On Saturday, July 27, 2013, the official resort sponsor for The International Costa Maya Festival hosted one of the most anticipated events leading up to the Reina de la Costa Maya: Noche Tropical. All eight beauty contestants modelled casual wear, tropical beach wear and traditional national costumes. The audience enjoyed a two hour spectacular show [...]
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Warner Bros. is talking to Ed Wood scribes Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski to write a film about the idiosyncratic Silicon Valley businessman and scourge of online viruses, John McAfee.
Deadline reports that Crazy, Stupid, Love directors John Requa and Glenn Ficarra hope to helm and produce the film, which will be based on a Wired Magazine article called "John McAfee’s Last Stand."
McAfee is most famous these days for his exploits in Belize, where he was a "person of interest" according to authorities in the murder of his neighbor. He fled the country to avoid questioning by the police, wound up in detention in Guatemala, and was eventually deported to the United States of America.
"The tone of the movie is essentially how an entrepreneur and former drug user whose fortune was built selling fear and paranoia, sold his estates and toys to build the equivalent of an armed compound in the Belize jungle and became consumed by the same kind of paranoia that others were out to get him," says Deadline.
McAfee Spoofs Hugh Hefner
Meanwhile in his latest YouTube Video, McAfee spoofs Playboy founder Hugh Hefner
Entitled, “The McAfee Guide to Uninstalling McAfee Antivirus,” the 67-year-old takes a swipe at the software empire that he built in the 1980s. In an opulent setting surrounding by a bevy of buxom women, McAfee says:
“Although I’ve had nothing to do with this company for over 15 years, I still get volumes of mail asking, ‘How do I uninstall this software?’ I have no idea,” says a silk robe-dressed McAfee before setting a bill on fire to light a cigarette.
But if Buckley isn’t too clear on the result of his meeting at the K.H.M.H. today, Chairlady of the K.H.M.H. Board of Governors, Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, was. She told News Five this afternoon that as far as collecting the bill he owes to the hospital is concerned, Buckley will be given all the time and medical documents he needs to proceed with his legal action against the Police Department.
Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, Chairlady, KHMH Board
Chandra Nisbet Cansino
“We are aware of the situation. I believe they are asking, because we have a credit system collecting on our behalf. One of our problems at K.H.M.H. is that less that fifty percent of the hospital bills are being paid. You know as hard as it is saying that we need money to run the hospital, it is the situation that we are in today. I believe the credit masters system; I think that is the name of the company issued a letter to Stephen Buckley as a person on the list of persons that owe. Since then I believe the Karl Heusner has asked that they hold back on this request until after his situation goes to court. It is a pending court issue and we understand that. I think there was also an allegation made that Karl Heusner is withholding medical information because he has not paid his bill, that is not so, that is not true. The court has a process that is goes through to request information, I think that has been done, the information has been given and if there is anything else that they need I am sure that Karl Heusner will be more than willing to provide necessary information.”
On April twenty-eighth, 2010, Stephen Buckley was shot twice to the head by the police; he was left paralyzed to the left side of his body and unfit for work. In a public statement, then Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jeffries promised that assistance from the department would be provided to Buckley. It’s been three years since the shooting and when we last spoke to Buckley three weeks ago, he was facing possible court action because he has been unable to pay an outstanding bill to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The bill for six thousand one hundred and sixty-five dollars was for the medical treatment he received. While Buckley survived the shooting, he has been unable to care for his wife and children and has found it impossible to pay the K.H.M.H. bill. But tonight there is some relief in sight as Buckley says that when he visited the hospital this week, he was asked to sign a document and was told by officials that everything will be worked out. Buckley says that is good news but needs confirmation.
Stephen Buckley, Shot to the Head by Police
“Well so far, nobody noh come tell me nothing about it. so I really noh di worry about it cause dah di police man dehn hurt me. So I noh really di worry about that none at all.”
Duane Moody
“I know the deadline was sometime last week.”
Stephen Buckley
“That’s true, but when I went to them gone check them, they give me wah paper; dehn give me the paper fi di accident weh I gone through. That’s the paper that I got from them.”
Duane Moody
“What are they saying? Are they demanding the money still?”
Stephen Buckley
Stephen Buckley
“Well the lady dehn neva tell me if dehn want the money or anything. Dehn just say that dehn wah deal with the police man dehn.”
