In other news, we've been reporting on the speculated buyout of Speednet by BTL - which would be a major conflict of interest since not only would the PM's family profit but because BTL's board is appointed by Briceno.
It was one of the issues that the UDP pointed out at their press conference yesterday.
Lee Mark Chang, Area Rep., Mesopotamia
"Smart is owned by Speednet communication limited whose shareholders include members of the prime minister, John Briceno's family as well as entities linked to the Ashcroft Alliance group of business. And yet despite these glaring conflicts of interest, government ministries and departments are being switched from BTL to Smart, a 91% state owned company where we own majority, to Smart, enriching private stakeholders at the public's expense."
"We demand a full investigation into the government contracts awarded to Smart since 2020, an immediate halt to BTL's acquisition of Smart until conflicts of interest safeguards are enforced and put in place, a return of all government departments to BTL services which we owned 91%, all future contracts must go through transparent competitive bidding process. This is not just about a company, this is about whether Belizeans control their own resources or if they're being handed over to politically connected interest. BTL belongs to the people and should not be fleeced. We the people of Belize must rise up and demand accountability."
