news5assistant - Greater Belize Media

What Are Residents Benque Viejo Hopeful For This Election?

Last weekend was bustling with activity in Benque Viejo, as both U.D.P. and P.U.P. candidates set off to continue their campaign trail and secure voters for the upcoming municipal elections. Leading the red campaign is former councilor and first-time mayoral candidate, Marco Tesucum, while the blue is led by current Mayor of Benque Viejo, Jorge Rosales. Tesucum believes that there is much social work to be done in the area with an emphasis on youth involvement, while Rosales seeks to further the development him and his team accomplished in infrastructure and industry development. Ultimately, it will be the voters who decide who is most fit to fill the positions. We visited Benque Viejo to find out what the residents of Benque Viejo are most hopeful for this election, Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon With that report.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Although quiet in the weeks approaching elections, Benque Viejo is still decorated with banners and flags, signaling the big event to come and the PUP and UDP parties are both hard at work on their campaign trails trying to secure the votes for the big day. The UDP candidates who were out in the afternoon comprised of Mayoral candidates, Marco Tesucum and his councilors who emphasize their desire to assist the youths in the community through sports programs, jobs, and education.

Marco Tesucum, Mayoral Candidate, U.D.P.

“We are looking forward to work with the institutions, the high schools especially, and try to assist them as much as we can with students. Many students go to classes without, um, breakfast perhaps, or even though they might go, but they might not have for lunch. So we are planning, for example, on a Saturday, they can work at least half day and they can earn some money for OUT 2:00 their week”

The PUP candidates are comprised of current mayor, Jorge Rosales and his councilors who are seeking to further their infrastructural work and create job opportunities.

Jorge Rosales, Mayoral Candidate, P.U.P.

“We will try to implement two hundred thirty works like call center and remove the where the, bus terminal is at the moment, which is not a terminal. It’s just a parking area where they’re parking and move, uh, Make a central bus terminal by the cancha where that’s where the call center will be and that will bring in the socio-economic businesses to a point that will be the center area of OUT 3:51 Benque Viejo”.

But what are the residents of Benque Viejo asking for come March sixth? We asked a few residents what they are hoping to see implemented in their hometown. Some residents expressed a desire to see further infrastructural development.

Britney Gordon

“What are some concerns that you have about Benque and what are you hopeful for this upcoming election?”

Elias Castellanos, Resident, Benque

“Well, just to make them fix good then streets.”

Britney Gordon

“What’s one change that you would like to see implemented as a result of the upcoming elections?”

Raul Jimenez, Resident, Benque

“Well, one result I would like to see is that they can kind of fix the streets because there’s where Like places, like up there, there’s like a lot of streets that have a lot of holes, so when it rains a lot, it gets really muddy, really horrible to be in there.”

Alongside the roadworks, a reoccurring issues was the need for jobs in the area.

Marion Ali

“The next municipal government, which will be elected on March sixth, what would you like for them to address?”

Errol Coleman, Resident, Benque

“As I have been seeing from them is that they have been working on it, make them keep it on working and on, and if they could develop more, what. We have not been seen here in Benque or what we usually is, we need is that create more employees for the youth that they come on for from high school or whatsoever. It’s, they prefer to go outside. It’s something that we doesn’t have as much as creating maybe one call center here. Jobs, like great jobs so that people could have their money.”

Britney Gordon

“What are you hoping come out of this election?”

Gustavo, resident

“We all hope that if the government changes or not we need jobs in this town. People are jobless here.”

Whether the vote will skew red or blue, only time will tell on March sixth. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Corozal Candidates Officially Nominated And Ready For Elections

As you all know, today the entire country was teeming with activity as the candidates for the upcoming municipal elections were officially nominated. That, off course, includes Corozal which saw its P.U.P. nominees parade through the streets in the morning, followed by an Independent candidate, and the U.D.P. candidates later that day. Then, after the respective festivities of the parade, candidates entered into the Corozal Magistrate Court to be nominated. We attended the event today in Corozal to see it unfold.

Britney Gordon

“So you’ve officially been nominated, can you tell me what this means for you and your candidacy?”

Rigo Vellos, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“It’s always a privilege to be able to give and be given the opportunity to serve our people of Corozal. So we are all excited and we’re happy. We’re happy that this process has happened. We can leave it behind and we can focus now on what we need to focus. Which is to make sure that we win on March sixth.”

