sunday, January 17, 2010
The
The Belize Times
1
Belize Times The Truth Shall Make You Free
SUNDAY JANUARY 17, 2010
Issue No. 4676
$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz
URBAN TERRORISM PUP Leader Calls for Immediate Action! PUP Party Leader Hon. John Briceno, in a statement issued early this week, called on the Prime Minister to take immediate and decisive action following the latest grenade attacks – two in the past two weeks – which have left residents of the city living in fear. “The continued violent behavior, the senseless killings and these weapons in the hands of members of the criminal element in Belize are serious threats to our safety and a form of urban terrorism,” stated the release. On Monday morning, at a few minutes after 5:00am, an explosion shook a neighbourhood in the south side of Belize City. Preliminary investigations by the authorities indicated that worst fears
Oil Bonanza in Belize…
But who’s benefitting?
ComPol Crispin Jeffries were realized – the explosion was another grenade attack, coming just two weeks after the detonation of a grenade caused the death of one 14 year old and injuries
Lt. Col. David Jones, BDF to two others. Fortunately, there were no fatalities from this latest detonation. And like the last grenade attack, (Continued on page 35)
WARNING GOB WILL Monitor Your Calls
Susan Morrice, BNE Early this week, PUP personality Vaughan Gill broke the news on the Vibes Radio morning show – news that Irish investors in BNE had gotten their first ‘significant and massive dividend’ and were ‘laughing all the way to the bank.’ The source was an article in the Irish based Belfast Telegraph, an article which claimed that some investors had received as much as US$750,000 as a return on their investment. The local media picked up the news, and as we go to press tonight, Belizeans are posing some very pertinent questions about this apparent ‘oil bonanza’ which has benefitted ‘hundreds’ of Irish investors but seems to have stopped far short of benefitting Belize and Belizeans. The article in the Telegraph tells a story of a rich ‘black gold’ find which is frankly quite surprising to Belizeans, who have yet to see much of a concrete benefit from BNE, which the article claims is ‘the number one revenue driver in the country.’ The article also claims that BNE has had a major impact on the ‘local community in terms of employment, revenue, funding and social development.’
BNE is claiming revenue in the area of US$112M in 2008, and the article boasts that ‘more than $100,000 has already been donated to local schools and flood relief schemes after the company and its Irish investors signed a deal which ensured monies from oil revenues were spent on improving health, education and the environment.’ In the last four years, BNE is said to have generated revenues in excess of $700million. But the reality is that Belizeans have seen very little reason to jump for joy, as that windfall seems to have been carried off to parts unknown. The previous administration had been in the process of passing legislation which would have greatly increased government’s take from the industry. In addition, the previous administration had also created a Petroleum Fund, through which revenues from oil would have been disbursed to specific areas including health, education and social projects instead of going into the consolidated fund. But since elections in 2008, nobody seems to know what the Barrow (Continued on page 35)
. . . r e h et g o T e m Co
As we go to press, the Belize Times has been able to confirm that there is a team of Israeli experts in Belize who have been brought in by GOB to ‘train and equip the Belize Police Department to eavesdrop on phone conversations and text messages for national security purposes.’ The paper has also been able to confirm that the software which will enable GOB to eavesdrop on private phone calls has already been installed at BTL and is ready for use. Sources tell the Belize Times that the group of ‘experts’ had also visited Smart headquarters and requested access to information about frequencies used by
that company, along with other technical information. We have been told that they were turned away and told to come back with the section of the law which allows them to make such a request. Since that time, they have not returned. The Belize Times has also received information that the vehicle in the picture on this page (parked at PUC headquarters) was brought in as part of the Israeli ‘package,’ and costs some $2.3 million with equipment seen here. We were unable to receive any official confirmation from the PUC or from the Police Department, but an unofficial source has told us that the vehicle in (Continued on page 35)
It's Time For The PUP!