Over the weekend, Belizeans were shaken by the news of the country’s deadliest road accident in recent years. A tragic collision in San Ignacio claimed the lives of ten people, including a four-year-old child. This heartbreaking incident comes on the heels of several other road fatalities, such as the death of Miriam “Ms. Pretty” Cordon, who lost her life after a van collided into an SUV she was traveling in accident last week. These are just a few of the many tragic losses Belizeans have faced this year. The Belize Transport Department is striving to address these issues, but as Chief Transport Officer Leon Gentle points out, they are grappling with limited resources.
Leon Gentle
Leon Gentle, Chief Transport Officer
“There are several things that we’re hoping that we can employ. We have been in dialogue with the police department as well as the municipal authorities for us to increase our presence, especially during the night time that has been the challenge for us from the Department of Transport as it relates to doing our night patrols. And we’ve done this. This challenge has always been primarily because the issue. Is the security of our offices that we want to ensure their safety as well. So we always collaborated with the department of the police department to ensure that our officers along with their officers are doing our night patrols and doing our night patrols and vehicle checkpoints. And so while this may seem like a response, it has always been it has always been the fact that we have been collaborating with the police department. While our operations may not go twenty-four or through the night, we do have checkpoints in the hotspots primarily on the western corridor and the northern corridor up until Sometimes all the way up until ten o’clock at night, so there is that level of we have been having those level of response as it relates to nightly checkpoints, but it’s something that we need to revisit to see if we can increase our awareness and presence on the highways.”
Britney Gordon
“What would you say is the main challenge that the department is facing right now in order to counteract these accidents? As police told us earlier, in the case of the St. Ignacio RTA, the driver ran the checkpoint. So how do you manage that?”
Leon Gentle
“So it’s a matter of resources. We’ve been working on to see how we can look at the resources that we have doing self-assessment to look at areas that we can improve on one area that we have identified is human resources. We need to increase the officers that we have in our enforcement unit, as well as we need to increase the number of vehicles that we have to effectively patrol the highways, both during the day and at night.”
Less than twenty-four hours after the tragedy, a motorcyclist took to Facebook on Sunday to share a video of a close call he had with a reckless driver. Daniel Coleman posted footage of a blue pick-up truck swerving into the opposite lane, nearly colliding with an oncoming bus. The truck then overtakes another vehicle, dangerously crossing into the other lane on a curve. Coleman, riding his motorcycle, captures the driver on video before ending the recording. According to Coleman, this incident occurred in Esperanza Village, Cayo.
On Friday, a vacation in San Pedro, Ambergris, turned tragic when a woman lost her life. Around four p.m., Jennifer Hernandez was enjoying a golf cart ride with her boyfriend, Jeremy Flores, near Secret Beach, when they hit a bump in the road. The jolt caused Hernandez to fall and suffer fatal injuries. First responders quickly arrived at the scene and transported her to the San Pedro Polyclinic for treatment, but sadly, she succumbed to her injuries shortly after. ACP Hilberto Romero has confirmed that Flores has since been charged.
“On Friday, the sixth day of December, 2024, police responded to a fatal accident. On the secret beach road in San Pedro. Upon arrival, they learned that the female had been taken for treatment. San Pedro Police visited the San Pedro Polyclinic where they found Jennifer Hernandez with injuries to the head and body. Thereafter, she succumbed to her injuries. Investigation revealed that she was riding along with her boyfriend in a golf cart when the boyfriend, drove and hit a bump, causing her to fall off the golf cart, causing her fatal injuries. An investigation was carried out and her boyfriend, Jeremy Flores, has since been arrested and charged for reckless driving, driving without due care and attention, causing death by careless conduct and failed to provide specimen for analysis, it was suspected that he had been consuming alcoholic beverage.”
The Belize Coast Guard is in mourning tonight after the tragic death of Gianna Vanegas. On November thirtieth, the sailor was critically injured in a motorcycle accident on the George Price Highway. She was placed in a coma at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but sadly succumbed to her injuries. The grief doesn’t end there, as the family of Belmopan business owner Miriam Cordon is also mourning her loss after a fatal collision on December second. ACP Hilberto Romero provides an update on these unfortunate incidents.
“In reference to the motorcycle accident involving Gianna Vanegas, she succumbed to her injuries on Saturday. And then reference the fatal road traffic accident, where Miriam Cordon succumbed to her injuries. An investigation was carried out on Leroy Nunez of Dangriga has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, drove motor vehicle with alcoholic concentration above the prescribed limit, and drove motor vehicle without due care attention.”
