But who is benefiting from the nationalization of Telemedia? Well, according to Smith, the P.M. is shedding crocodile tears and has placed his family and friends in key positions in Telemedia’s board of directors and as attorneys for the company. Godfrey Smith, Attorney “Yes the people of Belize need bawling for but he isn’t bawling […]
Telemedia was nationalized in August of 2009 and more than a year later, not even discussions on compensation have been held. This morning, attorney Godfrey Smith said that the PM is looking for a scapegoat but that there is still room for negotiation. Godfrey Smith, Attorney “This prime minister to my mind has showed a […]
Last week, the prime minister started a firestorm with the National Trade Union Congress of Belize when he called his party’s radio station and made disparaging remarks against trade union representative Lorelei Westby for not supporting a fifty million dollars investment by the Social Security Board in BTL Shares. Earlier today a “cordial and respectful” […]
Doctor Abdulai Conteh retired as Chief Justice last Thursday after ten years of service to the country and people of Belize. In the height of the controversy on the “unseemly manner” in which the retirement of Conteh was dealt with, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was specific that a serving justice of the Supreme Court would […]
One of the former directors of Belize Natural Energy, Shiela McCaffery, is wanted for less than twenty thousand dollars paid out in BNE cheques when she had already been removed from the company. But there is more trouble and it has to do with the Belize Natural Energy Charitable Trust Fund which was established in […]
The government appointed members on the BNE Charity Trust Board are Landy Burns as chairman and Alberto August and Ismael Requeña as representatives. BNE’s appointed members are Kevin Herrera, Daniel Gutierrez and Noemi Escalante. Deborah Seawell points out that the current Chairman is following the guidelines of party politics rather than the established criteria to […]
The senate was convened today in the Capital; presiding was Lee Mark Chang, a UDP political aspirant for the Freetown Area. Among the bills before the senate, was the controversial Interception of Communications Bill, which was hotly debated in the House of Representatives last week between the Government and the Opposition. Debate today was robust […]
The opposition senator was dead set against the bill. Senator Lisa Shoman said the new law can be used for mischief and abuse. While she agrees that there needs to be legislation to support the fight against crime, Shoman and Godwin Hulse both expressed the citizen’s right to privacy. In their opinions, the principle is […]
Senior Counsels Godfrey Smith and Eamon Courtenay, both who represent the Ashcroft Group of Companies felt the wrath of Prime Minister Dean Barrow this week. On the airwaves and in his party’s mouthpiece, the prime minister called Smith and Courtenay unpatriotic. This morning the PM continued his attack against the two. The PM accused Courtenay […]
After throwing light on his discussions with the IMF, Courtenay delivered his own blow on the insults directed at him by the head of the government. Eamon Courtenay, Attorney at Law “As I said yesterday, this type of name-calling, this type of behavior is not the way a prime Minister should behave. But as I […]
He’s been a wanted man for some time and last night they almost got him. Twenty-seven year old Edward Lord Jr. whose notoriety dates back to the gangland slaying of George ‘Junie Balls’ McKenzie in August 2007 is tonight hospitalized at the K.H.M.H. after being shot in the face on Thursday night. Reports are that […]
Before news time this evening Operation Jaguar was in full effect. Several officers pulled up on the intersection of New Road with Victoria and Pickstock Streets. Although the area wasn’t covered in crime scene tape, it attracted dozens of residents. The officers allowed residents to continue on their way and there didn’t seem to be […]
The investment of social security funds, some fifty million dollars, for the purchase of BTL shares, is not getting support. Aside from Digicel Caribbean, government is urging the Social Security Board to buy in but the prospectus will not be available until October fifteenth. The Chamber of Commerce on Thursday said it could not support […]
The Judiciary and others showered praises on Doctor Abdulai Conteh, Chief Justice of Belize who had his final day in office today. It was both a solemn and sobering occasion. Conteh, who is originally from Sierra Leone, is a graduate of Cambridge and the competent CJ has served the country for ten years, handing down […]
There is an ongoing row between the Bar Association and Prime Minister Dean Barrow. It became public over the departure from office of Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh and has become more pronounced over contracts for two justices of the court of appeal. This past Wednesday, the Prime Minister’s arrows were directed at senior counsel Godfrey […]
Smith also told News Five that he would consider an apology under certain circumstances. Godfrey Smith, Attorney at Law “If the Prime Minister of Belize apologizes to the Bar Association and the judiciary and the people of Belize for the disgraceful manner in which his government has treated the Chief Justice, if he apologizes for […]
Attorney Godfrey Smith was not the only member of the Bar Association who Prime Minister Barrow threw under the bus. This morning on the airwaves, Barrow also insulted Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay. When we caught up with him earlier today Courtenay recalled that Barrow also once represented Lord Michael Ashcroft and continues until today to […]
Tonight’s question is: Do you think it is too risky for the Social Security Board to invest fifty million dollars in BTL shares since the company is mired in litigation and the value is not known? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at […]
A battery of lawyers has been flown in by both sides in a challenge to the constitutionality of certain aspects of the Supreme Court of Judicature Act that was amended by the government back in March of this year. It is one in a myriad of legislation that has been passed in the war waged […]
At news time tonight, there are two suspects in the latest homicide which took the life of BeJohn Martinez. The twenty-five year old was found clinging to life near the Haulover Bridge this morning with a gunshot to his head. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he expired shortly after. Martinez […]
On Tuesday night we reported on an alleged incident in which Belizeans may have been killed in Honduras. According to reports, three men who were detained in connection with a robbery of Scotiabank’s Spanish Lookout Branch back on March thirtieth were caught up in the incident. The three men identified as Juan Salazar, Benjamin Peters […]
The number of visitors to the jewel may be picking up but an incident in the Cayo district on Tuesday may possibly land a black eye to the tourism industry. A hotelier of San Ignacio Town was today charged with Operating as a tour guide without a proper license. The charge against forty-six year old […]
Last week, legislation was passed in the House of Representatives to legalize the controversial wiretapping of telephone calls or the interception of communications. On Tuesday we asked our viewers to weigh in on whether or not such measures will deter crime as is proposed by the government. Sixty-nine percent of our viewers thought it will […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington was the first speaker this morning at the United Nations General Assembly. The GA, in its sixty-fifth year, is one of most anticipated and significant events in the calendar of the UN; statements are normally delivered by the highest authorities, heads of state, governments or foreign ministers on both domestic […]
While Tropical Depression Matthew brought with it little to no damages as it made landfall in Belize over the weekend, it did wreak havoc off the coast. The Belize Audubon Society has confirmed that a lighthouse, one of the oldest in the country located on Halfmoon Caye near the Turneffe Atoll, was toppled by gale […]
