The Government of Belize (GOB) continues its efforts to retrieve $800,000 from Andre Vega, son of former Deputy Mayor, Gaspar Vega, and Attorney Sharon Pitts. This is the result of a controversial land transaction deal, wherein Vega and Pitts obtained the land title for a privately owned property located at Mile 5 near the Haulover Bridge in the Belize District. After the Office of the Solicitor General gave both Vega and Pitts 30 days to refund the money, the GOB filed a lawsuit in the Belize Supreme Court against Vega in December 2016. After having difficulties locating Vega, Acting Solicitor General Nigel Hawke confirmed that the GOB has served lawsuit documents to Vega’s attorney, Estevan Perrera, on February, 28, 2017.
According to Hawke, Pitts has been cooperating, but Vega is nowhere to be found. “I wouldn’t know if Vega is out of the country. But certainly, in relation to the matter with Ms. Pitts, she has filed her defense. Her matter was served on her and she’s filed a defense so we now await a date from the court for case management in relation to her matter,” said Hawke.
Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte stated that he will continue pursuing reimbursement of the questionable land compensation. “It is strictly a legal matter and Hawke is the person who is the head litigator for that case. As he has told me, he has difficulty locating Mr. Vega to serve him personally and we may have to do substituted service, but we have served Ms. Pitts. But it’s purely a legal matter that went into the system before I became Attorney General. I have no intentions of discontinuing it, the courts will decide what they have to decide,” said Peyrefitte.
Since the claim was filed in Supreme Court, Vega and Pitts have 14 days to acknowledge service. After 28 days, they will have to file their defense, where the court will schedule a date for case management.
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