Another land scandal has emerged from the Lands Department in Belmopan. This time, the small island of Bikini Caye, located approximately 14.5 kilometers east of Dangriga Town, which is valued at $500,000, has been found by its surprised owner to be owned by another party, who has "legal papers" from the Lands Department for the caye, which he bought for an alleged $20,000.

The transaction hasled to other sales, but was facilitated through one specific Justice of the Peace, and was complete with the forged signatures of the original owners, and seals from the Lands Department.

Amandala spoke to Israel Marin, manager of Belize Diesel and Equipment in Belize City. He told us that he has owned Bikini Caye jointly with Rosella Zabaneh since 2005. He showed us the documents that indicate that it’s their titled land.

Marin said that in the first week of May, 2011, he was on his way to South Water Caye, and he passed by his island and noticed that it was being cleared. He said that he had not authorized the clearing, so he started investigating and made a report to the police.

Marin said that upon investigating, he found out that the land had been fraudulently sold to one Mike Reyes from Belmopan, who is the owner of Kings Company. He said that he knows Reyes personally, so he contacted him, and they decided to meet at the Lands Department in Belmopan to compare notes for the documentation they had, claiming title to Bikini Caye.

Marin said that they met at the office of the Lands Commissioner and they found out that each had legal documents for the property, but that it had been sold to Reyes fraudulently. According to Marin, the Lands Commissioner said that there was nothing that could be done, except turn over the case to the police so that an in-depth investigation could be done.

Marin said that he subsequently filed a report in Dangriga, the jurisdiction under which Bikini Caye falls. According to the document for the Deed of Conveyance, one Setuaye Mejia bought the island from Marin and Zabaneh.

Marin categorically denied having any business with Mejia. He said that he has never met Mejia in his life. Marin walked us through the document, dated January 14, 2011, in which the person forged his name in block print, and then that same person apparently forged Zabaneh’s signature in cursive handwriting. It also had a seal from the Lands Department and the signature of Carlos Jimenez, Registrar of Lands.

According to this document, the land was sold for $20,000. Marin said that this price was chosen because at that price, there are no additional stamp duties or tax for the transaction.

It was also signed by Justice of the Peace, one Angel Moreira, and the transaction was witnessed by one John Smith.

Marin said that according to the police investigation, the Justice of the Peace said that the reason he signed the document was because he believed that the Lands Department had already vetted the transaction and authenticated the land title.

This is interesting, Marin said, because the authorities at the Lands Department indicated that the only reason the transaction was even allowed was because the Justice of the Peace had signed it.

With that transaction completed, Mejia then sold the land to one Lindsborg Williams a month or so ago. We saw the documentation for that transaction also.

That transaction was also signed by Angel Moreira, Justice of the Peace. According to that document, Mejia sold the land for $20,000, the same price that was quoted as being paid by him in the first document.

Finally, Lindsborg Williams then sold it to Mike Reyes, owner of Kings Company, for $36,000.

According to Marin, Reyes is an innocent party in the transaction because Reyes had his lawyers investigate the title of the land that Williams sold him, and because of the records, the lawyers believed that it was genuine.

It sounds nonsensical, because he was the first and only lawful owner, but Marin told us that the Lands Department has said that there is nothing that they can do, except block any further transactions for the land’s title.

Marin then has to approach the Supreme Court, via lawyer, to strike down the fraudulent document that now binds the land title to Mike Reyes. Until then, unbelievably, the land is legally owned by Reyes, even though it was established that it was transferred illegally.

After the Supreme Court rules that Reyes’ land title is null and void, Marin will then have to go back to the Lands Department with the Supreme Court’s ruling, and have his title restored.

He also told us that the Lands Commissioner is suggesting that Reyes document a Deed of Conveyance back to him; he said that he will not accept that deal, however, because as he sees it, he owns the land, and his original title should suffice to prove that.

According to Marin, police have indicated to him that they have 15 other cases of fraud such as this, so this has led him to suspect some level of compliance and collusion by someone(or some persons) at the Lands Department.

He said that he initially didn’t want to publicize this issue, but he has made a statement because he thinks it’s his duty to educate the public that their titles are not as secure as they would believe it is. What if he or Zabaneh had a bank loan and had used Bikini Caye as collateral? What would have been the legal ramifications then, he said.

Amandala spoke to Beverly Castillo, CEO of the Ministry of Natural Resources, who told us that there have been a number of cases of alleged fraud for private land transactions. She said that these cases are localized in Southern Belize: Dangriga and the cayes.

She said that as a result of these matters being brought up, officials at the Lands Department are looking at the process of conveyance of land transactions to see where a security breech could take place.

As a result of looking at the process, the Lands Department has now immediately implemented new procedures. One such procedure is that all signatories will have to provide a photo, which is to be attached to their signatures, to ensure that people are who they are claiming to be.

Secondly, the Lands Commissioner will be directly involved with the vetting process for all private land transactions. Of course, since he will have to sign off on all transactions, there will be a certain degree of delay in the process. Castillo said that they are willing to compromise on due process in the interests of security.

The CEO said that as a result of these cases being brought forward, the entire department is under internal investigation to find out if there has been some sort of collusion with the person(s) committing these alleged frauds. She said that at this point, no evidence has been found as yet to implicate any Lands Department employee, but if they are found, the information will be turned over to the police.

With regards to Marin’s displaced land title, Castillo said that the matter must be settled in court. The Supreme Court must establish that fraud has been committed, which will depend on the police investigation.

Castillo said it is only then that ownership of Bikini Caye’s land title can revert back to Marin.

Police say that they are looking for Satuaye Mejia of Jetty Pier, Dangriga Town. Up to press time, he has not been detained.