[GalvestonGal.com]

This is from one of the papers - The Guardian. Biggest news for Freepers is that Prosser is represented by, ta - dah - LANNY DAVIS. Yes, THE Lanny Davis.
Article:
On Tuesday January 18, 2005, the Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) issued a press release outlining another insane plan involving Intelco, BTL, and the RBTT Merchant Bank. The release further made an unfounded claim with respect to proposed payments to the Social Security Board (SSB) for assets held by Intelco. Finally, it stated that it has committed to returning the original ‘B’ shares in BTL to the Public Services Union (PSU) and the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) in exchange for the previously issued ‘C’ shares. The release suggested that the unions have delayed the transfer of shares.

Incidentally, this release comes on the heels of legal action brought against the Board of Directors of BTL by a group of minority shareholders including the Unions. The Judge hearing the case had indicated that he intends to pursue the matter and had issued an investigation of the Board’s activities. His decision for Judicial Review would be based on this pending investigation. No doubt this release is intended, among other things, to pacify the minority shareholders.

The Presidents of both the PSU and the BNTU reported that on Friday they were invited to a meeting with the Government’s Legal Advisor, Gian Ghandi. Upon entering the venue, they discovered that Prosser’s legal representatives were also present. The Union Presidents then left the meeting, contending that it was highly unethical for Ghandi to convene a meeting between them to discuss the legal action brought on by the minority shareholders when the other party to the action was not present.

We have to reiterate that Intelco does not owe SSB any money. Furthermore, Intelco remains in receivership and Mr. Cedric Flowers is still the appointed receiver. Mr. Flowers has yet to make any public report or request offers for the purchase of Intelco’s assets and as far as we are informed, there is no change to his arrangement with respect to his position as receiver. Until we get official word from Mr. Flowers or until RBTT changes the arrangement, we remain convinced that these claims of repaying SSB are mere attempts at fooling Belizeans.

The ‘meat’ of the release deals with a proposed arrangement that Prosser and ICC intends to execute with RBTT and the Belize Telecom Limited, the local company set up by Prosser and ICC to purchase the BTL shares. The release stated that the Board of Directors had confirmed a decision to “purchase a Note and security interest from RBTT Merchant Bank of Trinidad and Tobago secured by the assets of Intelco”.

As we interpret this new proposal, Prosser proposes for Belize Telecom Limited to take over Intelco’s Note with the RBTT. He would then impose upon BTL to acquire the assets in question in exchange for a Note to be issued to Belize Telecom Limited. BTL would then pay Belize Telecom Limited as per the issued Note after which Belize Telecom Limited would use such proceeds to pay off the RBTT Note. After all, how can Prosser and ICC find funds to purchase the Note upfront when it cannot pay for the majority shares that would allow him to make such decisions on behalf of BTL?

Channel 7 News added another twist to this sad affair when it reported that the Government has turned over the former Carlisle shares to the RBTT as a good faith measure to indicate approval of Prosser’s latest proposal. Normally we would have called on the Government to rein in Prosser in such a mad move but this latest development exposed by Channel 7 News basically renders the Government an accomplice. This is very credible as we are aware that the Government desperately needs the US$59.7 owed by Prosser and is obviously hoping that RBTT may eventually provide Prosser with the funds he needs to finalize the Purchase Agreement.

This whole Prosser/ICC/BTL episode is totally ridiculous. The Government needs to void its arrangement with Prosser and recover the former Carlisle shares for the people of Belize. Prosser and ICC have attempted to commit BTL to one dubious financial arrangement after another, even though he only owns 26 percent of the company. If Prosser can use BTL’s revenues to try to solve his financial problems, the people of Belize can do the same. If RBTT is willing to provide financing for Prosser to pay for the BTL shares then surely the Government can accomplish the same on our behalf. The possibilities are endless.

We truly cannot comprehend why this Administration would continue to encourage these numerous mad escapades of Prosser. This man came here with a bad reputation and during his time here he has cemented that reputation. The only logical reason we can suggest for the Government’s unending accommodation of this man is that ‘pirates of a feather flock together’. If the Government will not rid us of the pirates who continue to rape us, we will eventually have to get rid of them by ourselves. That process may well have started already.

[GalvestonGal.com]

Following is the end of the strike news from TV Channel 5. I watched the coverage and listened on the radio. The rock throwers got a lot of stones from the paving blocks on the Capitol stairs.

The police got to use all of their riot gear and practice their riot formations.

It was a fairly civilized "Shut down". Electricity stayed on after an initial black out; water was shut off, then turned on for meal times; TV cable was off and on, but mostly on. Same with Internet cable.

The district cities all had their appointed "shut downs" and protest marches. I think only the rock throwers and police in Belmopan received any injuries.


TV NEWS REPORT:
Whether you were in Belmopan to protest the government's budget, support it, or just look on, there was no escaping the conclusion that much of what happened today in the nation's capital was not pretty. News 5's Janelle Chanona was on the scene until late this afternoon with cameraman George Tillett. Here's what they saw and heard.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
In the hours leading up to the budget debate, no less than four organized camps had established themselves in the capital city. The Belize Police Department was determined to hold the line, maintaining a tight grip on and around Independence Hill.

In the Belmopan Civic Centre, Belize’s labour movement persisted in their position against proposed tax hikes and pay increase deferrals.

Anthony Fuentes, President, BNTU
“The teachers and public officers of this country deserve and demand our eight and five percent (8 and 5%) increase...nothing less than that.”

Across the parking lot, the People United Party forces were rallying behind party leader and Prime Minister Said Musa and his government.

