On Monday, we showed you Audrey Matura Shepherd's passionate condemnation of former Natural Resources CEO turned UDP Aspirant Beverly Castillo. Matura- Shepherd alleged that before she resigned her post, Castillo used her high office to disenfranchise her client, Bernadette Pickwood. Matura Shepherd claims that Castillo cancelled Pickwood's lease for a parcel of land in Belama and then transferred that land to her own son and mother.
On Tuesday Lands Commissioner Wilbert Vallejos disputed Matura's characterizations and the timeframe she put forward.
And today, in a demonstration of how important the image of Beverly Castillo is to the Government, an official 2 page, eight point statement was sent out explaining the transaction, and, again, defending Castillo's integrity.
It opens by calling Matura Shepherd's interview "misinformation" and then goes unto say that the lease issued in 1993, for 30 years was violated because land rental was never paid and the property was not developed in the timeframe required. A cancellation notice went out in October - which the Pickwoods say they never got - and it was forfeited on November first. 5 days later, on November 6th, Minister Gaspar Vega approved the new lease for Maud Williams and Marvin Castillo Jr.
The release says the lease was not forfeited as per instructions of former CEO, Beverly Castillo.
Well this evening Matura Shepherd held a press conference to weigh in against that press release. She didn't invite 7News, but our colleagues at KREM Radio provided us this audio clip. Matura Shepherd says that indeed the land rental fee was not paid on time, but it was eventually paid - just last week Friday, and payment was accepted. And, second, she stresses that the notice was never sent out on time, and because of that, the forfeiture is invalid:...
Voice of: Audrey Matura-Shepherd
"She paid it and here is the receipt. We will prove that it was paid and yes it was paid after all of this blew up, but nonetheless the Lands Department did take the money and because the Belize Bank has a charge on that land, they have an interest which interestingly Mr. Vallejos says that on October 1st of this year, they sent a notice both to my client and the Belize Bank saying to them that they are being notified that this matter they will forfeit it. We dispute that terribly. We can give you the letter from the Belize Bank which the Belize Bank also is disputing with Lands Department what they've done and in it the Belize Bank clearly tells them that up to date they have not been served any notice."
"He (the Minister) may after giving the leasee reasonable opportunity to make representation can then cancel the lease. This is the crooks of it; was Bernadette Pickwood given this notice and reasonable time to address it and we are saying no."
Matura-Shepherd adds that the Lands Department cannot present proof that it indeed sent a forfeiture notice.
The matter is before the courts and the land is presently under a supreme court injunction until January 21st.
Matura-Shepherd claims that there has been a breach of that court order.
Email
Print