Distasteful and wrong, but not corrupt. That’s a very fine line drawn by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who has been faced with all manner of accusations against his ministers and officials. Still, the bottom line is that as distasteful as it may be, Castro will face no punishment for the outrageous fleecing of taxpayers’ money. […]
After months of absence in the House, the disgraced former Minister of Immigration, Elvin Penner put in an appearance. Penner, as you all know, is at the centre at the huge immigration scandal that will not go away. The former Minister personally delivered an incomplete application for nationality certificate and moved it through the process […]
While Castro ran for cover, Elvin Penner emerged from hiding and was in the House of Representatives this morning. As we said, he was seated all by himself in the far corner of the government side, but was present and accounted for. Penner’s name has resurfaced with the leaking of the Won Hong Kim report […]
On Friday, teachers in the Cayo District will rally under the banner of the Belize National Teachers Union and take to the streets. It is the third such industrial action since the beginning of the year by the union and its members, and it has become apparent that while the salary adjustment may be the […]
After devoting much of his address to detailing all the things this administration has done for teachers, Faber then rounded on the Belize Chamber of Commerce. Faber was offended because of a release issued by the Chamber of Commerce last week, which expressed support for a salary adjustment for teachers. After stating that he didn’t […]
At this hour, the Environmental Impact Assessment into the Norwegian Cruise Lines project is taking place at the Independence High School Auditorium in the south. A News Five crew on the ground is reporting a massive turnout of those in support and those against the multimillion dollar tourism project. The project attracted controversy and strong […]
Beverly Castillo – she’s the former deputy in the Ministry of Natural Resources turned political aspirant in Belize Rural Central. She’s been making headlines right from the get-go, but it’s probably not the kind of headlines she prefers at the launch of her political career. The issue is a prime piece of land in Belama […]
Minister of State Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro seems to be in the middle of one scandal or the other. Just a couple years ago, Castro was fired by Prime Minister Barrow for his involvement in a land hustle. He did political penance and was welcomed back into the fold – and then was named […]
On Monday, News Five brought you an exclusive look at the report on Won Hong Kim. It contains reports of interviews done with staff members at the nationality section who played roles in the issuance of a nationality certificate for the South Korean, who was in Taiwanese prison when his nationality certificate and Belizean passport […]
Even as Castillo is in court waging war for a piece of land, she is also in a battle for her political life in Belize Rural Central. Castillo wants to become the next U.D.P. Standard Bearer in that area, and while there are six in the race, it is common knowledge that she has the […]
And our question for tonight is: Do you believe that immigration officers should be terminated while Elvin Penner is untouched for illegally issuing nationality and passport to an alleged criminal? Yes or No. Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can […]
A Belize City family is hoping for the best but fearing the worst following the shooting of one of their own. Micah Williams was shot in the head this morning as he cleaned his car in front of his house. Two men rode up separately and asked if he would sell them a rim; he […]
While Williams fights for his life, a family up north in Copper Bank, a remote village in the Corozal District is traumatized following an overnight kidnapping ordeal. The latest abduction happened just after eight on Monday night and according to one of the abductees, the kidnappers questioned them about drugs. Sabino Nah, his brother, thirty-two […]
As we told you Friday, News Five has obtained a copy of an internal report compiled on the Won Hong Kim immigration scandal. Kim, A South Korean national imprisoned in Taiwan, got his nationality certificate and Belizean passport in September, 2013. It was subsequently revealed that both documents were obtained through fraudulent means, since Kim […]
The surfacing of the report is a somewhat public resurrection of former Minister of State Elvin Penner, who has gone to ground since the scandal broke in September. As we told you, Penner has escaped all scrutiny from multiple alleged investigations, despite clear evidence that he facilitated the fraudulent nationality certificate and Belizean passport for […]
Following confirmation by Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse that Director Maria Marin had indeed recommended the termination of three passport officers suspended since September, the Public Service Union has come under sustained fire from certain quarters. Despite every indication that the scandal which affected the three public officers was instigated and facilitated by former Minister […]
And to show that they might not be loud, but they are getting the job done, the PSU stated today that it is working to get the public officers reinstated, since the Commissions Regulations state that public officers cannot be suspended on half-pay for more than thirty days. And while that is in the works, […]
At least one person, a twenty-seven year old woman Shahera Bodden, has died of complications of H1N1. But with the flu season in full swing, the Ministry of Health today sent out an advisory to remind the public that is in heightened surveillance for any Influenza or Severe Acute Respiratory Illness. According to the Ministry, […]
A Belize City man was detained on Wednesday for a robbery and released from prison on Friday but by Sunday night, Eaton Eamon Carr was a dead man. Carr was known to be involved with the gangs, but no one knows why he was ambushed on Banak Street, the base of a rival gang. The […]
There is a second murder to report tonight. The body of Marlon Balona was found under shrubs off a feeder road in an isolated area by a resident of the village of La Gracia on Sunday afternoon. It showed signs of strangulation and a strap and his bicycle were found nearby. Balona was a suspect […]
The third death of the weekend was reported as a burglary/attempted robbery in San Pedro Town. The victim, Michael Wallace, was allegedly one of a trio who tried to rob a San Pedro resident after burglarizing his home. It didn’t go quite as planned, and instead of getting away with some green, Wallace was paid […]
There is confirmation by Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse of a story we broke on Wednesday that Director of Immigration Maria Marin has recommended the termination of three passport officers – Sharon Neal, Erwin Robinson and Omar Phillips. But tonight, there is evidence that the corruption goes much deeper and higher than those three public […]
The unions have promised that 2014 will be the year of the worker, and agitation has been ramped up since the beginning of the New Year. The Belize National Teachers Union has implemented a countrywide strategy of peaceful industrial action, starting with Orange Walk and Corozal last week and touching down in the Belize District […]
As we told you earlier in our newscast, it has been reported that three public officers – Sharon Neal, Omar Phillips and Erwin Robinson are on the chopping block based on a direct recommendation from Director of Immigration Maria Marin. Those public officers are perceived to be the scapegoats for corruption in immigration which goes […]
The Minister of Education Patrick Faber came under fire from the teachers for criticizing the industrial action, the union and them. Faber is often outspoken, and defends his comments as just plain-speaking. But he isn’t the only one capable of plain-talk, and there was plenty of that today. Ian Mariano, Teacher, Excelsior High School […]