Duane Moody
“So is this good news; that you won’t have to pay that amount of money?”
Stephen Buckley
“Well right now I feel happy about it because right now I mi di worry about how I wah pay that. so right now I kinda feel happy now.”
Duane Moody
“So they have confirmed that you won’t have to pay it and they will deal with the police to pay that six thousand one hundred and sixty-five dollars?”
Stephen Buckley
“Well so far they neva tell me really if dehn gwen dah the police man fi mek dehn pay for it, but the lady said that I alright; ah straight. So that dah mi problem right now still yet. So I really noh still too happy as yet until when dehn confirm and say Mister Buckley we done pay off the bill.”
Duane Moody
“So the hospital is saying you don’t have to worry about anything, but you are not sure if it is because the police are going to pay the outstanding balance?”
Stephen Buckley
“Well so far, I noh really di worry about it because as I explain to yo, dah noh me get hurt; dah di police man dehn hurt me. And right now I need help. So right now I really need help because I noh know how my children dehn gwen through school.”
Duane Moody
“If they see that there is no reason to pay anything for you, what are you going to do?”
Stephen Buckley
“Well I don’t know what I wah could do. I wah just have to continue sell the bottle and try see if I can hustle to pay off the bill.
Duane Moody
“But it is not enough Steven. You are making how much for the day? Twenty-five dollars through hustling and the bill is six thousand change.
Stephen Buckley
“Yeah, well to now I noh know how I wah pay that, but I wah have to find a way to pay it because I can’t work again to pay it off. If dehn want send me dah jail, better dehn send me dah jail because then I can’t pay for a bill weh I can’t pay for. I can’t even work. Right now I di worry about how I wah feed mi pickney dehn right now.”
Gaspar Vega
The Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Housing, Lawrence Sylvester, was escorted from the Ministry of Natural Resources by armed security last week. Reports are that Sylvester got rowdy over fifty lots in the Fresh Pond community written off by government. Those lots are reportedly being given to associates of Minister of Natural Resources, Gaspar Vega, for little or nothing. Now that’s pretty common place in the normal political scheme of things, but these lots also come with a structure on them, and that’s why the Ministry of Housing thinks it should have some say in what happens to those lots. News Five spoke to C.E.O. Sylvester who told us that he has been instructed to let sleeping dogs lie, and today Vega didn’t have much else to say, since he doesn’t deal with that petty stuff.
Gaspar Vega, Minister of Natural Resources
“I don’t have much to say about that indeed I don’t know what is the big issue as far as I am concerned I did nothing wrong. I don’t think anyone in the ministry I don’t think Mr. Sylvester has done anything wrong so I don’t have nothing to say.”
Reporter
“Sir we understand that the project was meant to provide first time ownership to poor residents but U.D.P. higher ups were able to get opportunities riding along on this initiative, are you able to tell us anything on that?”
Gaspar Vega
“No, like I said I don’t have much to say and I will like to keep it that way.”
Mike Rudon
“Have the situation been resolved?”
Gaspar Vega
“Yes, I think so, I don’t get into those petty stuff.”
With nobody else willing to talk about the matter, we think it’s safe to say that the matter’s closed, at least within the halls of government.
Godwin Hulse
Is government about to strike a deal with Norwegian Cruise Lines for a multi-million dollar development project at Harvest Caye? All indications are that it will even though government has been tight-lipped about the negotiations on the N.C.L. tourism project. N.C.L. is interested in developing a massive port of call on Harvest Caye in southern Belize which has resulted in a storm of protest from the communities in the south as well as environmental groups because a Master Sustainable Tourism Plan rejects mass tourism in favor of pocket tourism. In the past two weeks, a draft Memorandum of Understanding between G.O.B. and N.C.L. came to light, but there was no official verification, or even comment. Today we got one from the man who heads the Cabinet sub-committee appointed to explore the feasibility of the project. Godwin Hulse would not go into details, but he did tell News Five enough to indicate that the signing of an M.O.U. is imminent and so is an announcement.
