The Supreme Court will hear a case brought on behalf of Senator and Government Minister Godwin Hulse in the New Year against former leader of the People’s United Party Francis Fonseca. Back in 2013, Fonseca, as P.U.P. leader, made certain comments about the Won Hong Kim immigration scandal that Hulse considered offensive and defamatory of […]
The government is seeking to recover almost a million dollars paid in compensation to Andre Vega, the son of the former DPM and Minister of Natural Resources as well as from attorney Sharon Pitts. Both Vega and Pitts were paid four hundred thousand dollars each as compensation for land that was sold to them when […]
The Association of Protected Areas Management Organizations (APAMO), following the passing of the Sixth Amendment, nominated former executive director of Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management, Gregory Ch’oc, but he never took office because the Government refused to commence the relevant sections of the Amendment. Armando Aban assures that the process will result in a […]
But shortly that case, Peyrefitte was back in court for a case brought against him by Cayo South area representative, Julius Espat. In late August, Espat was removed by force from the House of Representatives at the behest of Speaker Peyrefitte. The media was also roughed up and instructed to vacate the gallery as pandemonium […]
Since the incident, Espat confirmed that his four-thousand-dollar monthly salary has been withdrawn. There has not been any House meeting since August, but Espat believes the ugly incident constitutes an illegal act and as such he is not only fighting to return to the House but he also wants his constituents to be heard. After […]
He was not in Cabinet today; however, Minister of Defence John Saldivar is back in office after being suspended last week by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Saldivar’s one-week suspension was originally described as a leave of absence. It came after documents were revealed that pointed to the existence of the company he formed with accused […]
While John Saldivar was not available for comment today and neither was Prime Minister Barrow, two of his Cabinet colleagues were willing to speak for him. Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries Senator Godwin Hulse offered a succinct summary of the legal opinion and an even more terse response to the question of whether his […]
Also weighing in was Minister of Human Development Anthony “Boots” Martinez. Minister Martinez, too, is satisfied that Saldivar has been sufficiently cleared of questions surrounding his involvement with Mason and says he was glad to have him back in the fold. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Minister of Human Development “In my humble opinion, from I […]
Belize Rural North Area Representative Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro was sworn in today by Governor General Sir Colville Young, as Minister of Transport and National Emergency Management Organization, NEMO. Administering of the oath took place this morning at the Belize House in Belmopan where family and friends gathered to witness the inauguration. Castro was […]
Once the second most powerful man in the country for two consecutive terms, the fall from grace for Orange Walk North Area Representative Gaspar Vega has been steep and sudden. That downward spiral began when he was stripped of the Ministry of Natural Resources where it was long suspected that there were shady land transactions […]
And what about Vega? Well, Minister of Health Pablo Marin was rather tightlipped on what he thought of his fellow minister’s departure from Cabinet. But he did say that he missed him because they were good friends. So, now that Vega is gone, who will fill those big shoes in the north? The most senior […]
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced that Minister of Defense John Saldivar had been placed on one week’s leave of absence pending legal advice on a matter involving Saldivar’s business ties to William ‘Danny’ Mason. According to the PM, counsel is being sought to determine whether Saldivar acted sufficiently in terminating his relationship with […]
So is John Saldivar in or out? Well, we don’t know that quite yet. Until next week we’ll find out what happens to the long time Belmopan Minister. But how did all this news sit with his fellow cabinet minister Pablo Marin? Marin said he did have questions when the allegations surfaced, but he feels […]
The P.U.P. says that they want an audit in the Department of Lands from 2008 to 2015 – the years when disgraced former Minister Gaspar Vega led the lands department. The call comes in light of the recent scandal where Vega’s son, Andre, and U.D.P. loyalist, Sharon Pitts, walked away with four hundred thousand dollars […]
And while we are on it – Briceño says bring on the audit for the Petro Caribe funds and the Belize Infrastructure Limited. He says that he believes that the monies must be accounted for and proper records for contracts and bidding should be open. This call comes in the wake of persistent speculations that […]
The resignation from Cabinet of Minister of Agriculture, Gaspar Vega, has sent things in a tailspin in Belmopan. This afternoon, the Office the Prime Minister announced who succeeds Vega along with how the cabinet will now look. No surprise, the go-to Minister Godwin Hulse has been shuffled back and forth many times and has now […]
When the immigration inquiry resumes, the P.U.P. will be back as part of the select senate committee. The Opposition withdrew over the composition and terms of reference of the committee. But today, they have had a change of heart. Leader of the Opposition John Briceño explains why the P.U.P. will now be in the investigation. […]
Minister of Defence John Saldivar has been placed on leave of absence for one week as of Tuesday. A press release issued on the same day stated that legal advice is to be obtained by the government on whether the steps Saldivar took were, “enough to effectively sever the business relationship established between the Minister and […]
But the Leader of the Opposition John Briceño says that John Saldivar should be canned! Briceño says that with the documents presented and based on the P.M.’s statement months ago, Saldivar should be fired. On Tuesday, Government announced that the Belmopan Minister is on a leave of absence pending legal opinion. According to Briceño, Saldivar […]
What does the resignation of former DPM Gaspar Vega mean for politics in the north? It is considered a blow for the U.D.P., but others see it as a gain for the P.U.P. According to Briceño, while he doesn’t relish in Vega’s misfortunes, he thinks his party will benefit from his absence. John Briceño, […]
Still on Vega….his political opponent in Orange Walk North is P.U.P. standard bearer Ramon ‘Monchi’ Cervantes Junior. Both politicians have a history of enmity which includes a lawsuit filed against Cervantes Junior for allegedly defaming Vega’s character. In the wake of Vega’s fall from grace, the media turned to Cervantes Junior. Cervantes says that if […]
Speculation was rampant all morning that once powerful Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and, more recently, Minister of Agriculture, Gaspar Vega, had resigned this morning. The conjecture followed a story that News Five broke last Tuesday and later picked up by other media houses. This afternoon, PM Barrow confirmed that after meetings […]
Vega has been in cabinet since 2008 and was first named Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources. According to the Prime Minister, “his personal friend,” is not demitting office as area representative for Orange Walk North. PM Barrow was rather circumspect, curt even, in responding to the question of the dubious land transactions […]
It has been a bad week for the Prime Minister, aside from the pressures of the strike by teachers and the decision for a shutdown by the business community as well as its withdrawal from the Senate Select Investigation, the land hustle at the Ministry of Natural Resources is adding pressure to the current political […]
On Thursday night, the Prime Minister was asked about the scandalous hustle. His reaction was captured in less than thirty seconds. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “No, no, no, yuh see, no man. Then yuh the use emotive and judgmental language. No man. We are here to talk about the B.N.T.U. and what happened today. […]
