For two weeks - we've been following the illegal logging story in Boston Village. And while we await the conclusion and finding of the investigation by the Forestry Department, there is a story within - the one about the call that was made to Minister Jose Mai by the loggers. Mai then passed the phone to his minister colleague Kareem Musa - and that's where the accounts diverge. Tonight, we've put all sides of the story together to let you decide who said what:
We have heard three accounts of what happened in Boston Village on the afternoon of Thursday, August 7th. The Chairman Nickoli Alvarado, took police to this clearing in his village where logs had been stacked. His position - later confirmed - was that they were illegally extracted from within his village boundary. Confronted by police, the mennonite logger, Jacob Wiens of Shipyard called Jose Mai:
posted (August 8, 2025)
Nickoli Alvarado, Chairman - Boston Village
"Mennonites jump on the phone, made a call to somebody in Orange Walk, start talking in German. After which a person answered the phone, so he handed the phone to the police officer and the name Minister Mai is on the phone."
(August 11th)
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture & Food Security
"We received a call that the police had stopped them. So minister Kareem spoke to the police on the site."
posted (August 8, 2025)
Nickoli Alvarado, Chairman - Boston Village
"The guy on the phone said this is officer such and such, the other person on the phone said this is Kareem Musa. I said what, Kareem Musa? why is he getting involved with this."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"Now, when I got on the phone with the police officer, he mentioned to me, listen, Minister, the Mennonites are saying that they have a logging concession. I said, did they provide that to you, a picture of it, anything? He said, yes, they have it, he said, and I asked him thereafter, is it within the area that they are logging? He said he's not sure. He's not from the forestry Department, so he doesn't know. I said, has the Forestry Department been contacted? Yes. They will be there in the morning. I said, well, in that case we cannot make any decisions because it's a legal issue."
posted (August 8, 2025)
Nickoli Alvarado, Chairman - Boston Village
"Kareem Musa told the officer stand down, he will deal with it. So I told the officer to tell him I want to talk to him. The officer said boss, somebody wants to talk to you, so he gave me the phone and I said Mr. Kareem, I am very surprised at you, these logs are illegally being cut in Boston and brought out from Salt Creek to here. I said what these officers are doing is the right thing - 3 of them are here getting bitten by mosquitoes - you have no right to stop the officers from doing their job."
Courtney Menzies:
"So in that case, you did tell the officer to stand down, but it was within a certain context."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"It was a recommendation, my recommendation. I have never told any officer to stand down."
The chairman re-iterated to us that is his clear recollection of the call. But the fact is Ministers Mai and Musa jumped to the defense of someone involved in illegal logging:
JO
"Did you help him get his license."
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture & Food Security
"Absolutely not."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"In the end, the chairman was vindicated. The Forest Department did their assessment and channel seven got an amazing story. So everybody's happy. All ends and ends well."
But did it end well for the police on the ground? They got a call from their Minister during the conduct of their duties on the ground - which is already a humiliation - and then ended up having to apologize to him - likely an uncomfortable professional situation for any public officer - but the Minister felt quite pleased about it:
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"And I actually got a message from the officer the following day apologizing. And I said, there's no need to apologize. He said, you never told me to stand down. So I don't know why the chairman is saying that."
"I said, I totally understand your position. Officer, but do not feel the need to apologize to me. The right decision was made and everything worked out. In the end, the chairman was vindicated. The Forest Department did their assessment and channel seven got an amazing story. So everybody's happy. All ends and ends well."
Courtney Menzies:
"In that case, though, should you have gone through the commander instead, maybe spoken to the commander to give instructions to the officer?"
Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture & Food Security
"Yeah. So many times when, like I said, you're placed in these positions. I happened to be with Minister Mai when this call was me and the officer took my call. Yes. The proper channel is to go that way."
