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Daniel Ortiz reporting
This is the signature that Amy Forte says was forged. Her attorney says that they've gotten a expert to verify she didn't sign this document; somebody else tried to replicate her signature to pass off these land transactions in her name.

With that fraud, the paper ownership of that pre-owned land lot 2 on Caye Calker, passed to Andre Vega.

When we first got these documents, we didn't know what he got as compensation for the title to that land that the Lands Department shouldn't have issued.

Vega's other relatives, Eduardo Vega, Ignacio German Vega and Karen Vega all got land on Mosquito Caye for the pre-owned pieces of land that they allegedly purchased from two other unknown civilians.

We suspected - but didn't know for a fact - that Andre Vega got a similar compensation deal. That was confirmed on Wednesday by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who said that he got 7 acres of land on that same Mosquito Caye, land that the Government is now confiscating from him. Vega says he's giving it back.

All this was only triggered by Amy Forte's action to demand that the Lands Ministry take note of the forgery of her name and signature, something which the PUP is all too willing to applaud.

Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"It is only because this brave Belizean has decided to challenge the prime minister and this UDP government and to challenge the very powerful Vega family that the prime minister is taking action or else he would have done nothing. Ms. Forte had test done to the documents bearing her signature and according to the export her signature was forged. Interestingly the fraudulent conveyance bears the signature of Ms. Darlene Padron, a justice of the peace who worked at the ministry of lands under Vega. We know that she is a UDP operative, she has put her name forward to try to represent the UDP both in San Felipe and in Orange Walk south. We know that Gaspar Vega brought in key people in key areas of the ministry. Remember his nephews, he has one as deputy commissioner of lands and one as deputy registrar of lands, two individuals that knew nothing about land and then he brought in Ms. Gillet the daughter of Derrick Gillet who is compadre with Gaspar Vega and he brought in also Darlene Padron and even appointed her as justice of the peace, so that they can sign the documents within themselves, they don't have to go outside of the ministry. So then Darlene Padron as the justice of the peace signed that she saw that Amy Fortes signed the land and then that she Amy Forte signed the conveyance to transfer the land to Andre Vega and I can assure you that they have been countless other files that Darlene Padron assigned. We need to investigate all the documents that Darlene Padron, JP signed. It was the same prime minister that gave the directive that Darlene Padron must be removed from the ministry of lands; she is now in the department of environment."

The police will have to investigate this case to determine if criminal charges can be brought in this alleged fraud. According to the lawbooks any persons who forges a title to land with intent to defraud shall be liable to imprisonment for life.

The Prime Minister's officer has said, quote, "the Prime Minister has concluded that the charge of fraud raised by Ms. Forte is credible and must be taken extremely seriously." We have received reports which say that relatives of Ms. Forte may have been involved generally in land dealings. We'll keep following the story.