| San Pedro Daily |  |
Monday,
January 11,
2010 Belize's Daily- 7 Days a Week |
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ISLAND
SUPERMARKET "Best Prices - Best Quality - Best Service" Phone: 501-226-2972 or 501-226-2973 FREE DELIVERY IN TOWN |
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Conviction stats, worse than I’ve
ever heard:Ombudsman
Adele Ramos 
The high rate of crime in
Belize
continues to be of grave concern among Belizeans, especially in the
commercial capital, Belize City, and charges of police involvement and
impropriety levied against some officers was the reason why Ombudsman
Cynthia Pitts called in a parade of police top brass to her office
today, including Commissioner of Police, Crispin Jeffries, Sr., and
heads of the Criminal Investigation Branch, among others of senior
rank, to lay the cards on the table.
I have heard the underground rumors of police who kill and are on the payroll of certain people. I won’t pretend I don’t know. I will put it on the table and ask them about it, because I want some answers, Pitts told Amandala Thursday night. The need for the tête-à-tête with police top brass, said Pitts, was underscored by recent allegations of police impropriety in the Christopher Galvez murder over the Christmas holidays, as well as the Randy Coye murder case. There was a witness that had claimed he spoke to someone who had some of the deceased’s hair, yet the police maneuvered in a way that delayed the recording of the witness statement, Pitts said a complainant had alleged to her office. A matter of grave concern addressed today, is that the success rate of convictions is so low, said Pitts, that the Commissioner of Police does not want to disclose it. I expected it to be terrible, said Pitts. “What he told me was worse than I have ever heard. The quality of police investigations is generally poor, and without the modern resources they need, as well the lack of witnesses, it is no wonder that there are reports of beatings to get information out of people, the Ombudsman noted. At a visit to the Hattieville Prison this week, said Pitts, she learned that roughly 150 people were on remand on the charge of murder, and the prison is babysitting them. Nothing is happening. They put charges on [some of] them because they want to get them off the streets, said Pitts. Some detainees spend as much as three years behind bars before their cases are thrown out. Pitts told our newspaper that she will push to have such cases heard quickly and when the police see that the people they are scooping up for crimes end up back in the streets soon after, maybe then they will stop with the statistical arrests. There have also been complaints by family members who say that the police have mishandled the bodies of their loved ones, one recently claiming that their loved one’s body was treated like a dog. When you look at crime, said Pitts, you have to look at the tools the police don’t have. One defense of the Commissioner of Police, said Pitts, is that they don’t get what they need to do the job right; they keep asking the government, buy they are not getting it. Government should be willing to do whatever it takes to get the Forensic Lab going, Pitts urged. Amandala Labour Law
Severance Pay to change
Adolph Lucas The
National
Trade Union Congress of Belize and the Belize Chamber of
Commerce and Industry have negotiated a proposal for the amendment to a
section of the Labour Law in regards to severance pay.
The proposal is to increase severance pay from the current one week to two weeks per year after ten years of continuous service. Under chapter 297 of the Labour Act, when an employee resigns he or she is entitled to one week severance pay for every year of service. The new proposal will increase that amount to two weeks for every year beyond the stipulated minimum of ten years of service. If Cabinet approves the proposed legislation into law, it will not be retroactive, but prospective. According to Labour Commissioner Ivan Williams, prospective means that with the passing of the law, the years thereafter would be considered for the two weeks and not the beginning of the period of employment with the person. For example, if a person has twelve years of service before the passing of the law, any severance would continue to be at the rate of one week for each year of service upon termination by the employer or upon resignation. After the law is passed and the person continues to work then those years after the passing of the law will then go from one week to two weeks. So, if the person, after working twelve years continues the same employment after the law has passed, and works for a further three years - a total of fifteen years - then the original twelve years would provide severance at the one week plan, and the new three years would provide two weeks for each year of service. This was a compromise to the proposed amendment to make it prospective, rather than retroactive, so that it would not burden the business sector. The Labour department reminds employees that the Law has not come into effect yet, but the process is expected to be completed in a month. Reporter People living
with HIV/AIDS lash out
Adolph Lucas A
group known as People Living with HIV and AIDS(PLWHA) has poured cold
water on certain Non-Governmental Organizations who are supposed to
provide adequate services for persons leaving with the diseases.
According to Lyndon K. Lewis of PLWHA many NGO’s have created a niche in Belizean society claiming they exist to provide services to persons who are most in need. He found out however, due to the lack of any kind of supervision or accountability, many NGOs are getting away with very irresponsible mismanagement of funds. Lewis, in a bold move pointed at what he says is one such group - the Alliance Against AIDS AAA). He characterized the AAA with blatant globe-trotting extravagance and wasteful use of funds which has done nothing for the people they claim to help. Lewis further stated that AAA is one of many such NGOs that have successfully deceived the Belizean public and international partners in promoting themselves as an authentic humanitarian organization. The Reporter contacted Executive Director of AAA, Rodel Beltran Perrera on Tuesday January 5 who saidthat he is aware of the group and their letter. He described Lewis and his group as trouble makers. Lewis said these organizations have hijacked the generous funds of international donors for their selfish purposes, leaving unattended those who need meaningful programs of care. While PLWHA in Belize continue to suffer or be ignored, these directors of organizations are attending useless global conferences, profiling with ineffective projects, and amassing huge donations Lewis said. Lewis claims that directors of these NGO’s present bogus proposals and accept international funds, making them money-making NGO’s. And to think that these international projects are not even consistent with the national AIDS agenda, Lewis exclaimed. He believes that the heads of organizations seem to care more about collecting fees from their interested partners to handsomely supplement their own full time local salaries. This blatant conflict of interest is greedy, unethical and maybe even illegal, Lewis said. Lewis contends that the purpose of PLWHA is to improve the lives of persons living with the disease. PLWHA is demanding better services and a higher quality of life . Undoubtfully, the AAA has done some good. They have done training in HIV prevention and stigma reduction. But they have left PLWHA outside of the dialogue, Lewis said. PLWHA calls on the GOB, the National AIDS Commission and the media to initiate ongoing investigations into the NGO operations until they can provide factual, concrete evidence that the work they claim they do has improved the lives of PLWHA. We ask that they provide transparent accountability of the huge sums of money they receive from donors, money that should go towards the relief of PLWHA, Lewis said. Other members of the Concerned PLWHA Watch Group are Samuel Joseph from Orange Walk District and Ben Trujillo, San Ignacio, Cayo. Reporter NOTICES
&
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Friends of the Humane
Society (FOTHS) will be having a meeting to plan
fund raising events for 2010 on Monday the 11th of January at Lime Bar
& Grill at 5:30pm. FOTHS is a volunteer organisation committed to
raising money for specific projects to improve the facilities at the
SAGA Humane Society. Everyone is welcome. Please come along with your
ideas and enthusiasm, have some fun and get to know other animal loving
people in San Pedro. For more information call 226 4152.
Please note we have the first SACNWÂ General Meeting of the year scheduled for this Wednesday, 13 January 2010. The meeting will be held at Mr. Joes Grocery and Grill at 7:00pm. Please attend and support your Neighborhood Watch!
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 www.grandcaribe.com debbiewade@gmail.com
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© SAN PEDRO DAILY, PO Box 45, San Pedro Town, Belize. Inquiries to editor@sanpedrodaily.com |
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