Since last week Thursday, it's been making national headlines that American Bradley Paumen, one of the biggest tour operators in Belize, has been accused of orchestrating a plot to kill 4 persons, principally his neighbour in Frank's Eddy Michael Modiri, two of his employees, and his attorney.
The entire dispute centers over a piece of land that Modiri owns, but which Puamen needs to access the caves that his guests tour. Government acquired the land for Paumen - but the Supreme Court quashed that because land can only be acquired for a public purpose.
Justice Sonya Young was very stern in her condemnation of the Government's actions saying, quote, "the defendants (government)…acted neither fairly nor justly."
She declared, "...that the compulsory acquisition was not for a public purpose as it was not taken in the general interest of the community, but rather solely for the interests of an individual entity." That individual is Bradley Paumen.
When the judgment was handed down in 2015, it didn't get any public attention, but now that the whole murder plot has unraveled, it's all being laid bare - and the Ministry of Natural Resources has been exposed in a deeply dubious acquisition. The minister at the time of acquisition in February of 2015, was Gaspar Vega, and after the House Debate this afternoon, the press grilled him on his ministry's role in this public embarrassment and an act of misfeasance. The Commissioner of Lands, Wilbert Vallejos, told the court in sworn testimony that the decision to acquire the land came from the "Minister" in February of 2014. But when we asked him about it, today, he said he didn't give any such order. Moreover, the Deputy Prime Minister had a different take on why the judge ruled against the Government. Here's our back and forth with him:
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"The man wanted an access to his lands and government has acquired a piece of land from someone else for his to be able to access to his land, went to court and the ruling has said that (if I am not mistaken) it was done improperly. In other words Lands Department did not have the mandate to do such things, because it had to be Ministry of Works who would have the technical people to say if that was the adequate piece of land to access Mr. Paumen's parcel."
Reporter
"Sir the Court also found that this was done without Mr. Modiri even being in the country. When he came back in the country he found that government had already acquired his land without telling him anything and a road had already been built."
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"I'm not really sure. I know that there's a process that the Lands Department would have to go through….in other words get in touch with the owner if not they would have to published it."
Reporter
"Sir, in a judicial review, the Justice found that none of that had been done. In cross-examining Mr. Vallejos, the Commissioner of Lands, he said that there was no inspection of this site and it was done through a Minister's directive. That is what Mr. Vallejos told the court."
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"I'm not sure about that. I don't know if Mr. Vallejos said that, but I did not give such… if that's where you're going to I did not give such a directive. "
Reporter
"Sir he said it was the Minister's directive and you were the Minister of Lands at the time?"
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"I am telling you I did not give the directive."
Daniel Ortiz
"But where would that come from if such a directive was given? This is a senior Lands official making this declaration in Court."
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"I don't know. To be sincere I don't know. I didn't even know about that until now that you're saying it."
Daniel Ortiz
"But Sir didn't this case land on your desk as Minister of Lands?"
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"I remember the case and the only thing that...if I'm not mistaken that even came to Cabinet and the only thing we were concerned about is that Paumen was making a significant investment in tourism on that parcel of land and we were trying to see if he could be helped in getting access to his land."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, so then, were short cuts taken which ought not to have taken?"
Hon. Gaspar Vega. Minister of Lands
"I am not aware of such decision that a short cut was taken or anything like that."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, the court has struck down that acquisition."
Hon. Gaspar Vega, Minister of Lands
"Yes, I said it. The court struck it down but on the basis that we did not have the technical people to the acquisition issue, It should have been Ministry of Works."
We note that Vega's assertion about why the Judge ruled against him as the former Minister of Natural Resources is completely wrong.
When we asked the Prime Minister about it, he told us that he couldn't comment because he was not familiar with the case.
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