The Belize Bank Limited is warning its customers of an ongoing scam. A scam alert from the bank tells customers to “be alert of fake social media profiles encouraging you to send a secure message via Belize Bank Online Banking with the possibility of receiving a deposit to your savings accounts.”
The notice also informs customers not to participate in these types of illegal activities. The Bank is urging customers not to click on any links or engage in initiatives like these.
Dr Chantal Ononaiwu of Jamaica has been selected by the Regional Judicial and Legal Services Commission (RJLSC), the independent body responsible for recruiting staff and judges for the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), to join the CCJ as a Judge, filling the vacancy created by the untimely retirement on 31 December 2023 of Mr Justice Jacob Wit, who died on 16 January 2024.
Dr Chantal Ononaiwu is an attorney-at-law with over 20 years’ experience at the Bar. In particular, she has specialist expertise in Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Law and International Law, including International Trade Law, and varied legal experience as an adjudicator, litigator, legal advisor, and university lecturer. Apart from her international trade law experience, Dr Ononaiwu has expertise in Commercial Law, having worked in the international business and financial services sector as the Director, Value Proposition Development at Invest Barbados. She also served as a Vice-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce Digital Standards Initiative Legal Reform Advisory Board. Further, at the start of her legal career, Dr Ononaiwu worked as counsel in the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Division of the Attorney General’s Chambers in Jamaica.
Dr Ononaiwu has lectured in International Trade and Investment Law, Public International Law, and Criminal Law at The University of the West Indies. Her academic work includes publications in the areas of International Trade Law, Investment Law, Public International Law, and Constitutional Law.
Dr Ononaiwu most recently served as the Director, External Trade, CARICOM, leading the coordination of the organisation’s external trade policy. During her tenure, she advised CARICOM and its Member States on international trade and investment issues and was a negotiator for the Community in negotiations of international trade agreements. She also has experience as an international trade adjudicator, having served as a member of a panel that adjudicated a World Trade Organization dispute.
Dr Ononaiwu is a Rhodes Scholar and holds the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy in Law from the University of Oxford; Master of Laws from the University of Cambridge; and Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from The University of the West Indies, as well as a Legal Education Certificate of Merit from the Norman Manley Law School.
In making the announcement, the Chairman of the RJLSC and President of the CCJ, the Honourable Mr Justice Adrian Saunders, took the opportunity to commend the process used to recruit Judges of the Court, stating, “The RJLSC prides itself on a recruitment process that is competitive, premised on merit and experience and fiercely independent. Each appointment reflects our unwavering commitment to selecting individuals of the highest calibre, based solely on their expertise, integrity, and dedication to justice. During the recruitment process, we received applications from The Bahamas, Great Britain, Canada, Nigeria, Dominica, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Of the applications received, four candidates, three females and one male, were shortlisted for further consideration and subsequently interviewed by the entire membership of the Commission in Port of Spain in person. This process ensures that our Court continues to be a beacon of fairness and excellence, characterised by the utmost professionalism and impartiality.”
It is expected that Dr Ononaiwu will take the oath of office in October 2024. The RJLSC is currently conducting recruitment exercises for further appointments to the Bench, including the post of President to replace Justice Saunders who will retire in 2025.
Press Release
The Department of Transport has officially opened its new branch in Spanish Lookout, situated on Iguana Creek Road in the Cayo District, marking a significant advancement in transportation services for the area.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Thursday, drawing attendance from key government officials, community leaders, and local residents. Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Youth, Sports, and Transport, delivered remarks alongside Minister of State Gilroy Usher from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Transport; Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change; and community leader Harry Letkenan.
The new branch will enhance accessibility and convenience for residents and businesses, offering services such as debit card payments for transactions.
The Department of Transport believes that this branch will become a crucial hub for the community, contributing to the growth and development of the region.
During a convention for the People’s National Movement on Sunday, Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced that Trinidad and Tobago will update its coat of arms by late September, a decision that received a standing ovation.
“This marks a significant step towards removing the colonial remnants embedded in our constitution,” Rowley stated.
The current coat of arms, featuring hummingbirds, a palm tree, and Trinidad’s national bird, the scarlet ibis, has remained unchanged since the island gained independence from the UK in 1962. This redesign represents the first major change to the symbol. Additionally, the country will soon hold public hearings to consider removing statues, signs, and monuments with colonial ties.
Rowley is also advocating for the country to sever ties with the UK’s Privy Council as its highest court of appeal, a legal connection still maintained by several Commonwealth nations, including Trinidad and Tobago. He expressed his desire for the country to no longer be “squatters on the steps of the Privy Council,” as reported by local media.
As part of this broader move to shed colonial influences, the new coat of arms will replace the image of Christopher Columbus’s three ships—the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria—with the steelpan, a percussion instrument that originated on the island and holds significant cultural importance. This change has been widely praised across the eastern Caribbean nation.
In connection with the brutal murders of Joel Andrews and Martin Sho, police have arrested and formally charged two men with two counts of murder each. Earlier this week, Ian Roy Herrera, a 22-year-old Belizean construction worker from Hattieville Village, was charged with murder. Today, investigators charged Blake Norman Lewis, a 25-year-old Belizean labourer from Belize District, with two counts of murder.