Godwin Hulse, Head, Cabinet Sub-committee
“The government of Belize has looked at the project in debt and it was a little unfortunate and don’t cut this out; it is unfortunate that there was lots of reports saying that this is happening and it trumps up a lot of hysteria and remember what this is called negotiation. When you come into Belize and being the business that I have been forever, if I can get fifty or a hundred years concession I will ask for two. We work down, we work down, we work down until we get there; but the whole idea we have said there had to be some standards by which we hold these investments. And the standards where that one, the project will be socially and economically acceptable and legally doable, So, the technical people have looked at that. Two, it had to bring revenue to government and there is no shame in that, government has to make revenue because there is cost. You can’t be neutral we have to make at least a dollar and two it has to bring foreign exchange because that is what we live by. And three, it has to create meaningful jobs and we have negotiated with them what are meaningful jobs. We don’t mean three dollars an hour job we listed to them what are meaningful jobs. And then it has to protect the environment and if necessary, if possible enhance it. And so we are satisfied that these criteria have been met. Remember this is a M.O.U. it is a non-legal, non-binding, it says if you meet these conditions government will be prepared to do this. That’s all it says.”
Harvest Caye surfaced as an alternative to Crawl Caye where NCL had first proposed the multimillion dollar tourism investment. But government rejected that proposal because Crawl Caye is located within a World Heritage Site.
Luke Espat
Businessman, Luke Espat, is no stranger to political or financial circles in Belize. He’s generally stayed in the background of politics in the People’s United Party even as he is front and center in finance and business, but usually where controversy is involved. Well, tonight Espat is making the news for an early announcement that he is running on the P.U.P. slate in Cayo Central, a division which the P.U.P. lost in the last general election to Minister of Works, Rene Montero, by a mere forty-four votes in a constituency of seven thousand one hundred and eighty registered voters. We got word via a post on Facebook which has gotten a lot of responses…none of them very good. Today, we asked P.U.P. Leader, Francis Fonseca, about this new entrant into politics and he was quick to point out that while Espat is free to announce his intentions just like anybody else, it is far from a done deal and in fact, Espat hasn’t been endorsed by anybody at the executive level.
Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader
Francis Fonseca
“First of all let me make it absolutely clear that nobody has endorsed Mister Luke Espat or expressed—at the national executive level—nobody has expressed their support for Mister Espat’s candidacy. As you know, the national executive, at its last meeting, declared the season for conventions opened. So between August of this year and August of next year, we will be conducting conventions in all our constituencies to elect standard bearers including obviously Cayo Central. I know of at least five candidates who are interested in running in Cayo Central. So I don’t want people to get ahead of themselves. If in fact Mister Espat is interested in running in Cayo Central, there is a very rigorous process that has to be gone through. All the candidates have to go through that process; they have to be vetted, they have to be cleared by a committee within the party and the national executive of the party will have to review the recommendations of that committee and then will have to make a determination as to whether individual candidates will be allowed to participate in a convention.”
Espat told News Five that he will provide an interview on his candidacy on Tuesday because today he was busy meeting with constituents.
The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued out a release supporting the revision of the structure of the Public Accounts Committee. In its release, BCCI reiterated the responsibilities of the Public Accounts Committee which is to oversee the deposition of the country’s finances. The BCCI also acknowledges that the Public Accounts Committee plays an integral role in determining that public funds are properly managed and safeguarded. Noting those key points, BCCI, recognizes that quote, “a fully functioning PAC would follow through on recommendations contained within the Auditor General’s Report,” end of quote.
The release continues by stating that quote, “the current structure of the PAC undermines its purpose as control of the PAC ultimately rests in the hands of the majority of the House of Representatives – the very body responsible for approving the country’s budget. In effect, the Government’s spending of public funds is therefore being scrutinized by a Government-controlled PAC,” end of quote.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat has led the charge to have the Committee restructured. The Chamber states that it supports the change so that control does not reside with any Government power but rather that stakeholders such as the private sector, the unions and the churches are members of the PAC and can ensure that partisan interests are not prioritized by Representatives.
A woman was injured during a home invasion in the Stann Creek District. Correspondent Harry Arzu has the story.
HARRY ARZU
“38-year-old, Yeanora Rodriguez, a resident of Noralez Extension area in Independence Village, Stann Creek District reported to police that on July 26 at about 8:45pm while at her home, two dark skinned male persons entered her home with what appeared to be a firearm. Rodriguez also reported to the police that she had a struggle with the two individuals and in the process she was hit in the head and face with a blunt object and became helpless.
