BELIZE CITY, Fri. Nov. 4, 2016–Attorney Sharon Pitts and Andre Vega, son of former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, both walked away with $400,000 each after a shady land transaction occurred when the senior Vega was the Minister of Natural Resources.

Pitts and Vega were both granted acres of land despite being told on more than one occasion that those lands were already privately owned.

After acquiring the land, the Government of Belize was forced to compensate them so that the land could be returned to its original owner. Both Pitts and Vega each received approximately $400,000 for lands that they had purchased at a price of just a few thousand dollars.

When this scandal broke last month it made headlines and stirred so much controversy that Gaspar Vega was forced to resign from Cabinet with immediate effect.

However, his sacrificial resignation was not enough damage control.

Today, Friday, the Government of Belize released a statement informing the nation that Pitts and Vega have been asked to return the monies they received from those shady transactions.

“As a result of the findings, of the investigation into the matter concerning Ms. Sharon Pitts and Mr. Andre Vega, letters were sent to both persons on October 31, 2016 demanding, the repayment to the Government of Belize the sum of $400,000, which was paid to each of them,” quoted, the press release.

The release claimed that both Pitts and Vega breached the terms of an agreement made with the Government of Belize after they were compensated in the land transaction.

The duo was given thirty days to respond to the letter demanding repayment of the monies received from the land transactions. If they fail to respond, the Government “will proceed to take any and all action necessary to ensure the full recovery of monies,” the statement concluded.