Earlier in the newscast we showed you the UDP's picketing of the Prime Minister's clinic. But the opposition wasn't the only crowd in the streets today - those inexhaustible, "undeterrable" Fulton Data employees were back with their placards and words of protest against GOB, Uncle Sam, and anyone else working to shutdown their employer, internet gaming site, Caribsports.
7NEWS was there for part two of the people of Fulton versus "the powers that be."
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
In the shadow of the larger UDP gathering, the Fulton employees were at it in again in front of the Supreme Court. It seems these determined individuals will not let the case rest until they get the attention of the judiciary and the executive in Belmopan. And while thousands are jobless, these 80 jobs have been pushed to the forefront of the national discourse. For them it is a matter putting bread on the table - and with their livelihoods at stake, they say they'll be out here everyday if needs be.
Fulton Employee #1,
"We are here in support of our company and we are willing to go the extra mile by protesting what is going on. We are working towards one goal. We want to save our job. It's not political - it is just about our families."
Fulton Employee #2,
"They are trying to take away 80 Belizean jobs from us. All of us have families, jobs, and loans. We need the Belizean government to stand behind its people."
That drive they say is motivated by the fact that they are not only concerned for their job security but for everyone else's.
Fulton Employee #1,
"Tomorrow it could be you, it could be anyone. So we need support."
Fulton Employee #2,
"Out here we are all Belizeans, sixth form graduates, university graduates, today it is us and tomorrow it can be them."
But for now it was all about today and the employees became more vocal about their determination to keep their jobs - spelling it out for Belmopan.
Though entertaining, in the end, those chants aren't what made the judiciary or the government bend, in fact it was the work of Senior Counsel Dean Barrow who extended his winning streak in the courts. The matter was argued before the Chief Justice in his chambers for hours today - and at the end the Chief Justice threw out the Financial Intelligence Unit's freeze order on Fulton's accounts - which means that the company can return to full, legal and normal operation in the Data Pro EPZ village.
After he left court this evening, Barrow he told us that the case fell apart, because the US's request to freeze the accounts was in fact premature.
Dean Barrow, Attorney for Fulton Data
"The accounts are unlocked and as of now my clients are free to continue business."
"While Belize signed a treaty with the US, the legislature has not introduced that treaty into domestic laws so the courts cannot consider it. And under the money-laundering act, before a court can seize assets, the applicants - in this case the FIU must show that a prosecution, a criminal prosecution, against whose asset you want to freeze, is either ongoing or imminent. The affidavit they filed yesterday from the United States said that while it is there intention to charge these people they gave no timeline so they couldn't tell the court and on that narrow basis the chief justice said the pre-conditions of the act were never satisfied and he threw it out."
The ruling will now have government looking at incorporating the M-lat agreement in domestic law to ensure that the next time it is invoked it is more successful.