Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Belize Times
1
CASTRO CANNED! SUNDAY NOVEMBER 28, 2010
Issue No. 4721
$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz www.pup.org.bz
O n We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 24th the bombastic junior minister in the Ministry of Works got his long overdue comeuppance in a big way when he was unceremoniously booted to the back bench by his boss. A terse release issued by the Office of the Prime Minister claims that ‘the decision was taken following a report made to the Prime Minister about an incident involving Hon. Castro.’ That much seems to be true, as a local media house on Wednesday night released information revealing that Castro had been involved in a land scam in which he offered land to a Belizean-American woman who handed over money but never received the land. According to the media, the woman went to the Prime Minister with documents proving the veracity of her allegations including proof of payment and action was then taken. Further than that, the Prime Minister would offer no details when questioned about the matter following the meeting of the House of Representatives, saying that he did not wish to further embarrass
C a s t r o . M r. B a r r o w w o u l d n o t respond to questions about whether Castro, like any other normal citizen in the same situation, would be made to face criminal charges in regard to the scurvy land transaction.
While this might have been the incident which broke the junior minister’s back, so to speak, Castro has been the subject of many allegations of both financial and sexual misconduct since being
appointed a junior minister. Entering politics as a man of humble means, Castro has in less than three years become a wealthy landowner with numerous business enterprises under his belt with interests including real estate, a boutique, a cable company, heavy equipment rental, construction and tourism. Sources inside the Ministry of Works claim that Castro has consistently made very aggressive and improper advances to members of staff which have created quite a stir. The release from the Office of the Prime Minister continued to state that ‘The Prime Minister was satisfied, after due consideration, that the report was substantially accurate; and that Hon. Castro had engaged in behavior inconsistent with the high standards of propriety to which the Prime Minister seeks to hold his ministers.’ Of course that stock phrase of ‘high standards’ is only the expected political spin because it is common knowledge t h a t q u i t e a f e w o f B a r r o w ’s ministers are engaged in highly (Continued on pg. 3)
Less than two months after a prison officer at the Hattieville Correctional Facility came under attack while driving on the Boom/ Hattieville road enroute to Belize City, (in which fellow prison officer,
Miriam Castillo was killed), on Tuesday night the facility itself came under attack...twice. The first assault came at around 10:30 pm when an unidentified vehicle (Continued on pg. 3)
At today’s sitting of the House there was the usual posturing by the Prime Minister of Belize who is employing inordinate high drama (even for him) in an attempt to distract Belizeans from the reality – which
is that his negligence and studied ignorance of the crises battering the stakeholders of the sugar industry resulted in the near collapse of one of the nation’s largest revenue earners. (Continued on pg. 3)
Prison Under Attack... Twice!
NO MONEY ON MONDAY!
Mr. Barrow - Da Your Name Stink da Road!