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Union activist, Dale Trujeque, who has been closely advising Pitter and Rivers in their effort to bring about change, told the media this afternoon that despite the mixed messages being sent to the membership of the CWU, he is prepared to legally defend the results of Saturday’s elections. Dale Trujeque, Union Activist “If we […]
Written on October 25, 2013 | Posted in
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Meanwhile, outspoken representative Raymond Rivers says that many of the correspondences being issued by the union are unofficial since they do not bear the seal of the CWU. According to Rivers, what has happened as of late is all a political game being played by executives to retain control of the union. Raymond Rivers, […]
Written on October 25, 2013 | Posted in
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We have been reporting on the immigration scandal for weeks. This time round, it involves the illegal issuance of a Belizean passport and nationality certificate to a fugitive, Wonhong Kim. The stench of that story had not blown away when we broke the story of the visa hustle involving another minister of state, Edmund Castro, […]
Government representatives of the Public Accounts Committee, led by pro-tem chairman John Saldivar, met with the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Evangelical Association today where a proposal outlining the way forward was tabled. While the social partners have requested additional time to peruse and digest the proposal, they are calling […]
Written on October 25, 2013 | Posted in
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A school in our neighborhood, Nazarene High, is celebrating Drug Week under the theme “Shine Bright Like Me, Be Drug Free.” And after four days of activities ranging from poetry and song competitions as well as educational talks on drugs and drug abuse, the events culminated with a parade on along Coney Drive. Hundreds of […]
Written on October 25, 2013 | Posted in
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If you are planning to head across the northern border into Mexico over the weekend, it is recommended that you take note that Mexico ends its daylight saving time at midnight on Saturday. It means that Mexico’s local time will be the same as in Belize. The Mexican Embassy is suggesting that for those travelling […]
Written on October 25, 2013 | Posted in
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On Wednesday’s newscast, we showed you a glimpse into the institutionalized visa hustling scheme. The man allegedly at the center of it is Minister of State Edmund Castro. He has been directly accused as the man who allegedly procured visas for Chinese nationals at two thousand dollars a head. It’s a very lucrative business. Our […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Our source got hold of that passport and it shows that the visa hustle is still going on….at least as recently as August 2013. Tonight, we have part two of our continuing coverage of the breaking scandal. We start with the Chinese connection – that is, the man who delivered the application forms, Chinese passports […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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We also revisit the lucrative scheme which allegedly netted two thousand dollars per visa. According to our source, they did this between October 2012 and April 2013 – a total of two hundred plus visas for Chinese nationals at two thousand dollars a head – which means that in those six months a four hundred […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Our confidential informant says she no longer continued in the visa scheme in April of this year. But as the passport shows, the hustle continued. Our C.I. maintains that she did nothing wrong, and only received a little money for her facilitation of the process and her contacts, in this case with Minister Edmund Castro. […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, has also responded to questions regarding his possible involvement in the sale of visas, in light of recent reports that there is an ongoing quota system being implemented among senior government officials. According to Saldivar, allegations against Minister of State Edmund Castro, who has been named in the sale […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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A pair of Guatemalan nationals, identified as Jonathan Gregorio Adolfo Sandoval and Ruben Delilo Carrias Veliz, was nabbed at the western border this evening following a search of a vehicle in which they were both traveling. At around four-thirty, Benque police, along with other law enforcement agencies, conducted an operation at the border during which […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Cuban nationals twenty-nine-year-old Miguel Rodriguez and twenty-nine-year-old Henry Reyes, arrested by San Ignacio police on Tuesday, have been transferred to Benque Viejo del Carmen where they were arraigned for illegal entry into Belize. Their handlers, Mexican couple Vladimir Gonzalez and his wife Delia Iglesias, have been charged for aiding and abetting their unlawful entry. While […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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The membership of the Christian Workers Union, an estimated seven hundred men and women, employed by various private and public sector agencies, is in a wrangle. President Antonio Gonzalez has asked the membership to refrain from attending a general congress scheduled for October twenty-sixth. But on Monday, outspoken union members, Dion Pitter and Raymond Rivers, […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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According to McFoy, members of the union cannot call a congress without the consent of the general council. Furthermore, McFoy says that they absented themselves from a recent meeting to allow the council to make an impartial decision on the way forward. That decision has resulted in the suggestion to postpone the congress until February […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Gonzalez says there is no misappropriation of funds
Belize Waste Control has not been paid for more than three months – that’s over half a million dollars in arrears. Of course, this is nothing unprecedented. If fact, it is pretty commonplace. But employees of BWC told us today that the company has already laid off eight persons, with others to follow if payment […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Of course that is little consolation for workers of Belize Waste Control. And there’s less consolation for the other sanitation company – Belize Maintenance Limited. BML is owed fifteen weeks payment, amounting to more than half a million dollars. And it gets worse because BML is also owed two point five million dollars from a […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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People & Places |
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The Mayor says that rather than looking at arrears, the Council has to look at the big picture – which is that the city is paying far too much to sanitation companies. He insists that it is unsustainable. Still, payments to BML are supposed to commence within the next few weeks. But there’s still the […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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It has been a month since a near fatal traffic accident occurred on the Burrell Boom/Hattieville Road. As many as four vehicles were involved and five persons were injured. The driver of the vehicle was served with a notice of intended prosecution in September. But on Wednesday, that driver, Godfrey Garcia, was escorted to the […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
Trials |
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The trial of twenty-five year-old Belizean, Michael Alexander Dawson for kept firearm and ammunition began two months ago; it concluded today in the Courtroom of Magistrate Dale Cayetano. Dawson was found guilty of two firearm related offenses and sentenced to two, five years jail term. His sentence is to run concurrently so he will only […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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The Public Accounts Committee, led by pro-tem chairman John Saldivar, has reached out to the Council of Churches and is extending an olive branch to other social partners, following a joint statement in which they condemned the ongoing meetings calling it a charade. On Wednesday, Saldivar met with President Roosevelt Papouloute and other members of […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Church says its role in PAC hearing is to uphold integrity and accountability
Crime Stoppers has become a household name; the organization quickly gained a reputation because it guarantees confidentiality to persons who provide tips on crime. Crime Stoppers public service announcements, in which media personalities take part, are also well-known locally and now internationally. Duane Moody has that story. Duane Moody, Reporting The press conference held […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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A Belize City father is looking for his missing daughter, Moesha Chee. Kenrick Chee was informed four days ago by the child’s mother that it is the third time the fourteen year old girl has run away from home, but this is the longest period she has gone missing. Kenrick says that he came to […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
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If you’re a person who’s committed to having breakfast every morning then the following story may not be for you. If you are one of the many who finds that preparing and sitting and having breakfast requires too much time and energy in an already hectic morning schedule; then, listen up. It’s widely known that […]
Written on October 24, 2013 | Posted in
Health |
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Former Minister of State Elvin Penner has been stealing the spotlight on corruption in the Immigration Department. But tonight there is compelling evidence of deep-rooted corruption in respect of the visa hustle within the U.D.P. administration, and it involves another minister. For some time, we have been following the trail of the massive visa hustle. […]
Written on October 23, 2013 | Posted in
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