Phantom Owners For BWS Lands
We told you last month how the water company's San Pedro property was sold out from under it.
The company now finds itself in a land fight with an Anguilla-based IBC called Crocodile Lagoon Estate Company.
The property, parcel 4034, which it has held for decades was sold in 2011 to Crocodile Lagoon. The company has a 30-year lease, but somehow, this off-shore company ended up with a duplicate lease, and in 2012, it ended up with the title to the property to which BWS first had the rights.
BWS didn't know anything about this until 2018, and now, it is holding a lease for a property to which another company holds the title. And, the water company has invested hundreds of thousands of dollars on that property, which is important to the future of San Pedro's water security.
Last night, Ferguson shared a few more details on that case, and he also revealed how the water company finds itself in a similar fight for its land in Belmopan:
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Initially BWS had a lease of 30 years on the entire property. Low and behold unknowing to them that there was survey done and then some parcels were siphoned off to this person and then to Crocodile Estates. BWS lawyer approach us and figure what is the best way forward, because in normal circumstances anybody who have a title supersedes a lease and so BWS as a company that provides water is saying they need to put some additional wells on this property and then they realize that there were additional owners. So I believe the only way that can be solved is going through the courts of Belize."
Jules Vasquez
"Let's move behind this Crocodile Lagoon Estates as its name. Man, there has to be somebody on the ground here in Belize. That's a foreign IBC, that's just to hide somebody name. You all have to know who it is, who is Crocodile?"
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"I will not call any name. I understand it connected to the former area representative of Belize Rural South. A name was given, I can't recall the name, because I didn't come prepared for that. If I had the name, I would have given it to you. But it's some relations to that person."
Jules Vasquez
"So they have a title. Negotiations are now underway to get back the land, If I am right. How close are you all to recovering the land, because San Pedro water future depends on deep wells."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"I guess as I said it was done intentionally and so now, they want BWS to pay a significant amount of money."
Jules Vasquez
"Will BWS do that?"
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Either that or they go through the courts of Belize and the court will determine what will be the end results. Another thing, In Belmopan I was made to understand that the land that BWS has the sewer system on was also siphoned off."
Jules Vasquez
"It was sold from under them. To who?"
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"I don't have the name on top of my head, but it was siphoned off from them."
Jules Vasquez
"Was it to a UDP related political interest?"
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Not directly to a UDP, but somebody related."
Jules Vasquez
"Related to a UDP big fish? Theoretically with the same plan, that I have to get compensation."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"They go back to BWS and say I now own this land, because you have to blame BWS to a certain extent. They should have secured these properties."
Jules Vasquez
"They should have brought those properties."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"And so I hope that they get the sense and now in the future they are going to make sure that they secure all their properties across the country of Belize."
And turning now to Ferguson's other Ministerial portfolio, Jules asked him to discuss his efforts to reform the country's public transportation system. He says that come next year, all those old school buses converted into commuter buses will have to be taken off the country's highways:
Jules Vasquez
"You have to be thinking about how the bus system can be modernized."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"It will be. As a matter of fact, I will make sure when I go back to office, I will tell my CEO to make sure he puts out an announcement that come June 2022 we don't want any more school busses on the main highways."
Jules Vasquez
"That will be significant, sir. Are you sure you are prepared for that, because the push back will be great. Operators will say the cost of diesel, cost of tires."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"And to be honest there are too many small operators on our highways, so you can't really regulate, because too many small operators, so they either have to form some kind of association like BBOC that when you are telling you are talking for that group. On the western road you have maybe 2-3 busses, likewise on the southern. When you look at the northern there are tremendous number of operators. Its confusion."
Jules Vasquez
"You're saying some of those small operators, you have to slow down."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"They will have to form some type of cooperative, because you can't work as it is."
Jules Vasquez
"You have people who have bus right now like my good friend, the bus that Mr. Ashcroft rode when his vehicle broke down - he said Miss Maria buss."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Maria from Ladyville?"
Jules Vasquez
"Maria Bus service - she says they took away all my run, because I am perceived as Edmund supporter. I said shux that's the bus that Mr. Ashcroft ride in."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Did you ask her to show you any certificate for the busses?"
Jules Vasquez
"I didn't get into the details. I just know she doesn't have any run, the busses are park."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"She didn't have any bus. So, people after a while start to get permits and come and sell you the run. That is contrary to the ministry's regulations."
Jules Vasquez
"Even that bus Mr. Ashcroft was on that said Maria Bus."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Since I came into the ministry Maria has no bus."
Jules Vasquez
"You're saying the entire landscape of the bus industry has to change, we have to move away from all this. 2022, you heard it here first - all those school bus has to come off the road."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"That announcement should have come out already, go to cabinet and make the announcement. I am having a meeting with ADO bus on the 30th September to figure how we can come into some kind of collusion with them, because I understand that 4 years they cannot use the same bus, so if we can figure how we can get those busses to Belize, it will be an upgrade to what we have right now."
We also pressed him on persistent reports that he has started canceling the road service permits for UDP bus operators.
Are the Minister and his administrative team playing politics within the Transport industry? That's what Jules asked, and here's how he responded:
Jules Vasquez
"What I hear is that you play some hard politics in your ministry, in that ministry of transport that you reward your friends and you punish your enemies. I know a lot of people have lost their runs."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"Jules, I do not micromanage as I told you. I put a transport in place that is functional."
Jules Vasquez
"But I hear you sitting on the transport board."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"My CEO sitting as the CEO."
Jules Vasquez
"Is that legit?"
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"He is the person who runs the ministry. He does not dictate to them."
Jules Vasquez
"Under your leadership the bus runs for UDPs have been cancelled. That's victimization, sir."
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson
"You could call it what you want, Jules. Any minister would have done the same and I don't manipulate the board, I understand where you are coming from, but life is real."
Jules Vasquez
"Your government was elected to do better than the UDP. That's how the UDP operated, but what you're telling me, life is real, we have to operate like that as well."
Channel 7