No charges have been filed yet in the shooting death of seventeen-year-old Huard Ramirez. Last Wednesday, the teenager was killed in San Ignacio Town after allegedly entering a trailer in the Boiton area without permission. According to reports, the property owner, forty-four-year-old Juan Gonzalez, discovered Ramirez and approached him as he tried to flee. Gonzalez claims that Ramirez picked up a piece of wood and attempted to attack him, prompting Gonzalez to fire a single shot, fatally wounding the teenager. ACP Hilberto Romero provided an update on the ongoing investigation.
On Friday, a gunman targeted the home of Police Corporal Yelena Monterozza in Saint Matthew’s Village. Around three a.m., Monterozza was jolted awake by the sound of gunshots but couldn’t pinpoint where they were coming from. Later, police found twenty-nine spent shells in her yard and noticed bullet holes in her house and a nearby parked car. Today, ACP Hilberto Romero informed us that the police are still investigating the incident.
“On Friday, the sixth day of December, police responded to a shooting at St. Matthews Village. We found Yelena Monterozza, a police officer, who reported that while she was at home, she heard several bangs that sounded like gunshots. She called for police assistance, thereafter police came to the area where they found bullet holes on two vehicles that were parked beside the house, and also bullet holes were seen on the house. An investigation is being carried out, and so far no one is detained for this shooting.”
Over the weekend, a painful discovery was made near Yarborough Bridge when police retrieved the body of Ryan Romero from the canal. The Belize City resident was found deceased with no apparent injuries. ACP Hilberto Romero shared some insights into what the police believe led to Romero’s death.
“On Saturday, the seventh of December, police responded to reports of a body found by the Yarborough Bridge. Upon arrival, they found the lifeless body of a male person in the water. He was taken out. Thereafter, he was identified as Ryan Romero of Belize City. He was taken to the HHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation revealed that he was last seen in that area. Thereafter, his body was found. He is known to suffer from seizures. No signs of any injuries were observed on the body.”
Prime Minister John Briceño has stated that if Caribi Bleu Casino is found guilty of any wrongdoing, they must be held accountable. The Central Bank has already confirmed that ATMs, especially those dispensing U.S. currency, should not be operated inside a casino. So, what penalties will Caribi Bleu Casino face for running an unauthorized ATM in its San Pedro facility? And there are even bigger questions: where did the U.S. currency loaded into the machine come from, and how did they manage to import and configure an ATM that dispenses U.S. dollars? The Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) is the supervisory authority for casinos in Belize, but they haven’t been forthcoming about the steps they’ve taken to address these issues. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
For the past eight weeks, News Five has been digging into the operations at Caribi Bleu Casino. Our investigation kicked off with reports that the casino had received dozens of golf cart permits earlier this year, adding to the already heavy traffic on Ambergris Caye. The San Pedro Town Council’s traffic department gave us access to their Traffic Master Log, where we discovered that only twenty golf carts are officially registered under Caribi Bleu Limited. What raised eyebrows was that during one of our initial visits to the island, we counted more than a dozen golf carts at the casino’s parking lot. On that same day, we obtained a video showing several golf carts hidden inside a neighboring building. However, when we visited the casino at the request of a Caribi Bleu representative, we were shown an empty building. The representative insisted that golf carts were never stored there.
But where there’s smoke, there’s often fire. Our investigation led News Five to uncover a video of a covert operation inside Caribi Bleu Casino. This operation revealed that the casino was running an unauthorized ATM that dispenses U.S. currency. When we caught up with Prime Minister John Briceno, we asked for his thoughts on the investigation.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well I think that is more a matter, not for the ministry of finance, but either the FIU or the Central Bank. The FIU is an independent unit. So, we allow them to do their investigation. Also, with the Central Bank, if there is any fine to be paid or anyone needs to be charged for having an illegal atm and dispensing U.S. dollars. Well, I am confident that the Central Bank is going to charge these people or take them to court, and they should, I would encourage them to do so.”
On October twenty-seventh, Central Bank Governor Kareem Michael confirmed that it has launched an investigation into the casino’s operation, particularly where the ATM machine is concerned.
Kareem Michael
Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank (File: Nov 27th 2024)
“I am sure you will appreciate that I can’t say much on that, because it is a live investigation.”
Paul Lopez
“How is it that a casino can operate a casino, undetected overtime?”
Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank
“I have a better question, how is it configured? So, again the techies in the room can tell me. So, the moment this thing started, obviously Belize small and I personally received messages from citizens in San Pedro that this was taking place.”
Governor Michael didn’t specify what penalties the casino might face under the Currency Exchange Act or the National Payment Systems Act. However, he did confirm that a cease-and-desist order would be issued to Caribi Bleu Casino. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister stated he would not be getting involved in the investigation.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I have not call them. I will not get involved. It is an investigation. Again, the Central Bank is independent from the government, as the F.I.U. All we can do is encourage them to do their investigation and if there are any person that should be found guilty of any wrongdoing, they should be charged to the fullest extent.”
