2025-07-23 - Greater Belize Media

Government Rental Deals Raise Transparency Questions

Tonight, we’re taking a closer look at how your tax dollars are being spent and what the government doesn’t want you to see. News Five filed a freedom of information request asking for all active rental contracts the Government of Belize has entered into. The Ministry of Public Service responded, but only partially. While they gave us a list of landlords, office locations, and which ministries are renting them, they refused to release the actual contracts. So, what are they hiding? Without those contracts, we can’t verify if taxpayers are getting value for money. But here’s what we do know: the government is currently renting one hundred and sixteen office spaces across the country. Belize City tops the list with twenty-nine rentals, followed closely by Belmopan with twenty-eight. Some landlords appear multiple times, raising even more questions.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

In a partial response to News Five’s freedom of information request, the Ministry of Public Service informed us that they are unable to provide a copy of every active tenancy agreement or contract that the Government of Belize has entered into. We requested this information, in the interest of the public, to determine whether taxpayers are getting value for money. But the government has refused to provide these contracts, citing section thirty of the Freedom of Information Act. This section states that a document is exempt if its disclosure would be contrary to the public interest because it would have substantial adverse effects on the national economy. Well, News Five’s request for these contracts is in the public interest. But the government’s rationale is that releasing copies of these rental contracts would increase rental prices for the ministries and consequently increase the annual budget. In their response, they even quoted former Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, a proponent of the Freedom of Information Bill. They quoted Barrow saying quote, “the ministry can refuse to release those documents because people would have an interest in knowing the location, for example… because land prices in that area will go up… these are the sorts of exceptions that are absolutely well recognized”. But, when we reached out to the former prime minister, he informed us that he was referencing national lands and not rental contracts between the government and private landlords. So, we will keep pushing them to get those contracts, because it is important to verify if what the government is renting is worth what they are paying. The Ministry of Public Service did, however, honor two of our requests with new information. It provided a list of all landlords it has entered tenancy agreements with, the locations of those buildings and the government agencies utilizing those buildings.

Here is what we observed on the surface:

Between June 2024 and June 2025, the Government of Belize has been paying rent for one hundred and sixteen office spaces.

Belize City leads as the municipality with the most government rentals, a total of twenty-nine.

Belmopan follows closely behind with twenty-eight government rentals. The remainder are scattered across the country, with Punta Gorda seeing the third largest number of government rentals, with eleven.

Interestingly, the names of some landlords repeat on the list provided by the Ministry of Public Service. Take, for example, Belize City, where H.D. Thompson Limited, is renting the government four spaces, three for the Ministry of Health and one for Immigration. Dinesh Bhojwani shows up twice for rental spaces on Regent Street, while Victor Awe appears two times for three floors on North Front Street.

In Belmopan, the government is renting three separate spaces from Fuk William Tam, while Geev Abadi’s name shows up twice on the list for rental spaces in that city. Of equal note is the fact that the National Security Directorate is renting property in Belmopan from former ambassador Alexis Rosado. In Punta Gorda, William Maheia is renting to Labour and Rural Development, while in San Ignacio, Karim Adle, a known ally of Cayo North Representative Michel Chebat, is renting a property to the Human Service Department. And we are just beginning to scratch the surface of the landlords on the list and their properties.

Now, when it comes to a breakdown of the ministries and departments with the most tenancy agreements, the Election and Boundaries Department takes the lead. It occupies twelve rental spaces across the country. The Post Office comes closely behind, occupying eight rental spaces. The Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government rounds out the top three.

But again, are Belizean taxpayers getting bang for their buck? One of the primary ways to determine that is through those tenancy contracts that the Ministry of Public Service, upon the advice of the attorney general, has declared exempt documents. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Ex-Ambassador Under Investigation for Rape Allegation

A troubling allegation is making headlines tonight involving a former Belizean ambassador. He’s currently in police custody at the Benque Viejo Police Station as authorities investigate a serious claim, that he raped a male minor. News Five spoke with a relative of the ex-diplomat earlier today, who confirmed that he’s expected to appear in court this Thursday in that jurisdiction. Now, while no formal charges have been filed just yet, the nature of the allegation is already raising serious concerns. Details remain limited at this time, but we’re closely monitoring the situation and will continue to bring you updates as they unfold.

Farm Worker Accused of Raping Child, Remanded to Prison

A twenty-one-year-old maintenance worker from Rancho Dolores is behind bars tonight, accused of a horrifying crime. Keon Alex Belisle is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after being arraigned earlier today for the rape of a child. Belisle appeared unrepresented in the lower court this morning, where a Senior Magistrate read him a single charge, rape of a child. The allegation is that he sexually assaulted a five-year-old boy. The alleged incident happened on Monday in a rural part of the Belize District. According to police, Belisle, who worked on the child’s family farm, took the boy to a pasture and forced him to perform a sexual act. A witness reportedly shouted at the suspect, causing him to flee the scene. The message from the bench was firm: this is an indictable offense, meaning it will be tried at the High Court. No plea was taken, and because of the severity of the charge, bail was denied. Belisle has been remanded until September twenty-fifth. Police say the investigation is ongoing, and the community is understandably shaken. We’ll continue to follow this case closely and bring you updates as they become available.

