Over the past week, you've learnt more about Belizean American Andre Gray than you probably would have had he not received the keys to Belize City. It was that event that prompted the media to dig deeper into Gray - though, you didn't have to look far to find inconsistencies in his claims. And while we've shown you all the reasons Gray may not be all that he says he is, the Belize City Council is sticking with their decision. According to the mayor, they had done their own fact checks and they believe the websites such as the London Defender and the LA Tribune are credible - websites that we've told you were registered within the last two years, and on which you can pay to have your stories published.
And when we tried to bring up those points to the mayor today, he waved them away, saying they fully believe Gray's claims and that he can keep the keys.
Courtney Menzies:
"We know that the London Defender, the LA Tribune, and the Washington Mail aren't real legitimate websites, do you feel like the Council may have made a mistake?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Who makes those distinctions about which website is legitimate or illegitimate, who makes those distinctions?"
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir, it's the internet, anything can be faked."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"The point is that we stand with our position that we awarded the keys to the city to a Belizean that has achieved tremendous work overseas and so we stand by that. We have no regrets, period."
Courtney Menzies:
"Was he able to provide any proof to anything that he said he did?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Have you read the Amandala article this week, he's vindicated nuh?"
Courtney Menzies:
"I read the Amandala article, I did not see the proof in there."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Yeah most of it checked out so I feel confident that we stand with the fact that we gave the gentleman the keys to the city, he's a Belizean. This ruckus that has been created against a Belizean, again, I would say is unwarranted, being able to give our keys to a gentleman if you go on the internet and you look on the internet, there's no negative stories on this guy-"
Courtney Menzies:
"Because there's no real stories at all."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"The only negative stories is in Belize so you should really look yourselves in the mirror really and see what type of reporting you all are doing."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir, but when you look up people like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Tim Cooke, when you look up these people, on the front page you see the New York Times, you see all of these accredited- CNN, BBC, you even see a Wikipedia page, sir, even you have a Wikipedia page."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"But you keep saying about CNN and CNN, you keep putting that CNN is legitimate."
Courtney Menzies:
"Because they're accredited, they are legitimate. The London Defender isn't."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"That's your opinion."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir, it's not an opinion, it's a fact, you can check the websites."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"I stand with my position that we, we stand with it that we have given the gentleman the keys to the city, a born and bred Belizean."
Reporter:
"Does it not raise concerns to you that any Belizean will see this and run with this and they will start claiming whatever they want and they can just come and receive..."
Courtney Menzies:
"Especially when you can pay to put these things on the websites."
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"Well, I can't answer that, that's a speculation, I can't a speculative type question."
Reporter:
"And if information were to surface to prove otherwise, what would happen in such a case, would you take back the key as some people are saying?"
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
"We stand by our position, that's all I'll say for now."