Marion Ali
“But there needs to be a set a procedures to follow in order to get an atm inside of a casino facility that dispenses U.S. dollars. How could they have totally circumvented the procedure?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“It is not a matter circumventing the procedure, it is a matter that they brought in an atm. And we need to find out first of all how they brought in an atm. I don’t think there is anything illegal to bring an atm into the country. We need to find out from customs if that was even registered or if they paid to have that atm in Belize. But, once you have an atm it is easy to program. You put in the money and then it spits it out. It does not have anything to do with the Ministry of Finance.”
Marion Ali
“So, they just did not go through the proper procedure?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Exactly, and if that is so, then they need to be held accountable.”
In addition to the Central Bank’s investigation into the ATM, its setup, and the legality of its operation, the Financial Intelligence Unit (F.I.U) has its own work cut out. Part of the F.I.U’s job is to trace the source of the U.S. currency being loaded into the machine.
Kareem Michael (File: Nov 27th 2024)
“Casinos and these nonfinancial entities, falls under another member of NAMLAC, namely the FIU.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it a common practice to have atms in Casinos in Belize under the National Payment Systems Act?”
Kareem Michael
“Absolutely not.”
News Five has been trying to get an interview with the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit for the past three weeks, but our emails, phone calls, and messages have all gone unanswered. Adding to the mystery, there are questions about the name under which Caribi Bleu Casino is registered in Belize. According to the FIU’s website, there’s no casino listed under that name. We’ll keep pushing for answers from the F.I.U. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
The Government of Belize, in collaboration with Belize Tax Services, has launched a fantastic initiative to give back to taxpayers across the country. On December fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-second, any local retail purchases will be GST exempt! Yes, for four days in December, you can shop at your grocery stores, supermarkets, hardware stores, and convenience stores—basically any retail store—without paying the usual twelve and a half percent in General Sales Tax. However, some items like gasoline, alcoholic beverages, and cigarettes won’t be GST exempt.
Michelle Longsworth
Michelle Longsworth, Director General, Belize Tax Services
“We are now announcing that we will have GST tax free days in December. This coming weekend, which is the fourteenth and fifteenth, Saturday and Sunday and next coming weekend which is the twenty-first and the twenty-second weekends, all high spending, this is the high spending months, these days will be GST free. Based on our data analytics and economic trends, we were able to properly advise to say this is an initiative that government can undertake bring government and the people closer. So the GST tax free days will see our tax payers going into stores purchasing tax free for those days, twelve point five percent, tax free. So that will be deducted form your spending. It is important to know for the business side, it is going o be simple. They don’t have to reprogram their registers. Most of them use the POS systems, there will be no need to reprogram their systems. They will just offer the twelve point five percent as a discount line. Meaning, that when you as the tac payers go in. we are empowering our tax payers. All year around, we as the tax administration we always advise people ask for your receipt, look for your receipt. All stores, everywhere you go, from the mom and pop that charges GST, to Courts, the big retail, everywhere, it is across the board, the entire country of Belize. Whenever you go into the store and you are purchasing cash based. The following goods are not exemptible, goods that are imported, at importation all importers will still have to pay their GST. Goods on consignment or others sold for wholesale purposes. The supply of goods on credit, or credit installment or higher purchases. Those are not included. The supply of motor vehicles, gasoline, LPG, diesel, guns, ammunition, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, those are not included.”
Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, shared that the Government of Belize is foregoing five million dollars in GST revenue due to the four-day exemption. He explained that this is just one of many targeted initiatives the government is rolling out to help ease the high cost of living.
Henry Charles Usher
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
“It is important to understand that this is a targeted initiative, because we are always talking about cost of living and the effects of inflation. We know that inflation is something we import just like how we import goods. This government has taken the initiative to have targeted release efforts to consumers for Belizean citizens. You saw the prime minister announce at the State of the Nation Adrees, the announcement the movement of income tax. He announced that the mortgages of a hundred thousand dollars and less, there will be no stamp duty on those. Those are targeted relief to combat the cost of living. This is another targeted initiative, because most of the persons who are in the different bracket, because the already brought their goods. They have their freights coming in, bought it on Amazon or wherever. This wont cover that. What this will cover are those Belizean getting paid this week, because this week is payday week, that will be able to go to the stores and have a discount. This discount is important to understand that this twelve and a half percent relief to what the store is already offering. So if the store is offering a ten percent discount this is a twelve and a half percent on top of that. So you are looking at a twenty-two and a half percent discount. And, from the data that the Tax Service has, normally on a regular weekend, the tax collected from GST during the weekend is around one and a half to two million. Around this time of the year, Christmas time, demand is higher, it is closer to two and half million. So, you are looking at five million dollars between the two weekends that the government or the tax department is putting back into the pockets of Belizean citizens.”