Prime Minister Said Musa
“We are here today to continue the work of the peaceful constructive Belizean revolution. We of the Peoples United Party, we build we do not destroy.”

As the drums of the United Democratic Party supporters merged with that of the PUP’s and the unions’ song of solidarity, Prime Minister Musa enters the House of Representatives. Nat soundY

But then the peaceful demonstrators become angry protestors, openly engaging in confrontation with the police cadets on the frontline.

The riot squad is called in.

Assistant Police Commissioner, Crispin Jeffries attempts to cool the crowd are quickly met with open hostility

Behind police barriers, protestors collect missiles to hurl at the authorities, including rocks, lumps of soil, glass bottles and even fruit.

As the violence escalates, union leaders disassociate themselves from the fighting.

Horrace Patten, President, NTUCB
“We like the turnout but the problem is we don’t want to get involved with any political thing. Because our thing is strictly non-political. So what we are saying is non-political so we don’t want the different people be mixing around with us that causing mischief that would create problem. So we are trying to keep people away from that type of thing. That’s why some of us are riled up because we don’t want to get mixed in the crowd and creating any type of problem.”

Then, with little warning, Independence Hill becomes a battlefield.

In the melee, police make their first arrest of the day.

As police prepare for more attacks, press officer G. Michael Reid defend actions of the department.

G. Michael Reid, Police Press Officer
“What happened is one individual broke through the line and got behind the police and was in fact throwing some big rocks and in fact actually advancing at Mr. Jefferies and was throwing a couple of rocks at Mr. Jefferies. He came all the way up the hill and he was subsequently arrested. I think the police have shown remarkable restraint and so far in all of this ruckus, only one individual has been arrested, says a lot about the police restraint.”

Janelle Chanona
“Is it true that live rounds were fired into the air as warning shots?”

G. Michael Reid
“That is not correct. If the live rounds were fired, it was not from the Police Department.”

Janelle Chanona
“We saw shotguns being used and fired. What was in the gun?”

G. Michael Reid
“Shotguns and a couple of canastas of teargas were fired into the crowd.”

Janelle Chanona
“No, but I saw an officer with a shotgun, pulled the trigger. What was in the gun? Blanks? Rubber bullets?”

G. Michael Reid
“Janelle, you obviously saw something I didn’t. As far as I know there were no live shots fired. Certainly nothing was fired into the crowd as you know.”

Janelle Chanona
“What was it that Mr. Jefferies used to disperse the crowd?”


G. Michael Reid
“There was teargas used. At what point should the police have continued to take abuse and not do something?”

But as these shells prove, the police department was firing shotgun shells filled with plastic pellets into the crowd. With more than a few casualties, the authorities continue to maintain the line. On the other side of the barrier, UDP national campaign manager Carlos Perdomo explains his party’s position.

Carlos Perdomo, Campaign Manager, UDP
“The UDP position is for a very peaceful demonstration, but we have people that are around here who are very angry and I don’t think that they are UDP followers. But we are calling. You can see we are using our microphones to say no violence, no stoning. But Musa has caused everybody to get as angry as this and he is pretending like he’s not listening. But we are calling for peace.”

Janelle Chanona
“But Mr. Brian ‘Yellowman’ Audinett he is not associated with your party?”

Carlos Perdomo
“Yes, but they pushed him. That young man that they arrested over there it’s the police pushed him first.”

But the unions continued to picket, their song quickly changing to focus on the police.

Union Members
“Jeffries has to go. Jefferies has to go.”

Dylan Reneau, PSU
“What happened just now was a deliberate act by the political parties to get this thing into a violent confrontation because I can clearly report besides the UDP, they were PUP elements in that crowd that were hurling and creating this violence and we almost got a lot of unions members injured. This is a peaceful protest on the part of the unions. We are making our point and we are trying to hold our ground. But just now when Mr. Jefferies came out and there were live rounds fired, spraying teargas on everybody he could meet, that is not the way that the Belizean society is going to democracy. If you talk to democracy that is not democracy and peace and quiet.”

Additional members of the riot squad are dispatched to the front line, and formed a protected barrier around themselves. But suddenly the become targets.


And still more officers are sent to the steps.

Union leaders then try to mediate with the authorities but UDP activist Brian ‘Yellowman’ Audinett uses the opportunity to break the line.

The police prepare for anything, arming themselves with heavy artillery.

Then comes word of Audinett’s arrest and focus shifts to the Belmopan Police Station.

With leader of the opposition Dean Barrow as counsel, Police Commissioner Carmen Zetina agrees to process the arrested men expeditiously to appease the crowd. But the move does not erase the violence of the day.

Dean Barrow
“They speak for themselves. There is not a great deal more than I can say. Nobody would have wished this to happen. I believe that the Prime Minister reacted terrible by airing those ads that he did and by appearing to be summoning up PUP soldiers to try and provoke a confrontation. I’m happy that it’s not been any worst than it had been. I believe that as the afternoon wears on we will be able to sort things out without any more violence and for that we will be grateful. But from this day forward, clearly there will have to be a change with respect to the way we are governed. People have made it absolutely clear that ‘they nuh di play’. So I think that it’s a historic and to some extent, a glorious day for Belize.”

But as Assistant Commissioner Jeffries takes the front line again, he comes under fire by people who are apparent UDP supporters.

Taking no chances, Jeffries arms himself with a shotgun believed to be filled with plastic pellets, aiming at the primary agitators in the crowd.

Pellets, which find their mark.

Up until late this evening, skirmishes between protestors and police continued in Belmopan. Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.

At dusk, having read the riot act, police dispersed the crowd which had refused to leave the area.