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The Lev Dermen debacle, the recent political scandal to plague the Barrow administration, brings to light the importance of the Integrity Commission, as well as a need for campaign finance regulations. With allegations being made against two U.D.P. government officials who were the recipients of monthly twenty-five thousand U.S. dollar payouts from the accused Armenian/American […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Integrity Commission and Campaign Financing in Light of Dermen Scandal
The issue of campaign financing, as well as the absence of laws to regulate donations to political parties and their candidates, has resurfaced in light of the Lev Dermen scandal. While it cannot as yet be confirmed which so-called U.D.P. ministers received the twenty-five thousand-dollar bribes from Dermen, PM Barrow painted a picture that receipt […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Campaign Finance Reform, is it a Possibility?
There is more to report on Lev Dermen’s ties to Belize, including an application through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for him to be appointed Honorary Consul to Las Vegas. PM Barrow says that Dermen initially approached Minister Michael Finnegan, who in turn referred him to the Foreign Ministry with the request. When the application […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on How Dermen’s Application for Honorary Consul was Rejected
U.D.P. Standard Bearer for Lake Independence Dianne Finnegan made headlines last week after lines of immigrants were seen at her constituency office. Finnegan maintains that she is only assisting individuals with the required documentation for them to obtain Belizean nationality. But political observers are suggesting that it is a calculated move to then convert the […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Barrow Comments on Long Line of Immigrants at Diane Finnegan’s Office
The use of Dianne Finnegan’s Lake Independence constituency office to facilitate preparatory immigration transactions has raised the ire of many in the opposition People’s United Party. The move which is reminiscent of what took place in 2012, ahead of general elections that year, has been condemned as an act that enables corrupt practices within the […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Kareem Slams Dianne Finnegan’s Immigration Assistance
Hundreds of persons flooded Swift Hall on Monday hoping to get citizenship, including scores of nationals from Guatemala. But government has decided that because of the territorial dispute, there will be a moratorium of citizenship to these nationals who instead can opt for permanent residency. The matter was raised at the Monday night meeting and […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Guatemalans’ Nationality Applications to be Converted to Permanent Residency
In his New Year’s Day address, the Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño made bold allegations that cabinet ministers were complicit in the landing of drug planes which in 2019 were plenty. The Attorney General confronted John Briceño, demanding proof or an apology for what, he said, were slanderous claims. Prime Minister Dean Barrow, referencing […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Barrow Responds to Allegations made by Leader of the Opposition
A public consultation led by the National AIDS Commission and the Ministry of Human Development is underway at the SJC Auditorium tonight where the topic of discussion continues to be the Equal Opportunities Bill. We will have more on tonight’s meeting in our newscast on Friday. But on Wednesday night in Punta Gorda, the PG […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Equal Opportunity Bill Consultation Heads South
Julian Murillo is the new liquidator for Choice Bank Limited. On Wednesday the Central Bank of Belize announced Murillo’s appointment and if the name sounds familiar, that’s because Murillo is the current liquidator for Atlantic International Bank Limited (A.I.B.L.). A Central Bank release states that Murillo will take up the post because the current liquidator […]
Written on January 16, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Choice Bank Limited Gets a New Liquidator
Accused Armenian/American fraudster Lev Dermen is sitting in a prison cell in Utah for having allegedly participated in defrauding the United States government of over half a billion dollars. His tentacles as a businessman, however, extend well beyond Washakie Renewable Energy in Plymouth. His international dealings reportedly go as far as Turkey, Russia and Belize. […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Addresses the Lev Dermen Debacle and his Administration
PM Barrow went around the Cabinet Room on Tuesday asking each member in attendance whether they accepted monies from Dermen during the period in question, transactions that go as far back as 2013. With the exception of Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber and Tracy Panton who were absent from the meeting, everyone denied having accepted […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Says Any Guilty Party will be Fired from Cabinet
We asked the PM if he was satisfied with the responses given by members of his cabinet and if he was prepared to launch an investigation ahead of the testimony in Utah. PM Barrow admits that there is little that can be done without names being called and evidence being presented. But he says if […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Is PM Barrow Satisfied with Cabinet Ministers’ Responses?