Britney Gordon

“And what will you be doing moving forward to ensure that?”

Rigo Vellos

“The work continues. As a council, because we are elected, the work continues. But of course, on the campaign trail, we’ll still be visiting our people asking and pledging for that support on March sixth.”

Marleni Tapia, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I’m very privileged and honored. I’m feeling energized. I thank all the supporters who came out this morning. It is showing that the PUP is still strong here in Corozal. We are ready to continue the work with Mayor Rigo Vellos and my team PUP7.”

Britney Gordon

“So it’s much harder to promote yourself as an independent candidate. So what are you doing to let people be aware that you’re running?”

Hernan Riverol, Independent Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“I have been, like I told you, I’ve been working with the for years. I even have, things that I did in the past about Christmas parade, giving our gifts, back to school, the kids giving away, some food to some people, some all over the area that they incur that, I mostly deal with the, mostly the needy person though, the ones that need the help in Corozal.”

Ricardo Ake, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“Nomination Day, the day that everyone is looking forward to put their name on that ballot. But nevertheless, a little bit nervous but at the same time very enthusiastic, energized. Words cannot express what the people are bringing to me here. Even if they are not here, even if work has them, or showing their support in being here.”

Benjamin Maestro, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I feel very enthusiastic. I feel that we have the support of our people. Our people know what’s coming, and it’s a good message for all of us the candidates in the street for the UDP.”

Belizeans Coming Forward In Immigration Passport Scandal Investigation

While in Belmopan, we also caught up with Tanya Santos, the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration. She was asked for an update on the ongoing investigation at the Immigration Department Belize City Branch. As we reported, one employee has been placed on administrative leave following reports that falsified passports receipts were being entered into the system leaving numerous passport holders with illegitimate passports. Here is what C.E.O. Santos told us.

Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration
“So far, the investigation continues, clearly but we have had suspension of the officer and we are still gathering more information. So it is, bit by bit, day by day, the more we are finding out so.”

Reporter
“How many passports were illegitimately issued using this false receipt system?”

Tanya Santos
“I am not at liberty to say that at the moment but there were a few that we have encountered and people are also coming in to report it and still wanting to claim their passport that they paid for.”

Reporter
“When they come to say they paid for it, you all don’t have a legitimate receipt for that payment.”

Tanya Santos
“No we don’t and so it is an issue we are internally addressing as well, attempting to resolve and correct on behalf of the applicant. The scam isn’t per say with the passport. The scam is amounting to a financial issue. It could have occurred in any particular department of any Ministry. It really is the falsification and fraudulent production of receipts. And that could have happened in police. It could have happened in Lands. It could have happened anywhere but the fact that it is related to passports makes it a lot more egregious. So yes we do take it seriously which is why we wasted no time once we found out. We took the necessary steps and an investigation is still underway. We have made reports already. We have staff who have made reports and the investigation is taking its course.”

Reporter
“Might these passports have ended in nefarious hands since it was a fraudulent process that someone was selling these passports through?”

Tanya Santos
“I don’t think it ended up in nefarious hands. But anything is possible at this moment as the investigation continues and yes there is a loss of revenue and we are still determining the extent of that loss of revenue.”

C.E.O. Santos says an official police report will be filed following the ministry’s internal investigation.

Tanya Santos Embraces Appointment at Immigration

It has been just over a month since Santos took over the reins as C.E.O. of the Ministry of Immigration. Contrary to reports suggesting that she took the post with great reluctance, Santos says she embraced the challenge. She was asked about her experience working at the ministry over the last six weeks. Here is what she told us.

Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration

“I realized the big challenge it would have been. I also recognized that it is a big vote of confidence on my part from the Prime Minister and the leadership of the government. Therefore I embraced the challenge. I am not somebody who looks to be wasting time. I take my job vey5r seriously. I know there are struggles in this ministry. I know that there are challenges within the ministry but also with the service the public receives. I am also on the receiving end when I go for services in the Ministry of immigration and I have expressed to the staff as well that I have been the recipient of bad treatment and service. I absolutely embrace this challenge and it is one day at a time, one challenge at a time, one problem at a time. It is a big, big cake to eat but a little of it day by day.”

