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She is Miss Belize Universe and should represent Belize at the Miss Universe Pageant in Vietnam on July 28th. But today 20-year-old Tanisha Vernon put all of that on the line when she spoke out against Pageants Belize and its owner and only employee – Margaret Johnson. Vernon along with other current and past beauty queens laid out their case against Johnson at a press conference this evening at the Radisson Hotel. They vented for nearly an hour about everything from missing money, missing prizes, and broken promises. And the best part about it is that Margaret Johnson was there to respond to the allegations and so was our 7NEWS team. Keith Swift has the highlights.

Keith Swift Reporting,
The beauty queens – Miss Belize World Felicita Arzu, Miss Belize Universe 2006 Maria Jeffrey, and reigning Miss Belize Tanisha Vernon say they were abandoned and mistreated by Margaret Johnson.

Felicita Arzu, Miss Belize World
“On October 30t 2007 I traveled to the Phillip Goldson International Airport enroute to China to compete in the Miss World Pageant for an entire month. While on my way, all I could think about was that this was the day that I have been anticipating, the day I had working so hard for, for the past 15 days. It was supposed to be a joyous day but it wasn’t. After 15 months, Pageants Belize did not even bother to secure a plane ticket to my international pageant. I received my plane ticket about five minutes before leaving and it wasn’t because of Margaret Johnson. It was because of the generosity of Mr. Johnny Briceno and the Belize Tourism Board. Pageants Belize could have cared less whether I left or not. I boarded the flight to China with US$125 and no visa for China. When I left Belize on that day I was completely disoriented. I was crying so hard inside. The day I had finally be waiting for had arrived and I was not happy.”

Maria Jeffrey, Miss Belize Universe (2006)
“I don’t know if there was a committee for Pageants Belize because there is one person that I keep seeing all the time. There is only one person that I can talk to and that makes it very difficult because when it comes to sponsorship especially, I don’t know how much is being sponsored and I don’t know where this money is going to. Yes I did receive many dresses but from what I heard, my sponsorship exceeded much more than I had received. I also know that I had received, various people have come to me and told me that they had given gifts through Miss Johnson to me which I have not received or seen. I would just like for them to look into what’s happening with this committee because something is wrong.”

Tanisha Vernon, Miss Belize Universe (Reigning)
“She has done nothing to remedy the situation, continuously ignore the key issues. Everybody here has a request of what they want from Miss Johnson. I am appealing to her integrity and decency to end all ties with pageantry in Belize. Give someone who has the interest of young ladies and pageants and the love of our country a chance to showcase our girls and have them excel representing Belize. I know it is risk that I might not get to go to and have the experiences like these young ladies that are standing beside me but I believe that I will gain at the end and not only prizes or the experiences but respect. The overall thing is just respect.”

Felicita Arzu,
“She is standing up for all of us. We are together and unity is strength and to take away Tanisha’s title for doing something right, that is just ridiculous because she is not doing anything wrong.”

Sharifa Tillett, Mother of Miss Mini Belize
“It is unfair for my child. I met with Miss Johnson the day after the pageant and she told me my daughter will be getting her wardrobe, her gifts, and everything like that. I haven’t seen Miss Johnson from since, that was the day after the pageant. My daughter received her gifts in a bag. This was a box of chocolate and in this nice little chocolate box was chains that were burst, for my daughter. She is only seven years old, how could these be a gift for a little girl. It is not because of the gifts, it is a damn shame that my child had to go through this; she worked hard for it. A cloth, what does that symbolize, my daughter doesn’t need clothes. We are not poor people. Miss Johnson hasn’t even contacted us, hasn’t even picked up the phone and called. This is one of the dollies, this is an international pageant and I am very upset.”

The woman at the center of the controversy is Margaret Johnson. She showed uninvited to the press conference and sat through the entire press conference – copiously taking notes and recording the session. She spoke to us after.

Margaret Johnson, Executive Director – Pageants Belize
“I heard the question you asked about if I was here to intimidate them, no that is not why I was here. I was here because I wanted to see the young ladies that hug me up at times and I wanted to see the young lady that told me everything was going to be alright. Our record speaks for itself. And if in a year and a half we can reach this much internationally where Miss Universe is happy, Miss World is happy, I think we are on our way to progress.”

Keith Swift,
But the queens aren’t happy.

Margaret Johnson,
“Let me say something, if you are looking for problems in any organization, you will find. I am not saying Pageants Belize doesn’t have problems.”

Keith Swift,
You bought Pageants Belize?

Margaret Johnson,
“Yes I bought Pageants Belize. Pageants Belize along with, at the time Mr. Godoy, and Godoy signed for it. However those shares from Mr. Godoy were not monetary shares and they are going to be transferred to somebody who really wants to buy.”

Keith Swift,
Are you in this to make money?

Margaret Johnson,
“It is a business that should make money.”

Keith Swift,
Are you making money?

Margaret Johnson,
“No.”

Keith Swift,
Is your company a one woman operation?

Margaret Johnson,
“It would seem like that to most people at times.”

Keith Swift,
That is the problem because it is a one woman operation, they believe, that they are saying that you’re disorganized, you’re not accountable, and that you’re running of Pageants Belize is a complete disaster. That is what they are claiming.

Margaret Johnson,
“I respect what they said, I don’t see it as that. I respect what they said, I don’t see it as that because I feel like these young ladies have used Pageants Belize to get where they want to go. Some of them got there by the skin of their teeth but for their life, the rest of their life, they will have on their bio the experience that they have there. So they benefit from going there, the experience, the speech – all the stuff that they’ve learnt – they have benefited. Like I said everything hasn’t been perfect for all of them but I’ve honored the deal I made with them that I would get them to their pageants and we did.”

We didn’t mention it but the Miss Mini Belize Universe 7-year-old Venneisha Price was there and her mom Sharifa Tillett spoke on her behalf. Leilah Pandy – Miss Belize Earth and Miss Belize Top Model – Tracey Robateau are out of the country but sent statements in support.

As we mentioned the press conference ran for close to an hour. We aired the highlights but there are a few other details worth noting: Tanisha Vernon has not signed her contract – which according to Johnson means she can’t represent Belize in the Miss Universe Pageant. Johnson told us that despite the harsh words, she does not intend to strip Vernon of her title. Tanisha Vernon is appealing to members of the public to help her fund her trip to Vietnam.

As for the prizes, she says Vernon has not signed the contract and that’s why she hasn’t gotten her prizes. She says both Maria Jeffrey and Felicitia Arzu did get their prizes and so did the Mini Miss Belize Venneisha Price. Johnson says she can provide us with proof. So it’s a she said – they said – and Margaret Johnson plans to call her own press conference and make her case to the public.