The Commission of Inquiry into the sale of government assets continued today with its second public hearing. And this one was full of revelations - because it brought to the fore all the players who participated in the sale of a single Toyota Tacoma - formerly Deputy PM's Hugo Patt's Ministerial ride.
The former Prime Minister Dean Barrow agreed to sell him the government vehicle, but the sale ended up involving six different hands, and never got back to Patt.
So, today the public heard testimony from four of those six hands: Patt himself, as the man who bought it, Juvencio Herrera, the man who financed it, Kelvin Li, and the man who ended up re-selling it, Said Perdomo. Here's how it went:
The first witness to appear today was former Deputy PM and Minister of Natural Resources Hugo Patt - the man at the centre of the transaction for this Toyota Tacoma. He asked the PM to sell it to him, but says he then ran into financial difficulties - so he asked a friend Juvencio Herrera to buy it for him:
Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman of the Commission
"So when you say he purchased it for you, you mean he would use his opwn monies to pay for it?"
Hugo Patt, Former Min. Nat. Resources
"Yes, sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"And you were supposed to pay him back?"
Hugo Patt, Former Min. Nat. Resources
"Thats exactly the case, sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"So you made a loan for Mr. Herrera?"
Hugo Patt, Former Min. Nat. Resources
"Yes, sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"What were the terms for repayment of the loan and how much was the loan for?"
Hugo Patt
"It was for $65,000."
Andrew Marshalleck
"And how was the $65,000 to be repaid?"
Hugo Patt
"This would have been repaid fully."
But, Juvencio Herrera didn't have the money, and he made a loan from this guy, Kelvin Li, known as Zhourong Li who happens to own zones of parcels of land, much of it transacted in a single day, in those heady last days before the election - the chairman tried to make a connection between Patt as Minister of Lands, and Li as the man who financed the purchase of his Tacoma:
Andrew Marshalleck
"Do you know who Mr. Kelvin Li is?"
Hugo Patt
"I do not know Mr. Chairman."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Over the period July 2020 through November 2020, you transfer 8 lots on San Pedro to Mr. Zhourong Li. Do you remember that?"
Hugo Patt
"I do not remember. As I said individually it would be very difficult for me to actually identify who got approved."
Andrew Marshalleck
"But the approvals were done by you as minister of natural resources. Were they not?"
Hugo Patt
"There is a process that has to be followed and once that has gone through that vetting process as we speak, then the applications are recommended and so once those are recommended all that we do is just signed off on those."
Andrew Marshalleck
"So you just signed off on them automatically once they come on your desk?"
Hugo Patt
"Once it's recommended, I do, sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Does it surprises you that 8 lots on San Pedro would have been approved and recommended for the same individual?"
Hugo Patt
"I wouldnt know. But all I can indicate is that we signed off on thousands of applications."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Wouldn't it be a cause for concern that this single individual can have such ready access to government lands?"
Hugo Patt
"As long as you are a Belizean you are entitled to land in this country."
Andrew Marshalleck
"What about 12 pieces. Do you recall that on 3rd November 2020 you approved 10.299 acres in Carmelita to Mr. Zhourong Li?"
Hugo Patt
"I do not recall, sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Do you recall that 27th October 2020, you transferred half acre in San Pedro to Mr. Zhourong Li?"
This continued for a few minutes going over Zhourong Li's many, many land transaction and every single time, the answer was:
Hugo Patt
"I do not recall, Mr Chairman."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Would you be surprised that all these transfers in favor of Mr. Zhourong Li happened in one day?"
Hugo Patt
"We expedited for 13,000 persons Belizeans in 2019 and if I am not mistaken it would be close to that figure in 2020."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Would it surprise you to learn that over the course the year running from October 2019 through November 2020 there were also a dozen transfers of government land to Mr. Li via third parties?"
Hugo Patt
"I have no idea Mr. Chairman."
Andrew Marshalleck
"You have parcel 2120 San Pedro goes to Isaias Franco and within the same day gets transferred to Mr. Li."
Hugo Patt
"I have no idea Mr. Chairman."
Andrew Marshalleck
"But what I've described here seems to be a well thought out scheme of diverting government resources into the hands of this single individual using the names of third parties or with the complicity of third parties."