Santander Employee Loses Life In Freak Accident While on Duty

A Santander employee died in a freak accident on Saturday while working on a cage that the company uses to transport sugarcane. Police reports are that Anastacio Vasquez, an employee of Santander for eight years, was repairing a tire on the machine when the cage slipped off and fell on him. He died on the scene. Santander says it spoke with the employees that were in the immediate area. Those employees informed management of the sequence of events that led to Vasquez’s unfortunate demise. We spoke over the phone with Beverly Burke, the PR Manager at Santander, who informed us that the company is still reeling from Vasquez’s death. She says Vasquez was executing a task that he has done countless times during his time of employment there.

On the phone: Beverly Burke, PR Manager, Santander Sugar Group

“Very sad time for us here at Santander, Mr. Vasquez has been with us for a total of eight and a half years, a long standing excellent worker for us. He worked for us initially as welder, his profession a mechanic. So, what transpired on Saturday night was we had one of the cages we transport sugarcane in, the tire went out and they jacked it up to make the necessary repairs. Mr. Vasquez went to the side of the cage to retrieve a tool and in so doing his assistant shouted to him that it was slipping and as opposed to, the direction he took was in the same direction where the cage was slipping and unfortunately it toppled over and crushed him.”

Paul Lopez

“Is this something that, in the company’s view warrants some sort of investigation?”

On the phone: Beverly Burke

“What we did was that immediately we were called and I informed the authorities within the jurisdiction. We came to the location and they did their investigation and we chalk it up to an unfortunate situation, I don’t know. It is one of those accidents that you are left with your jaw dropped thinking how did this even happen. I mean, we would classify it as a freak accident. These are stuff they work with all the time. The terrain we harvest through there are often times tires you have to change out and stuff like that so these stuff are jacked up often, tires are changed and they go about their normal scope of work. So it still is very much hard to process.”

Chinese Businessman Remanded for Shooting Customer

Twenty-nine-year-old Wenjing Lei, a Chinese businessman, appeared before a Senior Magistrate earlier today where he was read two criminal offenses, including one count of use of deadly means of harm and one count of wounding. It is alleged that on February eighteenth, Reno Castillo was standing in front of Guan Fa Store along with another individual when an argument ensued between Castillo and the shopkeeper. According to the welder, during the exchange of words between himself and the grocer, Wenjing Lei, who was inside his uncle’s place of business, produced a firearm and fired a single shot which caught him in the foot. In court this morning, attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley appeared on Lei’s behalf, where he informed the court that the virtual complainant was present to address the matter. The Senior Magistrate explained that there was no such instruction to the court and briefly adjourned the matter. This afternoon, Lei’s attorney did not return to court and his client was subsequently told that since the allegation made against him involved the use of a firearm, he would not be granted bail. With that, Lei was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until March first, 2024. We understand that Castillo has provided an additional statement to police in which he requested no further court action, however, that information has not been forwarded to the court.

Psychiatric Evaluation Ordered for American National

An American National is to undergo a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation in order to have her plea taken in court. She is thirty-eight-year-old Adeola Lara Ade-Ekisola, who was brought to court after allegedly assaulting a police officer. The mother of three appeared in court this morning where she had to be forcibly restrained for her safety and that of the others in the room during her arraignment. According to Ade-Ekisola, she is currently unhoused in Belize. She also stated that she is fearful of returning to the U.S. because of a threat to her life there and is seeking refuge in Belize. She demanded to speak to the U.S. Embassy to which the magistrate stated that they will be making contact on her behalf. Not much more could be made out from her statement, as they verged on incoherent. The court ordered that she undergo the evaluation as she in unable to give a plea. Until then, she has been remanded to Belize Central Prison.

CCJ Dismisses Appeal in Wilfred Elrington Vs Progresso Heights Limited

Today, the Caribbean Court of Justice handed down a ruling upholding the Court of Appeal’s decision in the matter between former Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington and Progresso Heights Limited. Just over a decade ago, Elrington as a shareholder in Progresso Heights Limited, visited the Lands Department and filed cautions on one hundred parcels of land that the directors were attempting to sell. This is after Elrington and the directors had a falling out. Progresso Heights Limited then brought a lawsuit against Elrington to have the cautions lifted. In 2019, the High Court ruled in favor of Progresso Heights Limited and awarded them over three hundred thousand dollars in damages. Elrington then appealed the matter at the Court of Appeal. The appeal was dismissed and the order of the trial judge was affirmed. Elrington then took the matter to the Caribbean Court of Justice to appeal the Court of Appeal’s decision. The CCJ came to the conclusion that there was no need to interfere with the decision of the Court of Appeal. Here is that decision.

