate Select investigation into the scandalous affairs of the immigration Department revealed in the Auditor General’s Special Audit. Today, the party issued a release condemning the Government for railroading the selection of an impartial and effective Senate Select Committee and the hijacking of […]
Police have picked up a man in connection with the burning of Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber’s government assigned vehicle. The fire happened at Faber’s Lord’s Bank residence around midnight on Wednesday and surveillance on Faber’s property picked up the culprit as he climbed over the gates and set the vehicle on fire. Well, Faber […]
At midnight on Tuesday, the vehicle of Deputy Prime Minster, Patrick Faber went up in flames; police are looking for a suspect caught on camera. He was seen jumping the fence, gouging the vehicle and setting it on fire, all that happened in a matter of seconds. Police believe that a person of interest will […]
There are no arrests so far nor have police uncovered the particulars of a getaway vehicle. Late this evening the government seemed to be linking the arson to the ongoing strike. A release read “The Government strongly condemns the actions of those persons who put the lives of the Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Patrick Faber […]