Hugo Patt
"Are you making any accusations that I am involved in any wrongdoing Mr. Chairman?"
Andrew Marshalleck
"No, I am making no accusations. I am asking you how do you explain the share volume of these transfers that ended up in Mr. Li. If you look at San Pedro alone and you're looking at 20 lots to Mr. Li. What does a single individual want 20 lots in San Pedro? Why would the government facilitate his applications and request for 20 lots?"
Hugo Patt
"I have no idea of what you're talking about Mr. Chairman."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Does it concern you any that the contract with the government for the acquisition of the vehicle would disqualify you as a sitting member of the house. You see sitting members may only enter into contracts with the government with permission of the governor general. The constitution is very clear on it."
Hugo Patt
"As far as I am concern I made a request for a purchase of a vehicle. In my knowledge that was a legal transaction."
And, gain, This is the man in the middle of the transaction - Juvencio Herrera - but he lawyered up just half an hour before the commission commenced. So they gave him until March 10th to consult with his attorney and re-appear.
Zhourong Li, known as Kelvin was next to appear, he also said he does not know Hugo Patt - he simply knew and trusted Juvencio Herrera, a builder, to make him a 65 thousand dollar loan:
Kelvin Li, Financier
"He approached me to extend an assistance for him and agree and at the same time I have some money that was going to pay back to me so instead of going direct to me, then give it to Jovencio. I instructed Mr. Torres and Marina Services to make the direct payment to the government."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Did you inquire of Mr. Herrera what was the purpose of the loan?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"No."
Andrew Marshalleck
"You didn't ask him what he wanted $65,000 for?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"No, he just ask me for loan and he say to the government and I say to the government, that's fine."
Andrew Marshalleck
"You were confident that Mr. Herrera would be in a position to repay you this $65,000?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"If I had doubted his personality I wouldn't lend him."
So, how did he get all those lands
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I applied at lands department."
Andrew Marshalleck
"How do you do that?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"At every government department just go in and apply."
Andrew Marshalleck
"How do you go in and apply?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"You could walk in right?"
Andrew Marshalleck
"Yes you could walk in and how do you apply?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"Get the form, apply."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Did you go in and paid on the 3rd November 2020 and get your title on the same day. Do you think you received favor treatments from lands department in the processing of these and other transfers?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I cannot say on their behalf."
Andrew Marshalleck
"I am talking about on your behalf."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I just know I go and did my business and that's about it."
And when he didn't want to disclose who his third party land sellers were, the chairman lost his patience:
Andrew Marshalleck
"Mr. Li, you bought land that belong to the people of Belize, the same public that you obligation to explain how you got it."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"Mr. Chairman, can you look at the file for that 52 acres in Chan Chen."
Andrew Marshalleck
"In ten pond caye registration area."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I plan to have a farm so they approached me and I bought it."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Who did you buy it from Mr. Li?"
Li explained that he bought many third party properties
Kelvin Li, Financier
"In one day. I dont know."
Andrew Marshalleck
"One day, same day."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I don't know."
Andrew Marshalleck
"You don't know. You've never had a transfer start and finished in one day and you walk away with title the same day."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I don't recall. I choose not to answer that one, because I don't want to disclose any of this information in the public."
Andrew Marshalleck
"This is a public inquiry. Those lands belong to the public."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"Of course."
Andrew Marshalleck
"You bought them from the public. How you're not going to tell the public."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I just say I bought it from private individuals."
Andrew Marshalleck
"Who were in the process of acquiring it from the people of Belize."
But, two names he did recall. The brothers Castro.
Andrew Marshalleck
"You also bought lots from the Castro brothers."
Kelvin Li, Financier
"The bigger approached me and say you know my little brother have property for sale, are you interested and I say yes sure."
Andrew Marshalleck
"And you paid them $13,000 each too?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"I think those were around $20,000 or something like that."
Andrew Marshalleck
"These are better than Mr. Franco's one?"
Kelvin Li, Financier
"Yeah."
Juvencio Herrera - who asked for time to consult with his lawyer - will appear on March 10th.
OF curse all that was only this morning's session - it continued this afternoon - and we'll have that for you later on in the news.