As a result, the two male persons began to rob her of some personal items. Stolen from Rodriguez were: 2 cell phones valued at 75$ each; a purple watch valued at 45$; a school bag worth 55$ and a purse that contained 20$. Rodriguez was later taken to the Independence Clinic where she was treated for her injuries certified as wounding. Rodriguez said that she recognized one of the perpetrators who police was looking for since the incident. Police confirmed today that they had arrested the individuals yesterday who they say confessed to the crime. The persons have been identified as 22-year-old, Jaime Cayetano who is now in police detention; he will be charged for aggravated burglary while police continues to search for the other person. Reporting for Love News, Harry Arzu in Dangriga.”
Last week Prime Minister Dean Barrow spoke to the media about the case of Steven Buckley who was shot in the head by a police man on duty. He commented to reporters that he believes Buckley should be compensated quote “for the wanton destruction almost to his life” end quote. Love News understands that this past weekend Buckley was asked to attend a meeting this morning at the Raccoon Street Police Station in Belize City. This morning, Buckley showed up for the meeting, with his lawyer Richard Dickie Bradley. The gentlemen proceeded to the meeting which was attended by Acting Solicitor General, Nigel Hawke, Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of National Security, George Lovell. The media got a hold of Bradley after the meeting where he provided details of the discussion, giving thanks to the intervention of Prime Minister Barrow and explaining that the Government through the Police Department has taken responsibility for Buckley’s injuries and are now prepared to reach an amicable agreement outside of the court. Courtesy of our colleagues at Seven News here are those comments.
DICKIE BRADLEY
“Where we are, is just to reach an amicable agreement over what is the total amount that should be paid to a young, strong man who was working, who has five children and a wife and who now is out on the street begging because it is three years to this month, August 2010 when this unfortunate incident happened. The arrangement is that an undertaken has been given to us from lawyer to lawyer, the Solicitor General has said that before this week is over, he was hoping to be able to bring a cheque from the Ministry of Finance but you know there is a procedure to get out large sums of money out of the Ministry of Finance; before this week is over, he will make contact and there will be a substantial part-payment towards the final amount that is owed to Mr. Buckley and then what we will do, between the lawyers, the Government and myself, we will exchange information in relation to matters that are needed to guide both of us as to what will be the final settlement.”
Bradley also explained the particulars of what the process to reach the settlement will entail assuring that before the end of this week, Buckley and his family will receive a cheque for a substantial amount of money.
“I have been able to obtain, through my sources, the full deposition that will be used against the officer, who unfortunately, shot Mr. Buckley. What we need, in fact, is an updated medical report, on what is Mr. Buckley’s condition at present and not at the time when he was shot. Mr. Buckley is incapacitated; he will never be able to work again; he still has pellets from the shot gun still lodged in his head; he is unable to use his arm; he is unable to move the way he moved before and so we have to do a formula based on our court cases and decisions; what was his age at the time that he was incapacitated? How much money he was earning? What are his expenses?
What is his physical/medical condition? Normally, you would say that a man like Steve would be able to work until he was 55 – 60; so, you would have to multiply all the money he was making from the time he was injured until the time he would retire and come up with a formula because the law is that anybody who damages another citizen and is at fault recklessly, negligently or even intentionally, in the civil courts of this country, you can sue to gain every money you have been deprived off because of that injury.”
Bradley would not comment on the amount that may be paid to Buckley, stating that Buckley has an idea of what is owed to him, but said they would ask for the maximum. Bradley also explained that it shouldn’t take long to arrive at a final settlement and pointed out that Buckley’s health will be key in arriving at it. But what happened to the Police Officer who shot Buckley? Bradley said that is a separate issue yet he gave an update.
DICKIE BRADLEY
“At the time that he was charged, he was charged with attempted murder which under the Crime Control Act, a person can’t get bail in the Magistrate Court. He was subsequently granted bail and he is out on bail. I made checks last month with the Supreme Court, the matter of the criminal side of this issue is, in fact, in Justice Gonzales court and he has said that he has it listed down for trial when the Supreme Court sessions will be open in September. It does not matter to us now, in relation to the criminal trial because the government has agreed that they are going to settle with Mr. Buckley and his family.”
And that settlement that Bradley is talking about is according to him to be reached out of court. There were allegations that Buckley was told to attend the meeting, where an agreement would be reached, where he would reportedly be given one hundred thousand dollars with the condition that he was not to bring a lawyer and Bradley had something to say about that.
