So while official verification of a warrant issued for Penner’s arrest is pending, his name was very much a part of matters in the House today. Following a writ of Mandamus issued by the Supreme Court, claimant in that case Francis Fonseca had written to Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie for an update on the […]
Over the years, viewers have come to expect that behavior in the national assembly has generally been unbecoming and unruly. But earlier today that spill outside the national assembly where supporters from both political parties got physical and police had to intervene to stop the violence. As tempers flared, Minister of Human Development, Anthony “Boots” […]
The highlight of today’s news should have been the presentation of the 2014 – 2015 Budget but there was a lot else to get out of the way. So with that done, we can get down to business – or money, to be a little more precise. Prime Minister Barrow’s presentation is twenty-eight pages long; […]
The thrust of the Prime Minister’s budget presentation was on education, healthcare and infrastructure. And then Prime Minister Barrow turned to the real meat of the budget, the numbers contained in the draft estimates for fiscal year 2014/2015. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister “The proposed budget targets a preliminary primary surplus of 1.0 percent of […]
It is customary to get a response from the Opposition Leader on any budget presented in the House. To our recollection, there has never been any occasion when that feedback has been positive. And we don’t think that will ever change. Following the Prime Minister’s more than hour long journey on the glory train today, […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow prefaced his budget proposals section of the presentation today by stating that the priorities can be summed up in three words – Additional Social Protection. And with that said, he launched immediately into news for teachers and public officers. That news is that the numbers crunchers in the Ministry of Finance […]
Led by Kim Simplis Barrow, the Special Envoy for Women and Children, the planned women’s empowerment rally took place this morning in Belize City travelling from Memorial Park to the Marion Jones Stadium. It is a precursor to World’s Women’s Day celebrated on March eighth and according to Simpliss Barrow, the start of a one […]
The rally got plenty attention; a lot of it even before today. Politicians weighed in, and so did social activists, humanitarian organizations, the B.N.T.U., anti-gay protesters, gender-policy dissenters and even the mighty Roman Catholic Church. But today, all attention was directed on center stage, so Mike Rudon took to the outskirts to get the vibe […]
In San Pedro tonight, there is a sense of numbness at the brutal murder of Jeffery Eiley. The homicide of the well-loved tour guide who comes from a very prominent family in the island, took place at about two o’clock this morning less than two hundred yards from his family home. Thirty year old Jeffrey […]
And in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, El Heraldo newspaper, is reporting that a Belizean is among a group of four persons murdered in a massacre this morning in the Rivera Hernandez area of the city. The Belizean has been identified as Mario Roberto Cocon, but there are no further particulars on him. The other victims […]
An allegation of theft against a female cop is being reported tonight. News Five has confirmed that the police department is currently investigating a report that a female police officer stole an item from the Dibary Store on Church Street in Belize City. Sources close to News Five say that the proprietors have surveillance video […]
On Wednesday, Nationality Department Counter Supervisor Ady Pacheco was questioned by officers from the National Crimes Investigation Branch. Pacheco was prominently featured in the internal investigation into the Won Hong Kim passport scandal. So was Gordon Wade, the chief of the nationality section. He was allegedly questioned today. Both Wade and Pacheco played very integral […]
It seemed like a good move…providing a little upliftment to the lives of those living in poverty in the ill-names Conch Shell Bay. On Wednesday, aspiring politician Phillip Willoughby covered all bases… the requisite walk though dilapidated homes, the pressing of hands, back-patting and concerned features. He even appeared on camera holding a baby during […]
Final preparations are being put to the Twenty Thousand Strong Women Empowerment Rally, organized by the Special Envoy for Women and Children, with logistical support from the National Women’s Commission. But on Tuesday evening, the huge undertaking came under fire when the Roman Catholic Church, the biggest denomination, said it would not endorse it. It […]
The organizers are hoping that twenty thousand women and young girls will be marching in Belize City on Thursday as part of a women empowerment rally. Unfortunately, the planned empowerment has been almost lost in a furious flurry of emails, releases and interviews following the church’s position. That has awakened protest from the anti-gender policy […]
It is hoped that there will be a massive turnout of women at the rally, but aside from the Roman Catholic Church, the organizers have received another very surprising declaration of non-support. That came from the People’s United Party, which has always claimed to be all about women empowerment. In fact, that party released its […]
The Belize National Teachers Union, despite permission being granted to its membership by the Ministry of Education to attend the rally, also finds itself in the middle of the standoff between the Special Envoy for Women and Children and the Roman Catholic Church. According to National President Luke Palacio, teachers are simply being advised to […]
Two weeks ago, reports surfaced that three highly-ranked officers in the Ministry of Natural Resources had received their walking papers, allegedly for reasons of corruption. The three were very close to Minister of Natural Resources Gaspar Vega – in fact, two of them, the Registrar of Lands and the Deputy Commissioner of Lands, are his […]
Thirteen employees of Bowen and Bowen Limited have been terminated. That decision was taken by the management of the company after the group of employees comprising of drivers and their assistant stayed off work for two days to signal their discontent with new terms of employment and salaries with the company. The group claimed that […]
Wilson says that the restructuring of the company was necessary to provide quality service to customers. Christelle Wilson, Internal Legal Counsel & PR Officer, Bowen & Bowen “We have been working for a while now on a restructuring program for our presale off-the-products at Bowen and Bowen. We have customers that need to get […]
Tonight, News Five has confirmed that Officer Commanding Special Branch, Marco Vidal, who has been at the helm of the Gang Suppression Unit since its formation in 2010, has been replaced as its chief officer. The reason for his removal remains unclear; however, Vidal, whose portfolio was expanded a year ago to include leadership of […]
A five-year ordeal is finally over for the Coye family of Belize City. This afternoon, the Court of Appeal overturned Melonie Coye’s conviction for money laundering and ordered the Financial Intelligence Unit to return one point five million dollars plus interest forfeited from her company, Money Gram International. Her father, Michael, was also exonerated posthumously. […]
On Monday, People’s United Party leader Francis Fonseca won a significant victory in the court of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. With commendable dispatch, the CJ issued a directive to Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie to commence, to its conclusion, a criminal investigation into the Won Hong Kim passport scandal and former Minister of State Elvin […]
Today, News Five tried to contact Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Minister of Immigration and Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie. Those attempts were unsuccessful. We actually wanted to ask just one question that seems to be baffling everybody – who told Assistant Superintendent of Police Julio Valdez to stop investigating after he found discrepancies in the […]
On February nineteenth, three public officers appeared before the Services Commission after Director of Immigration, Maria Marin, recommended their termination. The officers – Sharon Neal, Omar Phillips and Erwin Robinson, were fingered in a passport section internal investigation into the Won Hong Kim passport scandal. The Commission had ninety days to pass judgment, but in […]
