Independent Senators to BTL: Don’t Say We Were Invited

A major telecom deal is on the table, but four independent senators say they are still waiting for the basic courtesy of being brought into the conversation. Senators Kevin Herrera, Glenfield Dennison, Rev. Louis Wade and Janelle Chanona are flatly denying that Belize Telemedia Limited ever invited them, verbally or in writing, to discuss its proposed acquisition of Speednet Communications, the company behind SMART. Their statement cuts straight to a larger concern: if this deal could change the way Belizeans make calls, access the internet and choose a service provider, why does it appear that key voices are having to chase information instead of being openly consulted? The senators have now written directly to the Public Utilities Commission, the Attorney General, BTL’s board chairman and the Office of the Prime Minister for answers. They are also warning that turning the telecom sector into a monopoly would be a backward step. So tonight, the bigger question is not only whether BTL will be allowed to acquire SMART’s commercial interests. It is whether Belizeans will get a clear, honest explanation before a decision is made that could affect prices, service quality and consumer choice across the country.

 

BTL Wrote Senate President, Senators Deny Invite

 

A claim by BTL Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga has opened up a new fight over transparency in the proposed Speednet acquisition. Lizarraga says BTL invited senators to hear from the company, but independent senators say that is news to them. Senator Janelle Chanona says she received no invitation, and the Clerk’s Office later confirmed that no request came in for BTL to address independent senators directly. But News Five has obtained a letter showing that BTL did write to Senate President Carolyn Trench Sandiford asking to brief the Senate. Tonight, we’re asking: who was invited, who was not, and why does it matter? Here is the comment that started it all.

 

Paul Lopez

“You have said that you tried, talk about trying to explain to them.”

 

Markhelm Lizarraga, Chairman, BTL

“Please, man, you know how many times we’ve met with them? Come on. You know how many times we’ve met with them. We’ve met! And if they need to sit down and meet with us again, we’ve extended our hand to the independent senators. Have they come? No. We’ve extended on several times for them and they refused. We sent a letter to the Senate willing to make a presentation there. So we’re willing to meet with anybody that wants to truly listen if you have your own agenda.”

 

Benita Keme-Palacio

“When was that letter sent?”

 

Markhelm Lizarraga

“Way back, way back.”

 

Senate President Clarifies BTL Briefing Request

 

The back-and-forth over BTL’s proposed acquisition of Speednet, the company behind SMART, has taken another turn tonight. After the Independent Senators said they were never invited by BTL to discuss the proposal, the President of the Senate is now clarifying what actually happened behind the scenes. According to a statement from the Office of the Clerk, BTL’s CEO Ivan Tesucum wrote to the President of the Senate back on February sixth, requesting an opportunity to brief the Senate on what was described as a strategic proposal involving Speednet Communications Limited. But the President says that request was made to address the Senate as a whole, not the Independent Senators specifically. The timing is also important. That same day, Public Utilities Minister Michel Chebat announced in the House of Representatives that discussions on the proposed acquisition had been paused, pending approvals from the boards of Social Security and BTL, and a formal submission to the Public Utilities Commission. The Senate President says the request from BTL was acknowledged days later, on February tenth, and that while the matter was considered important, it would have to be scheduled at the appropriate time. That meant taking into account the pause in the acquisition process, the Senate’s workload, other National Assembly commitments and the upcoming recess. Now, with BTL’s board having approved the acquisition of Speednet, the President says the time has come to respond to BTL with a proposed date and time for an information session. Senators would then be invited to attend, and the Public Utilities Commission would also be asked to participate. Before Belize’s telecom landscape changes, will the public finally get the facts?

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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