Justice Maureen Rajnauth- Lee, Caribbean Court of Justice

“The court held that there was no reason to interfere with the view expressed by the Court of Appeal, that the question of whether the claim was legitimately brought by the company did not arise on the pleadings and was therefore not an issue. It has not been disputed that that issue was never raised in the appellant’s defense. In addition, the appellant did not seek to strike out the claim brought by the company. Further, the appellant did not seek to appeal the trial judge’s ruling, granting the company application to permit Mr. L Schneider’s evidence to be given at the trial by video link, even though the trial judge had accepted by that ruling Mr. L Schneider had the requisite authority to make that witness statement. The court also observed that the appellant made no application to amend his defense to ledge that the company’s claim had been brought without the requisite authority despite the strong objections by counsel for the company during the cross examination of Mr. L Schneider on that issue. Following these judgments, the appeal was dismissed, the orders of the Court of Appeal was affirmed and it was ordered that the appellant pay to the respondent cost of this appeal as agreed to by the parties.”

Belize High School Lawyers Up Amidst Jamie Usher Termination

It has been six days since the Board of Governors at Belize High School took a decision to terminate former Principal Jamie Usher. But, is the school prepared to settle with Usher for alleged damages as a result of her termination? News Five is in possession of a leaked letter that was furnished to all board members on February sixteenth. The letter was written by Barrow and Williams LLP and signed by Dean Barrow, acting on behalf of Jamie Usher, their client. In the leaked letter, Barrow suggests that his client is entitled to a substantial damages award and would prefer not to litigate. News Five understands that Belize High School has scheduled a meeting with parents for Wednesday to discuss these developments. And today, the school issued a press release denying suggestions made by the United Women’s Group that the termination was based on issues of gender. In its release, the school state, “Neither is the issue about women being supported in leadership positions, and, as testament to this, the interim principal is another female leader at the school. It regrets that UWG, a political organization, would take a stance on an internal private matter without knowing the facts”. The school has also sought the services of attorney Audrey Matura. When we spoke with her today, she was not at liberty to share any details in relation to a legal challenge. She noted that the school is preparing to meet with parents and that the matter will first be discussed with them. She did however expound on the school’s latest press release.

Audrey Matura, Attorney

“It is only the United Women’s Group from the PUP that has said it is a gender issue, absolutely not. As a matter of fact, BES and BHS would not survive if it was not for all the women who are leaders there in the classroom, even the principal, administration, the women outnumber the men. Definitely it is not a gender issue. I can tell you it is a deeper issue than that. It is a pity that is a red herring and it has taken a political slant but like I say it is a private company and we would have preferred the matter stay in house. But I can categorically say that it is not a gender issue.”

Paul Lopez

“Are you able to speak whether from a legal or parent perspective what those deeper issues might be?”

Audrey Matura

“Now you wanted to know what are the deeper issues, again speaking legally, under the Labor Act, if you terminate someone with reasons and if that reason amounts to gross misconduct and like matters it simply means you are telling the person they have to leave now, you get no severance, especially if you work for more than five or ten years there is something for you to get. You get your notice pay only and your salary and your vacation pay. Your severance is usually your package. So I think the best way to put that is what is the lawful and legal position, that the high school acted in the law and whatever internal matters as juicy as it may be and people dying to hear, the board has taken a very professional stand saying the interest of the children comes first and putting their dirty laundry out there will help.”

Belize High School Regrets Political Spin Termination Took On

Matura further noted that Belize High School regrets that Jamie Usher’s termination has become an issue in the public domain. She says it is also regrettable that the matter has taken on a political spin, when asked if the board considered the fact that Usher is the wife of a prominent P.U.P. Minister. Here is what she told us.

Audrey Matura, Attorney

“Isn’t that minister the Minister of Public Service; it is so ironic how life can be. As the school it is very regrettable that this even made news. And you notice, it took us a week later to response and our response is as best as possible and reasonable and rational one to allay the concerns of any parents who don’t know the details, two to assure the teachers that their job is secure, the reputation of the school we are doing everything to protect it and to assure the students that their academic program will continue. So it is very regrettable. However you mentioned that it took a political spin. Of all people, the minister responsible for public service knows very well about hiring and firing. The government is well known for that. And, if anyone could look at the situation and would know the details they would know that to operate under the law as the board did and to terminate under section 37 was the best option at the time.”