BTL Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga, a former senator, is no stranger to calling for transparency and accountability. But now, as the proposed Speednet acquisition faces mounting criticism, some are turning those same questions back on him. We ask Lizarraga how he responds to concerns about his integrity and his role in this controversial deal.
Markhelm Lizarraga, Chairman, BTL
“By trying to do what is best for the company of which I serve as chairman? You are calling my integrity into question? Have you looked at the performance of that company. Have you seen the turn around of that company that we have done in the last five years compared to what it was before? So that is ok. I have been attacked by the best. That is ok. You will judge me by the works and the results of what we are trying to do. I hope people see the benefits. You know, when we came to that company in the midst of COVID, Belize was really in trouble. We had just invested a huge amount of money in that company. And if you had seen, we should have invited them to see what we had done to that company. We had to rebuild the buildings that were in a horrible state. We had to replace our fleet that was in a horrible state. The expansions that we have done and all the work we have achieved over the last five years, with no borrowed money, not one penny. On the contrary, we have repaid all the debt that we found.”
Chairman Lizarraga noted that BTL has also been able to pay the Government of Belize an outstanding twenty million dollars in dividends under his leadership.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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