DICKIE BRADLEY
“In relation to the money but no lawyer; well, you will see that Mr. Buckley waited for his attorneys to come and he will still get his money, lawyer or no lawyer. He was right outside the station waiting for an attorney to show up. There are several of us who have offered to assist Mr. Buckley and we are grateful or thankful for them because none of us came and said to him that this would cost him five or ten thousand dollars; that has never been an issue; this is not about lawyer charging money; this is about one of us being prevented from minding and taking care of his family.”
And to the matter of the owed hospital bills, Bradley says officials have agreed to wait.
“The matter of the hospital bill, I had written and told them to please hold that matter in abeyance when they were pressuring Mr. Buckley to pay and the KHMH official, Mrs. Sharon Smith, did contact me and respond to the letter saying that they will not do anything until they hear further. In any event, those who cause the injury to you are liable and responsible to pay all your medical and other bills that you incurred. So, every time Mr. Buckley has to get a taxi or go to a hospital or at the pharmacy, we are going to write out that list as well, that is just a normal procedure in a settlement as well.”
Buckley’s wife told the media that it feels good to know that by the end of this week her family will have some money in hand, since she says they have been going through difficult times.
If you are a person that uses public transportation to commute on a daily basis, you’ll know that Belize’s transportation system needs a major tune up. Well, that major upgrade is being prepared following a meeting between a South Korean delegation and the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology and Public Utilities, MESTPU, along with other relevant ministries. The meeting comes after MESTPU signed a bilateral agreement with the Government of the Republic of South Korea through its Ministry of Strategy and Finance last year in January.
This morning, the two bodies met at the Biltmore Hotel where the forging of a transportation master plan for Belize began. The Korean representatives who are from the Korean Development Institute; one of the most highly regarded think-tanks of that country, will go one to meet with heads of the relevant ministries. According to the Chief Executive Officer in MESTPU, Colin Young, on Wednesday the delegation will be visiting the various transportation facilities in order to get a firsthand look at the necessity of infrastructural development that will be included in the master plan.
COLIN YOUNG
“From the presentation, what the team was saying is that they are here to have the consultations with the relevant ministries; Ministries of Works and Transport, Ministry of Economic Development, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology and Public Utilities, as well as the private sector to get a sense of what are our priorities into the future for transportation. It’s quite clear based on their experiences, they believe that development really cannot progress at the rate we want without the kind of infrastructure: port, highways, roadways, as well as the movement of goods and services and so, they want to get a sense of what are our challenges, what are our priorities and so, they are here to help us work through this and complete a very comprehensive and forward looking master plan for Belize.
The first step here is that they are now here to do the consultations; once they collect the first set of data, a Belize delegation will visit the Republic of South Korea where we will discuss the findings of the plan. The third step is for them to return to socialize the findings with the Government of Belize and all the stakeholders that we mentioned; the fourth step is to finalize the document. The Koreans offer very concessional financing, very low interest rates and so, the idea here is that once this is done and the business case is proven then Belize would then qualify for this very concessional financing to now do the actual investment in the infrastructure that was identified in the plan.
One of the projects we are looking at and has been identified as a priority is the paving of the Coastal Road to create that kind of link between this part of the country and the south and so, that itself is a multimillion dollar project but those are the kinds of scale and size projects we hope will come out of this.”
According to Young, the Transportation Master Plan should be completed by next year April. It is estimated that the realization of the master plan should take a couple of years with a cost of tens of millions of dollars.
A suite of anti-money laundering and anti-terrorism bills are due to be tabled when Parliament meets on Wednesday – triggered by a push from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) for Belize to take steps to address what the regional organization of 29 Caribbean Basin jurisdictions calls deficiencies which pose a risk to the international financial system.
Amandala has been reliably informed that the amendments involve changes to Belize’s Criminal Code, Firearms Act, the Interception of Communications Act, as well as legislation governing NGOs and trusts.
Belize is listed on top of the list of three Caribbean countries which have been given a November 13, 2013, deadline to effect legislative reforms. Next in line are Guyana and Dominica.
A public statement of the CFATF issued May 30, 2013 says the member countries have agreed to implement the international standards for Anti-money Laundering and Combating the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) – Financial Action Task Force Recommendations (FATF Recommendations).
