Chairman of the Belize Natural Energy Trust Orlando Burns is under sustained pressure tonight. Last night on this newscast you heard former general manager Debbie Sewell accuse him of using the trust as a slush fund. Today the PUP sent out a release alleging much the same and asking the Prime Minister to remove him. And, if all that wasn't quite enough, today the three BNE members of the board of directors sent Burns a joint letter asking him to resign. We haven't seen the letter but heard it extensively quoted on LOVE FM - BNE's preferred media outlet.
And that choice of media ally is actually illustrative of the schism on the Board of Directors. Burns told us yesterday that the government directors felt that for the two years when BNE controlled the trust it was being used by the oil company as a public relations fund - evidenced by heavy advertising including support of LOVE FM's Raise Yu Flag competition. Burns tells us that right now there are payments pending his approval of thousands of dollars to PLUS TV and LOVE FM.
BNE controlled the majority of seats on the board between 2008 and 2010 - Government assumed control in the middle of this year.
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