BTL HOLDS AGM DESPITE A SUPREME COURT RULING
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> Sep 26, 2006
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> The Belize Telecommunications Limited last evening held their Annual
> General Meeting, despite a Supreme Court ruling by the Chief Justice,
> Abdulai Conteh yesterday evening that prohibited them from doing so. The
> ruling came after Jeffrey Prosser's attorney, Lionel Welch, filed for an
> successfully got the injunction to stop the meeting on grounds he, Prosser,
> was not invited.This ruling followed a previous ruling last week, when
> Chief Justice Conteh ruled that Prosser should retain his Directors and the
> Executive Chairmanship in BTL. Love News, like shareholders who had no
> identification cards, was prevented from attending the meeting.However, we
> did meet with Prosser's Attorney, Lionel Welch outside the Belize Biltmore
> Plaza last evening while the meeting was in progress inside.Welch summed up
> what happened.
>
> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
>
> "The point is he had the injunction in his hand from about five and he
> tried to effect service. He went to the meeting, at about a quarter to five
> he was there and certain things happened and he was denied entry to serve
> the document.An injunction can be served at any time.The authority to serve
> the injunction comes from out of the injunction itself, he's a court
> marshal and he's empowered to serve any court document. In this case he
> will be serving on my instructions."
>
> Marion Ali:Love FM
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> "At this point in time, how strong of a case in terms of technicality or
> loop holes would you say BTL and their Attorneys will have in fighting such
> a contempt issue?
>
> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
>
> "Well of course, they will say it was not served on them but we will show
> that sufficient efforts were made to serve the document and that they knew
> about it and that they evaded service of it. There are many decided cases
> where persons have avoided service and the court deemed it to be service.
> Of course, they would argue that it was not actually served and left, but
> under the circumstances all that have gone on before and also in the
> meeting, it will be difficult for a court to accept that they have not
> avoided service."
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> Marion Ali:Love FM
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> "So you're saying all the resolutions passed, all the decisions made and
> the votes cast last night were all illegal stuff?"
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> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
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> "I am not making any comment on that because it is quite obvious that if
> the Chief Justice or any court give an order, and they continue to do what
> they have done like in that meeting last night then its obvious that its
> all null and void. As a matter of fact I think that from the actual
> judgment itself which was given down the nineteenth, they aught to have
> been gentlemen like and call off the meeting and indeed Prosser did write
> them a letter and ask them to do that."
>
> Marion Ali:Love FM
>
> "On grounds that he was not invited right?"
>
> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
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> "No, they were not invited."
>
> Welch said he will now proceed to bring contempt charges against BTL's
> Management.
>
> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
>
> "They have refused to obey the order of the court and a contempt action
> will be taken against them and the law will follow its course. Proceed with
> a contempt action in due time. I need to get a video disc from the process
> server and from other people who were in the meeting and so on because you
> can recall that before the meeting started or very early in the meeting
> Lois Young Barrow , Senior Counsel. did inform the meeting of the
> injunction. I would ask her to give and affidavit as to what went on and
> later on she even gave them a copy before the meeting ended."
>
> Marion Ali:Love FM
>
> "And their response was?"
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> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
>
> "It seems to me that they have behaved as though they are above the law. It
> seems to from the feed back that I got that they take this whole matter
> very lightly; they just do what they want. And I thin that the time has
> come that people must understand that they must abide by decisions of the
> court."
>
> Marion Ali:Love FM
>
> "And you're seeking for jail time?"
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> Lionel Welch:Attorney for Jeffery Prosser
>
> "I would certainly urgethat on the court."
>
> Love News has also tried to reach BTL's Head of Marketing and Public
> Relations, Karen Bevans, for a comment on the company's decision to still
> hold the meeting.However, she denied us an interview last evening and was
> unavailable today.We also tried to reach BTL's Attorney,Senior Counsel
> Rodwell Williams for his legal perspective on what happened.He too was
> unavailable for comment.