And like all companies both locally and internationally, BTL has also been hit by the economic impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The company is reporting that at the end of January 2021, their gross revenues are down by 27 million dollars or 19%, when compared to last year January.
Here's what the chairman had to say about how they account for that decrease:
Markhelm Lizarraga
"We have seen certainly revenues decline. We have had a decline in revenue of about 27 million, some 19% which is pretty much in line with what's been happening in Belize. Our prepaid revenue has come down and we think that in some part the lack of economic activity especially in the tourism sector has impacted on this."
Phone Company Plans To Sharply Cut Costs
But, the staff at BTL were prepared for that financial hit, and so, they managed to decrease the company's operational expenses by 22.2 million dollars for this financial year. The chairman publicly thanked them for the initiatives, which allowed the company to minimize the impacts of the decrease in gross revenues:
Chairman Says Monies Being Recovered From Former Chairman
And during the interview, the topic of Nestor Vasquez, the former chairman of BTL, came up.
Vasquez stepped down from the company in September of last year after allegations emerged that he misused the company's corporate credit card and ran up hundreds of thousands of dollars in bills on it.
When he was asked about the matter, the new chairman briefly said that BTL is still pursuing that matter with intention of recovering the full sum that is owed:
Reporter
"Is there any update on the Net Vasquez situation?"
Markhelm Lizarraga
"What I can say is that this matter is with our attorneys and it is as the reports that I receive at the last board meeting a couple of days ago is that we are proceeding with the matter and we are going to take all actions necessary for the recovery of those sums."
We understand that Vasquez has repaid somewhere in the vicinity of 300 thousand dollars, but the matter is now under review by accountants, because of differing figures coming out of two audits assessing his indebtedness.
Commissioner Calls Cop Rumour Slander
And switching back now to crime News, questions remain for the Garrido family about the nature of the death of their son Raphael Patrick Garrido, whose body was found in a shallow grave near Belmopan.
When we spoke to them last week they insinuated that police were either involved in the young man's death or participating in a cover-up.
And this morning when Jules Vasquez raised their concerns with the COMPOL he called it the accusations plainly slanderous.
Chester Williams- Commissioner of Police
"I have read every statement in respect of that matter. And at no juncture in any of those statements I could see any evidence to suggest that any officer was involved in that young man's disappearance and murder. People need to be careful and even the media needs to be careful of giving airtime to people who just want to slander others. Being a grieving mother is not justification to slander people without evidence. When that young man, who was supposedly the person who was with Garrido, allegedly dropped off that person somewhere what is there to show that after he dropped off that person that person was picked up by the police or anybody else. As far as I'm concerned the person who was last seen with Garrido is the prime suspect until he can prove the contrary."
Jules Vasquez- reporter
"Sir, but would you at least accept that perhaps the officer in question, or the officer whose name has been called, you say unfairly, that perhaps a test can be done on his firearm to confirm if there is nothing to hide well there is no problem. A test can be done from his firearm to see if it matches to the fatal shot."
Chester Williams
"Was any expended shells found?"
Jules Vasquez
"I don't think it was."
Chester Williams
"You only test a firearm Jules to compare ballistic if an expended shell was found at the scene. You take a person's gun to see if that gun discharged that weapon. When it comes to police officers. These police officers' weapons are fired regularly. So even if you go to the lab to do a test, the test will only be to ascertain whether or not the gun was fired recently. But it would not say if that was the gun that was used to kill someone. So what is the use?"
Jules Vasquez
"Officers fire their weapons often sir?"
Chester Williams
"Of course, police officers go on range."
As we've told you Garrido's postmortem certified his death to be caused by traumatic shock due to a gunshot wound to the head.
Southside City Shooting On a Saturday Night
And with all the crime we told you about in this newscast, there were no murders to report this weekend. There, however, a shooting but fortunately the victim survived. He is Walter Longsworth and he was shot on Saturday night on Partridge Street Extension. Senior Superintendent Hilberto Romero has the preliminary details on the investigation.
Drinking Leads To Chopping
There was a chopping on Saturday night in the Cayo Village of Camalote that has left a 36-year-old man in critical condition at the KHMH.
Police say that at around 10:30, they were called to a residence in the Young Bank area, and that's when they found Jose Gonzalez lying inside the yard with a chop wound to the head. The Head of the National Criminal Investigations Branch told the press this morning that according to their investigations, he may have been attacked by someone he was having a few drinks with:
COVID Latest
The Ministry of Health and Wellness is reporting that once again for this month, the country is enjoying another 5-day streak without any COVID deaths.
You'll remember that from February 10th to the 16th, no deaths were reported and apart from the 1 death reported on February 17th, there have not been any others so far.
Here's more from the Health Ministry's Information Officer who breaks down today's and yesterday's numbers:
