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Apr 15, 2021 Unions’ Rep Speech Cut mid-Live Stream! The Commission of Inquiry has been adjourned indefinitely. That’s because the unions’ representative, President of the N.T.U.C.B. Luis Luke Martinez excused himself and informed the chairman that they wouldn’t be participating further until things were resolved with the government. He gave that notice just before the live stream of his presentation was dramatically cut off. We’ll hear from Chair Andrew Marshalleck a little later on in our newscast, but first we take a look at what transpired at the House of Culture during today’s hearing of the Commission of Inquiry. Martinez kicked off today’s proceedings reading a letter that the P.S.U. penned to the Prime Minister. The strong statement condemned the government for continuing the “fire sale of government assets without proper public disposal processes.” He was to end his statement by recusing himself from the inquiry, but he didn’t ....
February 26, 2021 11 min read [post-views] The Commission of Inquiry reconvened today for its second session which went for about three hours. Eight witnesses were called before the Commission but only seven gave testimonies. The Commission of Inquiry reconvened today for its second session which went for about three hours. Eight witnesses were called before the Commission but only seven gave testimonies. The first witness in the hot seat was the former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, Hugo Patt. Patt was questioned on a possible link between distribution of lands to businessman Zhou Rong Kevin Li and the purchase of his government-assigned 2020 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The former DPM was assigned the vehicle in February 2020 and just prior to the general elections on November 11, the brand-new vehicle ....
th, 2021] “The only other exception in the run up to the General Elections came by way of a request from the then Deputy Prime Minister the honourable Hugo Patt. Again the Deputy Prime Minister went directly to the Financial Secretary who came to me. I spoke to the DPM and said to him, but you know the policy. I thought that also as a special favour, I would agree and I so indicated to Joe Waight. What happened thereafter though was that the usual requirement from me that there would be a customs valuation so we can document that we were not selling for any undervalue did not happen. I don’t know whether it was because that didn’t happen or whether it was some other reason, whether it fell through but that one did not come to me for my formal approval. Now understand that I am not trying to any way act like some artful dodger, I had said and I repeat, orally I had agreed. If it had come with the customs valuation I would affix my initials behind the words I approve but ....
Joseph Waight The Commission of Inquiry into the sale of government assets got underway on Monday, February 15. The first witnesses to be called included, former Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight and the manager of Government Assets, Ruperto Vicente. The entire exercise was, on the very first day, confirmed to be nothing more than a witch hunt. When Financial Secretary Joseph Waight took to giving his testimony, he told the commissioners that he had brought along with him a box containing all the files that pertained to the period in question from November 2019 to November 2020. As has been said all along, any and all information that was required for an investigation was readily available to the commissioners without having to burden the Belizean taxpayers with the expense of an inquiry. ....
Feb 16, 2021 Minister Kareem Musa Chimes in on Commission of Inquiry It was only the first day, but what has been revealed so far during the first sitting of the Commission of Inquiry is being described in most quarters as incredible. The details on the fire sale of government assets under the Barrow administration between October 2019 and November 2020 stunned listeners and viewers even as the Commission probes further to determine whether in fact there was wrongdoing by anyone involved. In the first round of questioning, former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and Head of Vehicle Care Unit, Ruperto Vicente appeared before the Commission. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa tuned in and was floored by the revelations, especially given the tough economic times compounded by the COVID pandemic. ....