It added that in order to protect the international financial system from money laundering and financing of terrorism (ML/FT) risks and to encourage greater compliance with the AML/CFT standards, the CFATF identifies jurisdictions that have strategic deficiencies and works with them to address those deficiencies that pose a risk to the international financial system.
“If Belize does not take specific steps by November 2013, then the CFATF will identify Belize as not taking sufficient steps to address its AML/CFT deficiencies and will take the additional steps of calling upon its Members to consider implementing counter measures to protect their financial systems from the ongoing money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Belize, and at that time CFATF will consider referring Belize to the Financial Action Task Force International Cooperation Review Group (FATF ICRG),” the organization said.
CFATF said, “Belize has failed to make sufficient progress in addressing its significant strategic AML/CFT deficiencies, including certain legislative reforms.”
The suite of proposed amendments comes as a response to this indictment against Belize. More specifically, the trading of firearms without a license, for example, could attract a 10-year prison sentence with the new laws that are proposed to take effect. The proposed amendment calls for the criminalization of arms trafficking by anyone who attempts to import, export, move or transfer a firearm without a legitimate license.
The proposed changes to the Criminal Code include new offenses, such as piracy (including but not limited to piracy on the high seas), insider-trading, hostage-taking, and trafficking in stolen goods.
A proposed amendment to the Gaming Control laws introduces a provision to mandate that every person with interest in gaming operations be disclosed at the time an application is made for a license.
Furthermore, NGOs will be required to make their information public and accessible to people who pay the prescribed fee to get information on those organizations. Currently, information on companies, for example, is accessible through the Belize Companies Registry if a fee is paid. We have been told that this requirement is being put in place due to the claim that NGOs are used for money laundering.
Another proposed legislative amendment will require the full disclosure of details for persons who have interest in any trust in Belize. Offshore trusts, since 2007, have been required to fully disclose their background information and a registry currently exists at the International Financial Services Commission of Belize, housed in Belmopan, our newspaper has been informed.
A proposed amendment to the Interception of Communications laws would give the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) the power to seek a court order to access communications information from service providers, rather than requiring that the application be made through the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Also, a new testing regime for incoming Customs officers would also be introduced. If the proposed amendment is passed, a test could be applied to anyone who wants to become a Customs Officer, in which they would be subject to three layers of scrutiny: firstly, an assessment of their background, experience, integrity, and soundness; secondly, an assessment of whether they have the diligence required to fulfill their role; and thirdly, any other matter that the Public Service Commission (the entity which would be empowered to undertake this test) may deem fit.
A proposal will also be tabled to give broader powers to the Director of the FIU to access information, beyond the scope of banking information.
Whereas the suite of 10 bills is expected to be one highlight of Wednesday’s House of Representatives meeting, another will be a US$44 million motion for the Government to continue resisting the payment of the arbitral award won by the Ashcroft Alliance for the settlement of a debt that the Musa administration had guaranteed for Universal Health Services – now Belize Healthcare Partners.
Speaking with journalists on Friday, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow – who will likely be the one tabling that motion – said that a recent ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (in the case of the settlement deed between the former Musa administration and the Ashcroft Alliance, which has been ruled illegal) had indicated that Government cannot pay any monies under such a guarantee without first going to Parliament to ratify and to vote monies for the payment under the guarantee.
Other motions to be tabled include a motion on sports and a motion on the National Bank of Belize.
From the Opposition side of the floor, Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat is expected to present a motion for a reconstitution of the Public Accounts Committee, which is now made up of 4 members from the Ruling Party and two members from the Opposition, one of whom sits as chair. Espat’s recommendation is for the ruling party to surrender two seats to social partners in the Senate and add one more to give social partners three seats, leaving the two major parties with two seats each. This would require an amendment of the Standing Orders, which sets out the current formula. Any change would have to be approved by the Committee of Selection, chaired by Mesopotamia area representative for the ruling United Democratic Party, Michael Finnegan.
In a statement released today, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry said, “The Chamber supports a reconstitution of the PAC so that control does not reside with any Government in power, but rather, with stakeholders such as the private sector, the unions and the churches, which can ensure that partisan interests are not prioritized by representatives when discharging this most important role of safeguarding how the Government spends Belize’s public funds.”
