Prime Minister Dean Barrow has indicated on record that he will not comply with the ruling of a London Court which ordered government to pay Belize Telemedia Limited .5 million in damages. And now there is a group of citizens who want to ensure government doesn’t pay up.
Last week the Association of Concerned Belizeans along with Senator Godwin Hulse filed a claim in the Supreme Court, challenging the legality of the Accommodation Agreement which was signed in secrecy by former Prime Minister Said Musa. The ACB and Senator Hulse are asking the Supreme Court to void the Accommodation Agreement because it is contrary to both the Income and Business Tax Acts in addition to the Public Utilities Act.
The matter was heard before Justice John Muria and was adjourned until Tuesday May 5 to allow parties time to prepare. Senior Counsel Lois Young is representing the ACB and Senator Hulse while Eamon Courtenay appeared for Belize Telemedia. In court, an affidavit was presented from the ACB certifying it had the signatures of 380 persons.
The London Court of International Arbitration issued the judgement in March because according to the court and Telemedia, government failed to honour the 2005 Accommodation Agreement. In a press release after the ruling, Government’s official position was that it “will not be bound by any ruling of a foreign tribunal where that ruling conflicts with a position taken by Belize’s superior courts.”
On April 7, Government secured an injunction from then Acting Chief Justice Samuel Awich, restricting Telemedia from enforcing the judgement.