National Women’s Commission Demands Action on Child Sexual Abuse

On the heels of those two alleged incidents, the National Women’s Commission is raising its voice loud and clear tonight, calling for urgent, united action to end the sexual abuse of children in Belize. With over a hundred reported cases of unlawful sexual intercourse in just the past year, and experts warning that many more go unreported, the commission says it’s time to confront what they’re calling a ‘silent epidemic.’ Chairperson Kristina Romero says the abuse thrives in secrecy and shame, and it’s time to break that silence. The commission is urging schools, communities, and government leaders to step up with stronger laws, better education, and more support for survivors. The Commission’s stance is firm and resonant: every child deserves to be safe, heard, and protected.

Court of Appeal Tosses 20+ Orders in Enriquez Election Case

Jeremy Enriquez and his team are celebrating a big legal win. After months of courtroom battles, more than twenty court orders against them have just been thrown out by the Court of Appeal. You might remember back in March, Enriquez tried to stop the 2025 General Election, arguing it was unconstitutional. That effort didn’t succeed at the High Court, so he took the fight to the Court of Appeal. But things took a dramatic turn during those proceedings. Enriquez claims that during a break, a judge’s microphone was accidentally left on, and what he heard shocked him. According to Enriquez, Justice Towanda Hondora was overheard saying he had already made up his mind to dismiss the case. That led to a formal complaint and a call for an investigation. Instead of an investigation, Enriquez says he was hit with a gag order, one of more than twenty orders he claims were issued by the same judge. But now, the Court of Appeal has wiped those orders off the books. So, what’s next for Enriquez and his legal crusade? We spoke with him earlier today for an update.

Jeremy Enriquez, Claimant

“Before hearing all our submissions and arguments. He had made some biased statements which we recognized that we had no faith in his judgment. I took that matter, The recording included and filed a complaint to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission about the conduct of the judge in our case. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission received our complaint, acknowledged receipt of the complaint, but did nothing about it. Nothing definitive to address what we were asking for is a investigation into the misconduct of the judge and therefore but that did not happen. Twice asked the Judicial Legal Services Commission for even an update. Once after we submitted our first complaint and still nothing happened. Therefore, we applied to the high court to ask for the recusal of that judge from any other case that involves us. And even during our complaint. The Judicial and Legal Services Commission, the judge went ahead and issued orders without trial, so we did not even have without hearing. So he went ahead and made some orders, which included a gag order against my attorney and I which we challenged in the Court of Appeal and which we were successful in having the Court of Appeal withdraw. That order and the number of twenty orders that we’ve had against us.”

Jeremy Enriquez Not Giving Up on Redistricting Case

While the dust may have settled on the 2025 general elections, one group isn’t ready to move on just yet. Jeremy Enriquez and his associates are gearing up for a legal battle, claiming the election was unconstitutional. Why? Because Belize still hasn’t completed a long-overdue redistricting exercise. Enriquez argues that without it, the vote violated the country’s supreme law. Today, we caught up with him for an update on his push to take the matter to court, and why he believes this fight is far from over.

Jeremy Enriquez, Claimant

“The electoral divisions are severely imbalanced as much as over sixty percent For example, in the case of the Stann Creek West, there is the electoral division is far more, at least, almost five times more than the smallest one in Belize City. Secondly, nine of the electoral divisions in Belize City fall way below average. And there are other electoral divisions like in the Belmopan and in Belize Rural North. All those areas are way above the mean. The constitution of the lease mandates that electoral divisions are to be equal or near as equal as possible with considerations with geographic distribution and all of that. What we have is a persistent imbalance that both political parties have refused to address. This government had promised in their last term of office that they would have rectified this situation, and they didn’t. And so that is why we had this court case during the court case. This government came into office, breaking the supreme law of the country, another unconstitutional election that they imposed on the people of Belize, even after they had promised. I want that noted down in the history of this country, that repeatedly both political parties have broken the Constitution to the silence of many civil society organizations, the Bar Association. That’s one. Secondly. All of this effort comes at a cost. So I appeal to the Belizean public in any way they could support us and meet this cost. The government has its resources using the people’s money to fight the people. So we, from the grassroots level, are appealing for every support we can get in order to see this truth. So that. We do not, again, go into another election ever with a government that continues to violate the Constitution and continue to get away with it.”