Speaking on the Espat motion Friday, Barrow made it clear that he will take objection to the motion when it is called.
He said that Espat “…is trying to conflate a standing committee with a special select committee. If you read the Standing Orders, these are two different creatures.”
Of note is that Parliament is supposed to be on recess from August 1 to September 6, and so this week’s meeting will be a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives.
There are reports of an attempted murder stemming out of San Pedro on Saturday August 3rd. Love News understands that two women from Belize City, both twenty one years old and alleged to be lovers, were celebrating one year of their partnership in San Pedro for the weekend, when they were involved in a fight while they were in the sea. The incident reportedly occurred around 4:30 p.m. in front of Cholos. It is reported that one of the women sat on the back of the other and kept her submerged for a while. When the people on the beach realized what was happening, one man went into the water to save the victim from drowning. Further reports say that CPR was performed on the victim twice before she was placed on oxygen and transported to the San Pedro Polyclinic. Meanwhile, a Coast Guard and Traffic Officer escorted the other woman to the Police Station. According to police, the woman who allegedly attempted to drown her partner was heavily intoxicated. Police then visited the polyclinic but they could not find the victim. She was later found and also escorted to the police station, but she refused to press charges on her partner and the partner was therefore released. We understand both women were under heavy influence of alcohol when the incident occurred. 
A Belize City woman has been arrested and charged for Drug Trafficking. According to police, they received information and around 4:20 yesterday afternoon, they intercepted a bus which was heading to Belize City, at the junction of Libertad Village. They conducted a search on twenty-nine year old Ebony Bailey of Belize city who was a passenger in the bus. Inside a black kit bag that Bailey had in her possession, they found four parcels of suspected Cannabis. As a result, Bailey was escorted to the Police Station, where the drugs were weighed in her presence. They amounted to one thousand five hundred and eighty seven point six grams. Bailey was later formally arrested and charged for Drug Trafficking.
An over five thousand dollars-worth of items was stolen from a house in Belize City. A fifty six year old woman of Belama Phase One reported to police that on yesterday she left her home for work around 7:30 am and secured all her doors and windows. When she returned around 12:10 p.m., she noticed that the back door of her bedroom was broken off. She then made checks and found out that an assortment of jewelry, was missing along with fifty dollars in cash. The total value of the items and cash stolen amounts to five thousand three hundred and forty dollars. Police are investigating.
Also in Belama Phase three yesterday afternoon, police were patrolling around 12:50 p.m on Mateo Ayuso Street when their attention was drawn to a black and maroon Meilun motorcycle with license plate BC-M-0596 and VIN #LXCJ7A97E000097 abandoned in an empty lot. As a result, the motorcycle was taken to the Police Station where it was labeled as Found Property.
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority is advising the public and especially owners of slaughtering facilities, that only cattle with official ear tags are allowed to be slaughtered in the Northern Districts of Corozal and Orange Walk, and in the Belize and Cayo Districts as well. Love News spoke with the Director of Animal Health for BAHA, Dr. Miguel Depaz who explained that BAHA is requesting this procedure in part to combat bovine diseases.
DR. MIGUEL DEPAZ
“BAHA in collaboration with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture has embarked in a campaign against two diseases, brucellosis and tuberculosis and at the same time we are implementing an animal place ability system hence we are advising all farmers and all cattle producers only to send cattle for slaughter with an ear tag on both ears. Today’s date we have not tested animals in Stann Creek and Toledo but in the near future we will also be doing the cattle in that area. We want all farmers to participate in our program, hence the reason for ear-tagging them and only accepting the cattle’s with the ear tags; some farmers have not participated and that’s the reason we are trying to get them to comply. Not placing the ear tags is against the law; you’ll contravene the law the animal identification regulation #77, 2011. In other words, only animals that are identified can move; any animal that wants to move requires a movement permit from BAHA. At this time we have not tested in the southern districts therefore farmers in that area can move cattle without them being identified; at this time we are only implementing it in the districts of Belize, Cayo, Corozal and Orange Walk because we have tested those areas and we want to maintain those areas with a low prevalence of brucellosis and tuberculosis.”
NATALIE NOVELO
“What are the implications of these diseases in cattle or for humans, as a result?”
DR. MIGUEL DEPAZ
“Well two things: it is a requirement for export and the other thing is that it can be transmitted to humans, so those are the two reasons we are testing the animals.”
