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7News was outside the courtroom when the court arguments concluded today and we spoke to the lead attorneys:

Hector Guerra - Attorney ASR/BSI
"For the loss of business, there were subsisting contractual arrangements with local businesses for the supply of sugar, molasses and for the sale of electricity."

Jules Vasquez
"What is the quantum of the claim? Has, has a number been offered as to the loss in revenue or earnings?"

Hector Guerra - Attorney ASR/BSI
"I believe in the Belcogen claim, it's roughly half a million. And in the BSI claim, it's a little north of $1 million."

Jules Vasquez
"Now, who is liable for this? Because I see the state is also involved."

Hector Guerra - Attorney ASR/BSI
"Yes. So I believe at the time of the blockade, government officials had intervened and had promised an indemnity to the associations so that if any loss is found due to both BSI and Belcogen. of course, that loss would initially have to come from the BSCFA, the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, but the government has in in this instance agreed to indemnify the sugar cane farmers."

Jules Vasquez
"It's unusual that one of the parties in a commercial agreement would bring an action against the other party in the commercial agreement."

"Is your client trying to send a message with this suit, or trying to create a precedent that let it not happen again?"

Hector Guerra - Attorney ASR/BSI
"I don't believe so. Jules. I think, the blockade, of course, caused major losses to both BSI and BelCogen, and a claim is a natural result of that in my mind. And of course, if you're familiar with the history in the sugar industry, you would be aware that disputes between BSCFA especially and the mill, are not uncommon."

"I mean, you could go back into your records and you'd see that as far back as 2009, you'll find disputes, which resulted in the death of an individual, unfortunately, at that time and again in 2015, because of bagasse in 2009, that was as a result of the core sampler, if you recall, Jules."

Jules Vasquez
"Yes. A long history of disputation , a long history of blockages. We've seen it, but not a long history of suits like this, is it, in that regard, to set an example, to send a message?"

Hector Guerra - Attorney ASR/BSI
"I don't think it's to set an example. It's merely to ensure that your rights are respected by others with whom you conduct business, Jules."

Marissa Longsworth, Attorney -BSCFA
"Well, of course, you know the BSCFA in this suit, as you would know, is being tried for a liability of trespass, which resulted in economic loss or loss of contract and business to BSI and Belcogen. And so, whatever those losses are quantified as, of course, that's what's being claimed. So there has to be a very strong defence for the BSCFA. Remember, it's not just the association that has been named, there were individual farmers named. It started out with five defendants. The claimants have dropped two. And so we're left with the BSCFA and two individual farmers."

Jules Vasquez
"What is their defense? Insofar as we all know what happened or at least I have a clear understanding of what happened at that time, and that from what we saw, there was an active blockage."

"What is your defense in this case?"

Marissa Longsworth, Attorney -BSCFA
"Well, remember, we're still before the court. At this point in time we're going to do our site visit with the judge this afternoon, followed by written submissions in the coming weeks before we get his ruling. And so in terms of how to manage this sort of defense, it, it really will come down to the claimants properly establishing their case that there was trespass, that that trespass was intentional and malicious, and that as a result, there was loss that they have claimed in that number that they have claimed."

Jules Vasquez
"But are you all saying that your clients did not block or obstruct or impede?"

Marissa Longsworth, Attorney -BSCFA
"Well, our basis of our defense is going to be that of course, the claimants have not properly established their case."

Judgement is expected in the next 4 to 6 months.