Back in October of 2016, Sharon Pitts, the attorney who became known for her ultra-nationalist stances, was caught up in that land scandal, in which Andre Vega, son of the former Minister of Natural Resources, Gaspar Vega, received 400 thousand dollars in compensation for land that the former government did not own, and should not have sold.
For whatever reason, the Ministry, which was under Gaspar Vega's stewardship at the time, sold a parcel of private land, which then triggered the Ministry's compensation mechanism as the administrator of all lands in Belize. 7News obtained evidence that demonstrated that the Ministry was duly advised by its technocrats that the land was private.
Well, in the same way that the Court of Appeal has found that Andre Vega cannot be held accountable for the Ministry's decision to shoot itself in the foot, the Supreme Court says that Pitts cannot be considered to be unjustly enriched.
Our newsroom recently receive a copy of the decision from the presiding judge, the outgoing Justice Lisa Shoman.
Justice Shoman found, quote, "I do not find that the Claimant has provided the necessary evidence for a declaration that the settlement agreement which it executed and which it acted upon, is void because of the Defendant's bad faith… the Defendant cannot be said to have been unjustly enriched for those sums of money which were freely paid to her as compensation by the Claimant in 2015. There will be no order for disgorgement of the sum of $400,000.00… The Settlement Agreement in any event, having been performed, by both the Claimant as well as by the Defendant by its express terms actually bars the parties from any further action, liability, claim, demands damages and judgments, relating to the subject matter of the dispute between the Parties.
The following Orders are made: 1. The Claimant's Claim is dismissed; 2. The Defendant's Counterclaim succeeds partially, and the following declarations are made: 3. The Claimant shall pay Defendant's costs in the sum of BZ$15,000.00." end quote.
We'll have a more detailed look at this outcome in our subsequent newscasts.