The leadership convention for the United Democratic Party is less than a month away and the Dermen scandal is a raging fire that the Barrow administration is desperately trying to douse ahead of February ninth. But what impact, if any, will it have on the scheduled vote? PM Barrow outlined several possible scenarios and reiterated […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on How Will Dermen Scandal Affect U.D.P. Leadership Convention?
Three hours prior to the Prime Minister’s conference, Leader of the Opposition John Briceño hosted his own press conference, calling on PM Barrow to take immediate and swift action against the two accused U.D.P. ministers. Briceño is demanding that the Prime Minster disclose the identity of the ministers; he calls on the duo to immediately […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Opposition Leader Demands that PM Barrow Fires Ministers Involved
Lev Dermen received Belizean nationality in 2013 under his past name, Levon Termendzhyan. It is not certain if he obtained a passport since none was found prior, but a Special Audit verifies he received a nationality certificate. During his press conference, PM Barrow tied the questionable nationality certificate to the Elvin Penner immigration scandal. But […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Leader of Opposition: “It is time to send a strong message”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow also took a jab at the Leader of the Opposition for seeking disclosure on the involvement of two ministers. Barrow read parts of the P.U.P.’s press release and he found it to be undermining. He put it back on Briceño’s court, saying that if Briceño knows who the ministers are, then […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Barrow to P.U.P. Leader: “Blah Blah Blah”
Going back to the possible consequences of either of the two leadership aspirants being found to have collected bribes from Dermen, PM Barrow says that should the convention proceed before the testimony is given, a solemn promise has to be made that once that individual is proven to have accepted monies from Dermen, he would […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A Solemn Promise to Resign if Leader-elect is Proven to Have Accepted Dermen Monies
The minister, whose name has been swirling in this scandal, issued a statement today. John Saldivar confirms he met Lev Dermen in 2013 and last saw him sometime in early 2015. He interacted with Dermen on several occasions and did so publicly, including at the Gold Cup in 2013. But Saldivar rejects any suggestion of […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on John Saldivar Issues a Release on Dermen Scandal
Late this evening, DPM Patrick Faber posted on his Facebook saying he has had no relationship with Levon Dermen, that he did not make any request for him to be made an Ambassador or Honorary Consul and third that he did not receive any financial contributions of twenty-five thousand dollars per month or even a […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on DPM Patrick Faber Issues Release on Lev Dermen
Aside from the Lev Dermen sandal, there is the saga of the convicted murderer, William Danny Mason. The Prime Minister was asked if there was evidence that Mason gave the Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber two hundred thousand dollars. The allegation was brought up during a media interview with Shyne Barrow on Tuesday. The allegation […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Did Danny Mason Give Patrick Faber $250K?
As you heard earlier, Prime Minister says there is no evidence yet to tie any member of cabinet or any other government official to the alleged bribery involving Lev Dermen. The Armenian/American national was flagged in the Audit General’s Report on the Immigration and Nationality Departments for 2011-2013 as one of several persons who acquired […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Godwin Hulse: Lev Dermen is Not a Belizean
Last week, U.D.P. standard bearer Dianne Finnegan collected documents from hundreds of immigrants at her political office on Partridge Street in the Lake Independence division of Belize City. She claimed that the documents were to be presented to the Minister of State for Immigration, Beverly Williams, at a meeting held on January thirteenth. But the […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Godwin Hulse: Immigration Processing is ‘Inviolable’
Prime Minister Dean Barrow also took questions on a number of other issues aside from the Lev Dermen scandal at his press conference. Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin reaches retirement age in the first part of this year. He was appointed Chief Justice in 2011 and whether or not his contract will be extended has not […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Will Chief Justice’s Contract be Extended?
The Chief Justice is facing serious complaints lodged by the Bar Association. One of the chief complaints is the delay in the delivery of judgments as well as the exclusion of the Bar President from the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. . To show their displeasure, during the opening of the 2019 Legal Year, 2019, […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM says Bar’s Boycott was “Not a Very Successful One”
Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that he is surprised that the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has not received documents it had requested. The request was in respect to the Coastal Highway contract which was awarded to Imer Hernandez to the tune of one hundred and thirty million dollars. Hernandez has won several contracts with […]
Written on January 15, 2020 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Prime Minister Shocked that Chamber’s Request not Fulfilled
