Belize Rural North Area Representative Edmond ‘Clear the Land’ Castro was the trending topic today, following a statement from his office confirming the embarrassing cancellation of his diplomatic and tourist visas by the United States Embassy. Perhaps most stridently, was the rate at which his name was being called during today’s senate hearing where whistleblower […]
Castro’s Chief Executive Officer, Ruth Meighan, a former Immigration Director, was also denied entry into the U.S. in late July, 2016. Together, neither the minister nor his C.E.O. can visit or transit through that country. Castro maintained today that he has no interest in finding out the reason why his visa was canceled. When asked […]
The Senate Select Inquiry on the Immigration Department resumed today in Belmopan. And after going toe-to-toe with former friend and Government Minister Edmond Castro in the courts and on this television station, whistleblower Alvarene Burgess appeared before the Senate Special Select Committee. This despite Senator Aldo Salazar’s position that there was no need for her […]
Burgess told the senate panel that she learned that the U.S. Embassy had at least two recordings of her conversations with Castro and other persons whom she could not recall. That further frightened her into stopping her activities and eventually coming forward when the Penner scandal broke and she heard the Prime Minister say that […]
But why was Alvarene Burgess recruited into the visa recommendation scheme? Was it because she had access to the top players? Committee Chair Aldo Salazar repeatedly asked, but Burgess’ answer remained the same: a conversation between the other players in the ring left her on the hook. Alvarene Burgess, Whistleblower “I am assuming that […]
The Committee’s first witness today was former Ambassador of Belize to the Republic of China (Taiwan), Cherie Nisbet. She was at post when South Korean businessman turned fugitive Won Hong Kim was granted citizenship despite never setting foot in Belize. Her office was contacted by then-Deputy Mayor Eric Chang after he heard of Kim’s issues […]
Even with a week’s absence, the Senate Special Select Committee has not been absent from the news headlines. When we last left it on May seventeenth, it had descended into farce after the U.D.P. Chairman Alberto August and macebearer Brian “Yellow Man” Audinette hijacked the proceedings. Due to reports of an attempt to spark another […]
It has come out in court and today in the senate that Minister Edmond Castro has been involved in countless recommendations for Asians at a fee; in fact, his name is mentioned several times within the Auditor General’s Special Report. So is this the reason for the cancellation of his visa? Today, Castro’s cabinet colleague […]
The matter of the visa cancellation was discussed in the Cabinet on Tuesday, but Government has not received any notification from the U.S. about what has transpired and why. Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber says that while the look of it is not a good one, the circumstances are still unknown. In that same light, […]
Today, the Opposition and COLA pounced on the heels of the revocation of Castro’s visas. P.U.P. Leader John Briceño and Cayo South’s Julius Espat called for Castro’s removal, while Geovannie Brackett called on the Prime Minister to break his silence. Geovannie Brackett, President, C.O.L.A. “I think that if you check not only him – […]
One lone U.D.P. minister who says that the senate inquiry has not run its course is Mesopotamia area rep, Michael Finnegan. He says that it is the prerogative of the Senate Special Select Committee to determine when the hearings should come to an end. Finnegan says that the proceedings have revealed that there’s corruption within […]
But Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has a different take. This morning, he told the media that the usefulness of the inquiry has come and gone and there is a push for it to serve a political agenda by some individuals. Faber particularly called out Senator Eamon Courtenay. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister “I […]
Another U.D.P. minister who has come under fire recently is John Saldivar. The Belmopan area rep was photographed ferrying his team to San Pedro using coastguard vessels donated by the United States Embassy. DPM Faber says he sees no wrongdoing in the use of the vessel. So, if faced with a decision to use government […]
Minister Saldivar has gone on the offensive on social media saying that he stands behind his decision to use the vessels for his Bandits basketball team. But his colleague Michael Finnegan says it is a misjudgment. Michael Finnegan, Area Rep., Mesopotamia “I don’t know if the boat was owned by the Government of Belize […]
Is anybody buying Minister of Defence John Saldivar’s staunch defence of the decision to transport his Belmopan Bandits teams on Coast Guard? Certainly not Opposition Leader John Briceño when we asked him about it today. While he did not pick a fight with Coast Guard Commandant John Borland, Briceño says his logic would suggest that […]
There is an important event that takes place this Thursday. It is the elevation of Senior Counsel Denys Barrow as a judge to the Caribbean Court of Justice. Barrow is the first Belizean to be appointed to Belize’s highest court of appeal, which is headquartered in Trinidad and Tobago; other members are Guyana, Barbados and […]
Well-known Belizean artist, Tanya Carter, was robbed by a group of four men, one who also threatened her life. The artist declined on-camera interviews since she was shaken up by the ordeal, but posted on social media that she is well. On Monday, robbers took her bag and then fled, but did not get far because […]
The Belize Port Authority is moving to its new headquarters adjacent to the Belize National Coastguard off mile four on the George Price Highway. The spanking new facility was officially launched today and News Five’s Isani Cayetano was there. Isani Cayetano, Reporting The Belize Ports Authority is occupying a new office space and is […]
“Tobacco, A Threat For Us All” was the theme that guided activities to mark World No Tobacco Day. The activities also coincide with the culmination of a month of events held to increase awareness of cancer. Tobacco is linked to many forms of cancer and that was not lost on the National Drug Abuse Control […]
The Hurricane Season is here and the Met Service says that this year is forecasted to be active. The above normal season will see fourteen named storms and three are expected to turn into major hurricanes. News Five’s Andrea Polanco shares more on what we can expect from this above normal hurricane season. Andrea […]
