Telemedia is only two working days away from being re-nationalised - and while that should create some calm in what has been a stormy week of controversy over who controls the phone company - there's no telling if self-styled Chairman-in-exile Dean Boyce will let up - even with re-nationalisation.
As we told you last night, he fired off a letter to the government-appointed Board of Directors dated Monday June 27th, telling them that they face criminal prosecution if they do not return all papers, books, records and any other property belonging to BTL. He added that they face criminal trespassing charges if they enter BTL properties. And if they try and stop any member of Boyce's BTL group form entering, he warns, the risk prosecution for criminal assault.
Apparently ignoring the threats, the government appointed board continues to occupy and operate Telemedia based on the position that to effect last Friday's judgment Boyce's group needs a possession or enforcement order.
Yesterday we asked Prime Minister Dena Barrow what he expects form the Ashcroft Alliance once the re-nationalization takes effect. But we start the interview with the discussion of the blanket indemnity which the PM promised to those doing business with or on behalf of Telemedia. He says he did have to sign an indemnity for one bank:….
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"We are perfectly satisfied, we are perfectly certain that really in terms of this kind of indemnity that the government is perfectly at liberty to do so - we already given one to one bank and the bank took the indemnity base on advice from their lawyers and so we have no doubt at all that the indemnities are good but in any case it doesn't matter. It's going to happen on Monday, so a matter of a few days more makes no difference one way or another."
Jules Vasquez
"You think at that time this parallel Telemedia with its own Chairman - with its own directors - is own new CEO. You think at that time they will be quell or do you think they will continue this sort of insurgency campaign?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't put anything past them but to use a word employed by Mr. Smith which I think has now boomerang and they will be check mated for all practical purposes if the law passed by the National Assembly confirms the ownership of the Government of Belize and under this new law the current board of directors - the current Net Vasquez led board of directors is re-appointed. I dint know that these people will have even so much as a legal straw to hold on to."
And while Government moves towards Monday's House meeting with a singular pupose, there is, it appears, some division within the PUP. The party had already sent out a position statement which blankly called on Government and the Ashcroft Alliance to resolve the dispute. But a release issued today from the PUP's Southern and Western Caucuses was far more strident. It says quote:
"The PUP Western and Southern Caucuses join together in the fight against the Government of Belize to abide by the rule of law and follow through with the judgment of the court.."
It adds that, quote,
"We cannot allow the government to over throw what the Courts have decided"
With that - we're not quite sure what position that PUP will take at next Monday's House sitting - since they boycotted the last one having to do with BEL's nationalization.
The opposition reportedly held a caucus today to determine what will be its parliamentary stance….
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