The Committee disagreed. Chairman Senator Aldo Salazar told Penner that any questions put to him would not concern any action in court, nor that the Committee was in the process of a criminal investigation or finding because the Committee cannot recommend such except in the case of perjury. But his assurances were not enough for […]
And while that was Penner’s stance this morning, the Senate panel spent time on other matters before eventually returning to the Kim scandal in the afternoon session. What followed was a game of fencing between Penner and the Senators – the Senators probing for what they wanted, Penner doing his best to fend them off. […]
The thrust and parry continued with the panel’s Chairman, Aldo Salazar, scoring a point when he questioned Penner about the remarks of Gordon Wade, former Chief of Nationality at the department. Wade had told the inquiry and the auditors that Penner had approached him concerning the Kim file at some point after his appearance with […]
Chairman Salazar tag-teamed out to Senator Eamon Courtenay, who turned to the question of how Penner and Kim met in the first place. Here the former Minister was a little more forthcoming, but not very. He was asked where he was introduced to Kim’s “friends” and was quickly shut down by Penner, who did not […]
Penner was able to give further details of his meetings with Kim, which took place in both Chinas – the People’s Republic or Mainland China, and the Republic of China, on Taiwan. Kim is South Korean by nationality. The question is whether Penner was meeting with Kim in an official capacity as a Minister of […]
There are reports that disgraced former Immigration Minister, Elvin Penner, aspires to return to party politics. But his involvement in the Won Hong Kim scandal and the corruption at the Immigration Department, while he was there, remains etched in the minds of most Belizeans. But are his days as a politician for the U.D.P., a […]
The testimony today of ex-Minister Penner was broadcast on this station and our social media page. The feed got reaction from Belizeans at home and those in the diaspora. But Belizeans have become wary and cynical of the process. Questions are being raised whether persons named in the Auditor General’s Report—and who have since appeared […]
Back to the Senate Inquiry, which concluded just before four p.m. today…The issue of ministerial recommendations for visas in particular, especially to Asian nationals, has been a major thorn in the side of the Barrow administration. News Five has seen and obtained documents showing hundreds of such recommendations by multiple Ministers. Former Minister of State […]
Penner also contends that some visas which he recommended for approval were not approved. But why was it necessary to go through it, especially if it was not intended to positively influence the approval of the application? The former Minister of State admits he does not remember correcting anyone who asked for his assistance by […]
The panel turned to other questionable grants of nationality mentioned in the Audit Report. In the case of Yakup Sut, a Turk whom Penner met in Germany, it was clear that he had not met the requirements for Belizean nationality despite vetting by Penner himself. He still contends that he was personally satisfied that Sut […]
Another infamous case is that of Peter Pang, whose nationality certificate was backdated; his file was missing despite being requested by the Auditors, and there was no evidence that Pang had paid for his certificate. More importantly, Pang was not here long enough to qualify for nationality, having entered in April of 2013, though his […]
While Senator Eamon Courtenay was grilling Elvin Penner on the issue of the reason for his writing recommendations, he was suddenly distracted by chairman of the United Democratic Party Alberto August who was seated in the gallery. From our vantage point it appeared that August was pointing around and otherwise enjoying himself but the fun […]
The Gang Suppression Unit, despite a standing agreement among various Belize City groups to hold the peace, remains on a sustained campaign to crack down on these elements. Those sting operations have raised the ire of many in their respective communities, including activist Diane Finnegan, who has been quite outspoken on the issue of police […]
There has been a spate of fires since the beginning of the year. Though there have been no fatalities, there has been concern that the fire department has not been able to respond effectively. The City Emergency Management Organization held the first of a two-day conference on fire management at the Biltmore Plaza in Belize […]
Magistrate Norman Rodriguez, accused by a twenty-seven-year-old woman of rape, is expected to be charged and arraigned in the lower courts on Wednesday. Despite the crime having allegedly been committed in Dangriga on April eleventh, the magistrate will face charges in the Belize City jurisdiction. The woman, an ex-girlfriend of the accused magistrate, did not […]
In describing her ex-boyfriend, the alleged victim says that Rodriguez has managed to turn her family against her, reportedly through unfulfilled promises. During their brief relationship, the woman alleges that she was forced into having intercourse on a number of occasions against her will. Voice of: Alleged Rape Victim “We mi deh together like […]
From a legal perspective, Magistrate Rodriguez has retained the services of attorney Herbert Panton who will represent the accused when he is brought before the Chief Magistrate on Wednesday. According to Senior Counsel Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley, while Rodriguez enjoys protection from legal challenges in his capacity as a sitting magistrate, he is not insulated from […]
Maskall Village on the old northern highway is without running water and the Water Board says it is because most of the residents have not paid their monthly water bill. The electricity bill that accompanies the rudimentary water system has not been paid because the accounts are empty and even those residents who have paid […]
Airbnb, an online marketplace which allows travelers to lease or rent short-term accommodations, is budding in Belize. The hospitality service includes vacation rentals, apartments, homestays and hotel rooms. While it does not own any of those properties, it serves as a commercial agent, receiving percentage services fees from both guests and hosts. There are presently […]
Director of Tourism at the B.T.B., Karen Bevans, says that the collaborative consumption and sharing that Airbnb enable are the future of the travel industry. It is, however, being met with mixed reception from local stakeholders in the hotel sector. Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism, B.T.B. “This is the way the industry is going. […]
On Wednesday, former Minister of State for Immigration and Nationality, Elvin Penner, is to be questioned by the six members of the Senate Special Select Committee. It makes for high stakes and high drama especially as many of the witnesses that have gone before him have implicated him by name as the moving hand behind […]
Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley enjoyed significant majorities in his two elections to the post in 2012 and 2015, continuing a dominant run by the United Democratic Party at City Hall. But his personal ambitions for national office have not fared as well – he lost to Kareem Musa in general elections in the Caribbean […]
The last we heard, vendors in the Fort George Tourism Zone were resistant to the efforts of the Belize City Council to collect a three-hundred dollar trade license for service in the vicinity of Memorial Park. In conjunction with the Belize Tourism Board, there is also effort to regulate traffic around the Zone, out of […]
The annual symposium organized by the Central Emergency Management Organization, arm of the Belize City Council, begins on Wednesday at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. In addition to discussions about preparation for tackling massive disasters such as fires and hurricanes, an expo will be held featuring information from key stakeholders targeted at a younger audience. CEMO […]
The alleged rape of the Dangriga resident has raised numerous questions on the role of the judiciary in respect of indicting one of its own. While there is a gap in law where sexual offenses are concerned, rape is a crime for which the accused can be granted bail. Senior Counsel Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley does […]
