The Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology and Public Utilities, headed by Senator Joy Grant, today issued an ardent rebuttal to claims made publicly a few days ago, by the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM), that the Government and US Capital Energy have been acting illegally in the manner in which they have proceeded with plans to drill on Maya ancestral lands.

In a decision handed down in July, the Court of Appeal affirmed Maya ancestral land rights, but it went on to set aside certain orders that the Supreme Court had made to give effect to those rights.

“The Court of Appeal in its ruling, expressly refused to uphold the order issued by the then Chief Justice Conteh that required the Government of Belize to ‘abstain from issuing any concessions for resource exploitation, including concessions, permits or contracts authorizing logging, prospecting or exploration under the Forest Acts, Mines and Mineral Act, the Petroleum Act, or any other Act,’” the ministry said, adding that SATIIM is misinforming the public.

“Furthermore,” it added, “the Court of Appeal agreed with the Government of Belize that the learned Chief Justice Conteh erred in law in failing to take judicial notice of the Petroleum Act, which vests property in petroleum in the State, and of the Sixth [Constitutional] Amendment Act which, for avoidance of any doubt, exclusively vests the ownership of petroleum and other minerals in the Government of Belize.”

The Government maintains that its actions – to issue licenses, concessions and all necessary permits as required by law – are “completely legal and consistent with the decision of the Court of Appeal.”