And while former Lands Minister Patt was the last to appear today - and in fact the session was adjourned due to the hour - before him was the most contentious appearance. That was former Lands Commissioner of 11 years Wilber Vallejos - who was the first to appear with Barrow. His appearance set the contentious tone for the afternoon's proceedings. Barrow set out the ground rules for his client right at the outset:
Dean Barrow, Wilber Vallejos's Attorney
"I will submit to you that Mr. Vallejos is I want to frame it carefully, is not obliged to answer any question along those lines that you may want to put."
"The committee is not but is not authorized, is not entitled to ask the witness any such questions. You are bound by the terms of reference. You must stay clearly within the four corners of those terms of reference."
"Questions about land transfers or land sales in an area that, as I understand it, is within two miles of the locus of the site of the Portico cruise project, Those questions have nothing to do with the inquiry on which you are embarked."
"You can put any question you wish, but I am suggesting to you, madam chair, and you will no doubt consult with your consul, that you are not entitled to put questions that fall outside of the ambit of your terms of reference."
Despite that scolding, the Committee members pushed on - even though the returns were diminishing.
Elena Smith, Senator
"While being at the Ministry of Natural Resources and being the lands Commissioner, did you have assistants who were working with you?"
Wilber Vallejos
"Again, I, I...the relevance of the question and I'm not..."
Elena Smith, Senator
"Will you answer the question, yes or no?"
Wilber Vallejos
"No."
Elena Smith, Senator
"Thank you."
Kevin Herrera, Senator
"Could you maybe explain to us why the 17 titles were granted all for 50 acres each and that particular date? Was there any relationship between the 17 parcels?"
Wilber Vallejos
"Again, Senator Herrera, the question about the Portico agreement, based on your terms of reference, I don't see the relation between that and the question that relates to such agreements."
Kevin Herrera, Senator
"We really wanted to get an understanding of what took place that fateful day on November 4th, on November 4th. But it seems like you you don't intend to be very helpful to the committee, which again, it's very sad. I think the Belizean public certainly deserves a lot better than what you being commissioner for so many for so many years being paid by excuse me, Sir, being paid by saying it's being paid by the Belizean taxpayers. And so it's I think it's a very sad day in the country, actually, that you have decided that you won't help the committee and assist the committee in this investigation. There are many, many questions we would have like for us, but I think it's obvious that you won't be helpful."
Dean Barrow, Wilber Vallejos's Attorney
"For the senator to make that sort of critical remark about the witness, I believe, was uncalled for. The witness could well respond. It's a sad day when senators will ask questions of a witness that they're not entitled to ask. And we'll get into a back and forth."
Bevinton Cal, Senator
"But I, like my colleague said it's a sad day for Belize, in Belize on for the Belizean people that we have paid the taxpayers of this country has paid you over the years to do our job, and that you should be and you should be answerable to the Belizean people when it comes to all of this."
Dean Barrow, Wilber Vallejos's Attorney
"Madam Chair, again that is bordering not bordering, but is directly personal."
"Isn't it a disservice to the people you serve, Senator, that you didn't draft the terms of reference in such a way as would have permitted you to ask the questions that you want to ask that does a disservice to the people of this country."
With hostility escalating, they took a recess for all sides to confer and when they came back, Vallejos made his position clear:
Wilber Vallejos
"My first impression is what are they calling me. I don't know anything about any definitive agreement and so I came here because I wanted to established that I sincerely don't know anything about any definitive agreement, so I can't answer any question in relation to that. You are asking me questions that in my opinion had been advice do not relink to that purpose for which I was called in front of the senate to answer questions. So I will decline to answer questions that are unrelated to the matter which is the definitive agreement."
"Chair I don't want to be looked at as somebody who doesn't want to help the committee. I heard the questions you've ask the former commissioner, I've heard the questions you've ask other people about the lands, but again, in my humble opinion and I agree with counsel, those questions are set in apart from what I thought you would be answering and I'm trying to see the relevance."
Janelle Chanona, Chair
"Yes, but your expectation is not my responsibility. If you had certain expectations that the committee would have ask..."
Wilber Vallejos
"It was my understanding."
Janelle Chanona, Chair
"So we have a different understanding as to relevance. We've agreed to disagree. I'm saying you listen this morning to the testimony the committee heard, the committee heard that a company applied for land and then in less than a month got land that they wanted to hold as an investment to sell. Are you telling me that under your tenure as the lands commissioner that that was part of approve policy that a company could come and say I want 50 acres, because I want to hold it and sell it? I don't want to invest, I dont want to build my house, I don't want to farm, I want to sell it."
Wilber Vallejos
"I don't know that anybody tells that to anybody."
It was going nowhere fast - and then an olive branch from Senator for the churches, Bishop Benguche
Bishop Moses Benguche, Senator
"May is suggest and I humbly suggest or perhaps maybe I can ask first if Mr Vallejos maybe through his lawyer would be at any point willing to come back."
Wilber Vallejos
"I can't answer any other questions in relation to lands, because I'm sticking to the terms of reference that I was sent which was if I knew or didn't or familiar with the definitive agreement which I doubt and that's as much as I can say."
Janelle Chanona, Chair
"Well I have to say I think I speak for all the committee members when we say we are disappointed when we say the constructive approach offer by Senator Bishop Benguche has been declined."
The other testimony today came from Sean Duncan. He's a director of one of the lucky companies that bought 50 acres of Portico - adjacent land for just five thousand dollars. He also appeared with an attorney but things went very differently. We'll show you how later in the news.
