He sits on the Liquor Licensing Board but this afternoon that same board – made a move on Archie Lee’s popular restaurant and supermarket on Central American Boulevard. They claim he was operating without a valid liquor and trade license - and around mid-day a team of special constables from the city and police officers descended on the store. When we got there the shelves and refrigerators were empty and Archie Lee was furious. Keith Swift has the story.
Keith Swift Reporting,
These coolers and shelves at Archie’s Supermarket would normally be stocked with beer and liquor – but this afternoon they were empty. That is because around mid-day a team of special constables from the City Council went into Archie’s - including behind the counter of the restaurant - duct taping opened bottles of liquor - and piling those along with boxes of beer in the pan of this pickup – and in the back seat of this Jeep Cherokee.
Special constable Valerio Yama says that Archie’s has been operating without a valid liquor license.
Valerio Yama, Special Constable
“We checked before we came here to carry out the operation, we checked on the system who all have and don’t have and we noticed that he doesn’t have so we came here to carry out the operation.”
Keith Swift,
How long has not had a license, when did his license expire?
Valerio Yama,
“Yes his license expired from the 31st of January.”
Keith Swift,
So you guys are confiscating all his liquor?
Valerio Yama,
“That is one of the rules that carries out, whenever we are checking and we find out they don’t have a liquor license we confiscate anything that he has in there, that is our evidence to prove that he is having alcohol in an unauthorized premises.”
The license is under his wife’s name but Archie Lee is the boss – and along with his attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley maintained that the store does have a valid license.
Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney for Archie Lee
“He has his documents, he is legitimate, he is operating lawfully. Let us go to court and clarify it.”
Keith Swift,
So why did they come and close him down?
Richard “Dickie” Bradley,
“Mr. Archie Lee can tell you, how many times he has been to court.”
Archie Lee, Owner
“Since UDP took over the City Council office, for one year and change now, I believe I broke the Belize record – they gave me 41 summons in
one year time.”
Keith Swift,
Sir you’re saying in your hand you have a valid liquor license?
Archie Lee,
“Yes.”
Richard “Dickie” Bradley,
“He’s saying he has a valid liquor license, they are saying he doesn’t have and he is saying he has. But the point he is making to you is that he has been to the municipal court literally dozens of time on this same matter and that he feels that there is no need for him to have been treated this way. If they claim he doesn’t have a valid liquor license, send him a summons and take him to the court. Don’t treat Mr. Archie Lee like he is a common criminal because he is not. If they claim he doesn’t have a license, send him a summon – don’t come here with three to four big police vehicle, look at the type of armed police officers who are in the establishment creating an embarrassment, stopping the business from midday. From midday today nobody can come into Mr. Archie’s establishment. He doesn’t only sell liquor, he sells a wide variety of commodities. We can treat people better than that.”
And that’s why Bradley says Archie resisted when the armed police officers stormed into the store. Yama calls it assault but Bradley calls it harassment.
Valerio Yama,
“Whenever he was approached by Mr. Hamilton and he was told whatever, and they were starting to get the items, the alcohol from inside the refrigerator and when he saw that, he just started to break down everything and he went berserk and started to do things out of the way. He even assaulted Andy Hamilton so we have intentions to press charges for that, that is an assault. Also, he was frustrating our job by going there and breaking everything. And owing to the fact that he is a member of the Liquor Licensing Board, we expected something better from him.”
Richard “Dickie” Bradley,
“Well you know about filing charges, somebody can go to the station and make a complaint. When you go to court to try and prove it is a different matter and in fact Mr. Archie has complained to the police officers that they were trying to go where he has his cash register. You don’t belong back there, back there is for the staff, in fact not even the staff is allowed there; that is for the management. There is a way to do things. You can come in and say good afternoon Mr. Archie and we are here to check if you have a liquor license, if you are unable to produce it we will have to take legal action. You don’t have to barge into anybody’s place, that is not it man.”
The special constables drove off with about ten thousand dollars in beer and other liquor – and the priority for Archie Lee is to get them back.
Archie Lee,
“I got liquor and some of the people come for the liquor in the evening, they want to buy something for the night but right now I have nothing here.”
Keith Swift,
When do you see this being resolved?
Richard “Dickie” Bradley,
“I am hoping, I am told that the Mayor is out of office, probably out of the country or out of town, but when she comes back, as Mr. Archie Lee informed the Municipal Court on the last occasion, there is a need to resolve this matter.”
Keith Swift,
When will it be resolved?
Valerio Yama,
“When he goes through the process of applying and paying for it and then that is it.“
It has been verified that Archie Lee does have a valid trade license. Archie lee stands to lose substantially because the only store opened after midnight in the city that’s licensed to sell liquor.