BAHA also advises that the official ear tags must be returned to the Belize Livestock Producers Association or BAHA.
Last year Mexico hosted the annual Healthy Reefs Initiative Partners Meeting and this year Belize got the opportunity to host it. Forty representatives from the four countries that form part of the Mesoamerican Reef, namely Belize, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, gathered at the Biltmore Hotel where there main focus is the “eco-audit”. Director of the Healthy Reefs Initiative in Belize, Melanie McField spoke about the event’s objective while marine scientist for Healthy Reefs Lorenzo Alvarez, spoke about the collection of data and making it available to the public.
MELANIE MCFIELD
“The objectives of the meeting are to review the eco-audit for 2013; we’ll be launching this towards the end of the year where we evaluate the progress in implementing management recommendations to improve the health of the reef.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“What are some of the sub-topics that will be a part of the audit?”
MELANIE MCFIELD
“Well the audit, I got the one from 2011; this was the first time we’ve ever did this; we’re sticking with the same seven themes we had in the last eco audit; we’re re-evaluating these indicators, we have 22 indicators. The themes are things like sustainable fisheries management, marine protected areas, sewage and sanitation, coastal zone management, research and monitoring, Private sector and global issues dealing with like global climate change. We also have five new indicators that we’ve had to develop the criteria for and we’re working on evaluating those as well.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“How healthy is Belize’s reef?”
MELANIE MCFIELD
“Belize is pretty similar to the Mesoamerican Reef overall; we have some reefs that are in good condition but we didn’t have any that was ranked as very good in the last report card and it’s only a small percentage that is ranked as good and so, the classification with the most reefs in it is poor; which means, we need to do more and increase the pace of the work that we are doing; there is a lot of effort going on but sometimes that effort isn’t really achieving; we are not pushing that last mile to really get the impacts that we need.”
HIPOLITO NOVELO
“How is the cooperation from the Government?”
MELANIE MCFIELD
“On this aspect, they are cooperating hand in hand and so, there is a nice project going on right now that has that very specific goal to increase that percentage. They are working with the Fishermen Cooperatives to figure out what would be the best areas to do this and the Fisheries Department is key in that role too.”
LORENZO ALVAREZ
“We got to the reefs and dive and registered some data for corals, fish and other ecology indicators; in Belize they do the same, also in Guatemala and Honduras but one of the most important things we need to do is share this data, making this data available for other people, our partners or any other user that wants to use this data. We are working on creating this database which will be online and you will be able to enter and check the data and create graphs. We will also be having a map, an interactive map – a geo portal in which you will be able to see the sites, all the sites that we have in all the years that we have information for those sites; you will be able to see the main protected areas, where the reefs are; all this information will be released tomorrow.”
Alvarez says that while the collection of data is a continuous process, data collecting is done every year and the report is produced every two years.
Luke Espat
And as for his business woes, which include failed ventures, multiple receiverships such as the Renaissance, Crocland and even bankruptcy…Espat says that business is separate from politics. He says that rather than look at those as failures, they should be regarded as gutsy moves by a Belizean entrepreneur who continues to invest in Belize. And more than that, he claims that somebody with his business background is exactly what Belize needs in this economic climate.
Luke Espat, Political Aspirant, Cayo Central
“I think that because of the nature that we have this country today. Because of the situation the economic climate, I think that I am best suited to lead our people in Cayo Central. Those people are abandoned, those people need help, the present area representative is the Minister of Works and the roads are in the most deplorable sate to go to some of the best resorts in this country, no excuse to that. The same representative that is there was the Minister of Agriculture. What has he done for the people in Cayo Central, nothing! I Luke Espat am prepared to serve the people of Cayo Central, I am prepared to work with them, I am prepared to serve the People’s United Party. In getting there as I have been doing for many may years. So that goes without questioning, I have no qualms about my business or my business relationships. Those have nothing to do with politics; those are all private transactions, nothing absolutely to do with politics. And I can stand with credibility against each and every one of my business venture. And you tell the next or ask the next Belizean entrepreneur that will have the faith in this country will have the dedication this country to do the kind of investments that I have made in this country.”
In Wednesday’s newscast, we will get comment from the man he will have to unseat in Cayo Central, Collet Montejo.
