BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Feb. 13, 2020– In the wake of the controversy surrounding Hon. John Saldivar, which peaked after evidence from the fraud and money laundering trial of Lev Dermen in Salt Lake City, Utah, hit Belize, government-appointed senator Steven Duncan announced his resignation from the Senate.

Duncan, who is the manager of Heritage Bank, is considered to be a politically exposed person (PEP), and Amandala has learned that it was probably ill-advised for him to agree to serve in the Senate, because being in such a position as a banker puts more scrutiny on his banking business.

The potential exposure of his banking activities was emphasized as a result of the fallout from the Lev Dermen trial, which brought to the forefront the fact that Duncan has been serving a government in which at least one of its ministers could face possible money laundering charges from the United States, for the illegal movement of large amounts of cash from that jurisdiction.

The government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow has not yet named a senator to replace Duncan.