Three Walk Free After 2022 Drug and Gun Bust

Three people, including a woman police officer and a Mexican national, have been cleared of serious charges stemming from a 2022 police raid in Yo Creek, Orange Walk. The bust had led to the discovery of illegal firearms, crack cocaine, ammunition, and a bulletproof vest. Initially, four people were charged: Alden Lara, who later pleaded guilty and is now serving time, and three others, police officer Stephanie Cima, Joshua Hall, and Mexican national Misael Varella. While Cima and Varella were granted bail after months in jail, Hall absconded. Despite that, his trial continued in his absence. Today, nearly two years after the trial began, Chief Magistrate Deborah Rogers ruled there was no case to answer. She found that the prosecution failed to link the accused to the illegal items beyond a reasonable doubt. The court emphasized that simply being present at the scene wasn’t enough to prove guilt, especially since Lara had already taken full responsibility for the items. Varella, who had been behind bars since June 2022 due to immigration concerns, was ordered released and escorted to the border. The Chief Magistrate expressed concern that he is not detained again, noting he had already served time for a prior immigration offense. The case, once described as complex, ultimately fizzled out due to weak evidence and a lack of credible witnesses. All three accused, Cima, Hall, and Varella, are now free.

New UTVs Supercharge Fire Response in Placencia and San Pedro

Firefighters in Placencia and San Pedro just got a major boost to their emergency response game. The Ministry of the Public Service, Governance, and Disaster Risk Management has handed over two brand-new Honda UTVs to the National Fire Service, and they’re already making a difference. These rugged four-by-four utility vehicles are designed to go where traditional fire trucks can’t, especially in beachside communities like Placencia and San Pedro. They’ll help firefighters quickly transport portable pumps to water sources and get water flowing to the scene faster than ever before, potentially saving homes, businesses, and lives. The official handover took place in Placencia, where Minister Henry Charles Usher presented one of the UTVs to the local fire station. The second was sent to San Pedro. Community leaders and fire officials say this is a game-changer for fire response in hard-to-reach areas. And in a touching moment, local volunteers and government officials were recognized for their ongoing support in keeping these communities safe.

Pollution Threatens Crocodile Health in New River Lagoon

Troubling signs are emerging from the New River Lagoon, where scientists say crocodiles are in serious decline, and pollution may be to blame. A research team from Rio Bravo has found crocodiles suffering from severe health issues: emaciation, rotting tissue, skin discoloration, and even signs of immune system failure. Blood samples are now being analyzed to trace the impact of pollutants like agricultural runoffs, heavy metals, and banned chemicals such as DDT. Even more alarming, researchers observed a reduction in reproductive organ size in some crocodiles, pointing to possible long-term endocrine disruption. As apex predators, crocodiles are vital indicators of ecosystem health. And scientists are warning: if the crocs are in trouble, the entire watershed could be at risk. We’ll have more on this urgent environmental concern coming up.

Businesses Prepare for Belize Investment Summit 2025

The countdown is on, less than two months to go before the Belize Investment Summit 2025. Hosted every two years by the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Investment, this high-profile event brings together hundreds of investors, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from around the world. This year’s theme, ‘Bridging Markets, Building Resilience,’ is all about creating stronger connections between global and regional investors while helping Belize build a more robust and adaptable economy. We spoke with Lincoln Blake from the Ministry of Investment, who shared how this summit is shaping up to be a major opportunity for Belize to shine on the international stage.

Lincoln Blake, Director, Investment Policy & Compliance, Ministry of Investment

“Belize has an objective to become an investment hub for Central America by the year 2030, and it’s all within the strategic plans and actions of the national investment policy and strategy. So the Belize Investment Summit is one of those actions, and with that we want to attract not only foreign direct investment, but also local investment nto the country as well to develop and continue growing the economy.”

Britney Gordon

“Can you talk about the success that this summit has seen so far? You mentioned that it grew from three hundred people to five hundred attendees in the latest one.”

Lincoln Blake

“Yes. One of the successes of the investment summit is the networking. The summit has actually created an environment that were the investors and some of the senior government officials and technocrats would be able to meet with investors so as to make the investments happen. And that has worked well. From the first investment summit in 2021 to date we have seen a growth in the amount of investors coming in with interest. And also we have seen the data from the central bank where the foreign direct investment specifically has been growing from since 2021 to date. The small businesses mainly contact us when they need to engage with financiers or other investors that will be able to have some sort of equity investment within their specific projects, especially if they want to grow or expand. And that type of opportunity, the investment summit also has given to some of the local investors. But in most cases, a lot of them have also come to the investment summit to garner new ideas. Because when they go in there, we have presentations and where they be able to listen to new strategies and also new sectors that offer new opportunities for them to grow.”