Belmopan Mayor Uncertain of Location for Controversial $6.9M Hospital Land Purchase

Despite the government issuing a lengthy explanation on why it bought a 6.9-million-dollar plot of land for the University Hospital, the Mayor of Belmopan has no idea where the parcel is. Yesterday, the Minister of Natural Resources spoke on the controversial purchase and explained that it was made in the best interest of the hospital’s future staff and patients. Hyde said the initial land at the University of Belize’s campus was not ideal and would have required a hefty investment. The decision to move the hospital’s location has been met with much criticism, with many saying the area is prone to flooding. Today, we asked the Mayor of Belmopan Pablo Cawich if he felt the area was best suited for the facility. But he isn’t too sure where the land is located.

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan: “Well I’m not familiar with the details of the location itself. I’m only aware of the things that have gone through the news so I’m not personally sure if that is the true location. That’s what rumors are hinting and that’s what the journalism has pointed towards but personally I have not heard that is the definitive location so I can’t really comment on it if I’m not 100% sure.”

Reporter: So let’s play Devil’s advocate, let’s say that is the location they choose, is that a good location ? 

 Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan: “Well I’m sure that the committee or the officers that had the decision to make took considerations of the area. Personally I have not done any type of analysis for something like that so it would be a bit premature for me to comment on something if I haven’t don any analysis on it.”

According to the government, the landowners, Annie Zhu, and Kenny Zheng, had initially sought a much heftier price of 9.3 million for the 15 acres of land but settled on the 6.9-million-dollar price tag. But how did the landowners reach that price tag given the Belmopan City Council had a site value of 182,700 for the property in its records? That’s what we asked Cawich to comment on today.

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan: “Shared a property tax statement with me I believe it’s for the same location that you are referring to and you are 1009% correct in stating that based on the statement and actually if we were to be on the actual system that manages this data the system does not provide a valuation entry date so it would be difficult for me to say without any research as to when that valuation was from. A lot of the valuations exist at the Belmopan City Council are from inception of the Belmopan City Council in the year 2000. So it could be that it is a very old valuation and hence it had that value that you mentioned. Some of the more recent surveys have a newer or a more updated valuation based on today’s date and age. So it would be again a bit premature for me to comment on valuation if I haven’t done any type of research on it.”

Reporter: So now, last thing. As the Mayor do you know or have you heard for the business owners who owned the land ? Are they known in Belmopan ? Kenny Zheng and Annie Hsu, are they well known business people in the Belmopan area? 

Pablo Cawich, Mayor of Belmopan: “That was the first time I’ve seen the names so I am not familiar with them. I haven’t discussed the names with anybody else so again I can’t comment on who they are. I think the address listed on the tax statement that you shared said that they were from Corozal that would be all the information I have. I don’t know anything else, as I mentioned. I don’t know their age, other than their name appearing Asian I wouldn’t’ be able to tell you anything else.”

Notably, the government’s release came days after the media began reporting on the matter.