Belize lawyer paid US$50,000 to argue against No Confidence motion; over $35M spent by fmr. Govt

A Belize law firm, Courtenay Coye LLP, was paid US$50,000 – over G$10.5M -by the former APNU+AFC Government to argue against the passage of the December 21, 2018, No Confidence motion.

The lawyer Eamon Harrison Courtenay, SC was retained by the former Attorney General Basil Williams to argue against the motion at the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which subsequently ruled that the motion was properly passed in the National Assembly, that the Government was defeated and should call elections.

In addition to this sum, the former Government also used US$25,000 of taxpayers’ money to pay Grenadian Queens Counsel Dr Francis Alexis to argue against the same case at the Court of Appeal.

Additionally, $3.8M was paid to Attorney Maxwell Edwards to argue against the passage of the motion at the High Court along with another $1.9M to Attorney Mayo Robertson.

Documents released on Saturday by the current Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall revealed that Attorneys Rex McKay and Neil Boston were paid $12 million jointly for legal services provided to the Attorney General’s Chambers for the period December 21, 2018, to March 22, 2019.

Additionally, $1,642,500 was paid to the law firm Hughes, Fields and Stoby for an advisory opinion on the No-Confidence Motion.

In total, over $35M was expended by the former APNU+AFC Government to get the courts to rule against the passage of the motion; it eventually lost the case and elections were held on March 2, 2020.