The victims, Joel Andrews and Martin Sho, were discovered on a farm near mile seventeen on the George Price Highway in October 2023, both suffering from chop wounds and gunshot injuries. The police were alerted to the scene following a tip about an aggravated burglary that escalated into a double homicide.
The investigation suggests that robbery was the primary motive behind the murders. It is believed that the suspects targeted Andrews, as his home was found ransacked and his firearm was likely stolen.
The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU) has voiced its discontent with the Government of Belize’s decision to purchase a parcel of land for $6.9 million from a private landowner to develop a tertiary-level hospital. The UBFSU highlighted that this decision deviates from the original plan to construct the hospital on the University of Belize’s Belmopan campus, as outlined in the loan motion’s recitals. The union expressed disappointment that the change was made without meaningful consultation with key stakeholders, including their organisation.
The UBFSU criticised the government’s move, stating that it undermines principles of good governance and raises concerns about transparency and accountability in managing public funds. The union emphasised the importance of establishing a tertiary-level hospital for the nation’s healthcare system but stressed that the project should be approached with thoughtfulness and collaboration.
The UBFSU believes that the land owned by the University of Belize, as initially proposed, would successfully meet all required environmental assessments and receive approval from qualified, objective building engineers for cost-effectiveness and suitability. The union also called for the active involvement of UB’s qualified medical personnel in every stage of the hospital’s development, from construction to operational use.
In light of these concerns, the UBFSU urges the Board to call on the Government to reconsider its decision and proceed with constructing the tertiary-level hospital on the University campus, signaling a commitment to public education and future generations of Belizeans.
Authorities in Belmopan have made preparations for a protest that was scheduled to begin today at 8 a.m. in front of the Prime Minister’s office. On Thursday, the N.T.U.C.B. called for a peaceful demonstration, urging all unions, including the Communications Workers Union, Belize National Teachers Union, Progressive Teachers Union, and the Water Services Workers Union, to participate. In a statement, the N.T.U.C.B. emphasised that this protest is a call for all workers and citizens to take action against corruption and demand accountability from leaders. The release also announced that the N.T.U.C.B. will be joining forces with Nigel Petillo and various civil society organisations to advocate for a future in Belize that is free from corruption, misfeasance, and kleptocracy.
Belize City and Miramar, Florida, have formalised a 13-year friendship by signing a Sister City Agreement on August 21, 2024, at a ceremony attended by officials from both cities, including Mayors Bernard Wagner and Wayne Messam. The partnership aims to foster collaboration in economic development, technology, and tourism. Mayor Messam emphasised the opportunities provided by Miramar’s pro-business environment, while Mayor Wagner expressed optimism about Belize City’s growth, likening Miramar to a “big sister.” The ceremony also included the symbolic presentation of the keys to the city to Mayor Wagner. Both cities are excited about the future of this partnership, which promises significant benefits for their communities.
There is a protest planned for Friday morning in Belmopan where activist Nigel Petillo, the membership of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, and Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow will demonstrate in the wake of government’s recent purchase of a fifteen-acre parcel of land. That property, acquired by the Ministry of Natural Resources at a significant markup, will be the site of the University Hospital. The acquisition of the undeveloped acreage from businessman Kenny Zheng has proven to be controversial, since he bought the property in question from RECONDEV for a little under six hundred thousand dollars in 2018. When Zheng sold it back to the government, the profit margin was eleven and a half times the actual purchase price. On August nineteenth, N.T.U.C.B. President Luke Martinez wrote to U.B. Chairman Godfrey Smith, in respect of the proposed University Hospital. Earlier today, Senior Counsel Smith responded to Martinez’s letter, explaining that the final decision to relocate the proposed site of the University Hospital rested with the Government of Belize via the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Notwithstanding its disappointment with the government’s decision, Smith said that the board was willing to accommodate the proposed medical facility should the ministry change its mind. Elsewhere in his response, the U.B. Chairman made the point, quote, I believe that the board should reiterate its commitment to have the University Hospital built on U.B. land and seriously consider your proposal of asking the government to gift the purchased land to U.B., should the government maintain its decision to build the University Hospital on the purchased land, end quote. That issue will be discussed at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees on September eleventh.
The President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, former Senator Luke Martinez, has been vocal about the N.T.U.C.B.’s position on the outrageous sale of private property to government for the building of the University Hospital. In criticizing the Briceño administration for the questionable land purchase, Martinez also expressed displeasure with the Minister of Health and Wellness.
On the phone: Luke Martinez, President, N.T.U.C.B.
“Di government di bullsh*t the people and the government needs to do what was agreed upon in the Senate which is to build the hospital on UB land, done. No negotiation, dehn noh need fi knock up dehn head bout goh pay this one or goh pay da one or goh look fi cheaper land or whatever. Dehn get free land from UB, can’t get better than that. That da weh di government need fi do. Dehn need fi stop bullsh*t the people. My message to the Minister of Health is that I am extremely disappointed in the Minister of Health because he appeared to have been a promising politician. Everybody loved him when he was the mayor of Orange Walk and now for him to be participating in what appears to be some very funny transactions is very disappointing and I am disappointed in him.”
