On Tuesday night, chairman of the Belize District Liquor Licensing Board Wilmot Simmons appeared on this newscast. He said that his board had demanded that the ministry of local government reverse its cancellation of the liquor license for Karim Berges's 48 Baymen Avenue. The board gave the ministry a deadline of Monday to withdraw its cancellation of the license. On Tuesday, Simmons told us, "According to the lawyer who checked with the Ministry...they did not withdraw the letter. The Board with advice from its attorney has proceeded from there.".
"Has proceeded from there" means going to court for judicial review of the Ministry's decision. That is very serious business, basically a board suing the very ministry that appointed it! Except, it's not happening. And here's why. When Simmons spoke to us, he didn't know about this letter. It is dated Monday 17th. May and addressed from the Ministry to Darrell Bradley, the attorney for the Liquor Licensing Board. It says that, quote, "the Honorable minister hereby withdraws the decision and sets the date for the hearing for Wednesday the 26th, May 2010 in the toucan hall of the Belize Biltmore commencing at 2:00."
So, there it is; simple as that: the cancellation of Berges's license has been reversed; and a public hearing on the matter will be held next Wednesday. It means that for right now Berges does have a license, pending the outcome of an appeal to be presided over by the ministry. Of course, that doesn't mean the District Liquor licensing Board is off the hook. We are assured that ranking ministers are still angry at them for approving the license in the first place.
But for the time being, we all await that public hearing to which all interested parties are invited.
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