There's been a lot in the news and the commercial breaks about the proposed BTL acquisition of the SMART phone company. But, in an interesting twist, SMART's parent company, SPEEDNET has been granted leave to seek judicial review against the Government of Belize, aka the Briceno administration.
Jules Vasquez reviewed the legal documents and tells us why it's unusual:
In this most unusual court action - Speednet, whose majority owner is the Ashcroft Alliance with the Prime Minister's family owning the minority shares - is seeking judicial review against the government, so, basically, Jaime Briceno suing John Briceno.
The issue is two contracts that the government entered into with BTL.
The high court has given Speednet - the Briceno/Ashcroft company - leave to seek judicial review against the Briceno Administration, meaning minister of Education, Oscar Requena, Prime Minister John Briceno and the Attorney General Anthony Sylvester.
The dispute centers over this initiative, a program called "ConnectED", a partnership between the Ministry of Education and BTL intended to provide internet access to schools located in Belize.
Speednet argues that the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, requires that the government was obligated to use the tendering procedure since the contract was for more than 5 million dollars. Speednet says they were not invited to bid for the contract despite being a major internet provider.
They first raised the issue in 2022, but they say another contract was awarded under the program in February 2025.
So now they have asked for leave for judicial review of the decision of the Briceno administration to award these two latest contracts awarded to BTL - allegedly in breach of the FARA act.
The judge has agreed and now granted Speednet permission to apply for judicial review - which will put the government in court - fighting a case against the minority owned Briceno family business.
Reports say another suit will be coming against the government soon for awarding BTL a contract to install CCTV cameras under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
