It looks like it's going to be a "semi-circus" at the Supreme Court Tomorrow - as a pair of ponderous matters will go before the Supreme Court.
Sure, there's the PUC versus BTL case involving claims of tens of millions of dollars which concerned consumers are expected to come out to see. But another case is going to be drawing attention: as many as 80 employees from an internet gambling operation at the Data Pro EPZ area will also be out there protesting for their jobs - jobs that are in jeopardy because government is working with the IRS to shut it down.
The action comes because the U.S. directors of an Internet gambling company called "Caribsports" are being investigated for a bevy of federal violations including mail fraud and racketeering. In Belize "Caribsports" is Fulton, a company operating out of the Data Pro EPZ and last week the financial intelligence unit shut down operations when it seized their assets of $2 million from Provident, Alliance and Atlantic Banks.
Tomorrow the case goes to court - but with the operations shut down 80 employees will lose their jobs - and as accountant Patrick Ysaguirre told us - they are going to stand and defend because in their opinions, GOB is bounty hunting for Uncle Sam - and they're caught in the middle.
Patrick Ysaguirre, Disgruntled Fulton Employee,
"The financial intelligence unit instead up kissing up to the US should have at least came in and done a due diligence before taking the step. The US government has three consultants, one who consults with us in IT and one in financing, and one with the actual games. If they have a problem with those people then deal with them. But it bothers us because the three guys they are after have their passports, they have never been arrested, and then they come to Belize and want to seize funds and you can't even arrest the guys in the US. So you have no charges against them, you have no case against them so why should Belize allow the US to come here and harass this company, which is doing something legal. Our company has a license for what we are doing. Our staff is in uproar, they are planning some action for tomorrow. They are pretty upset at the solicitor general because this action was brought by him and the director of the FIU. Our records will show that all our transaction could stand to scrutiny."
Disgruntled Fulton Employee #2,
"It's a funny situation became I have a family I have to feed and I don't know if tomorrow I will have a job."
Disgruntled Fulton Employee #3,
"I will not sit back and take this. For too long Belizeans have sit back and let them do whatever they want to do. This time we won't. We don't intend to do anything drastic but we just want to be heard."
Alfonso Noble,
"Tomorrow you might not have a job."
Disgruntled Fulton Employee #3,
"Honestly since we started hearing rumors, I prepared myself for that. I started budgeting and giving up certain things. But our government doesn't need to give into everything that they request. There is such a thing as compromising but don't do it at the expense of your own Belizean people."
The matter is expected to go before the Chief Justice tomorrow.