The Social Security Board today responded to allegations made by Edwin Logan on 7 News last night. In a 7 News expose, Logan claims that his identity was sold to an illegal alien by a corrupt social security staffer. Today's release calls acknowledged Logan's complaint, but goes on to dismiss it as a new phenomenon. According to the Social Security Board, the fraudulent card was issued when a non-national used Logan's stolen passport. But the social security release does not address a wider internal audit that just concluded, which is looking into the possibility of other instances in which cards and identities were sold by corrupt personnel. The man being blamed, possibly scape-goated, for wrongdoing is David Matus, a former employee of the registration and identification section. He was fired on Friday after social security management tried to pin the Logan case and other irregularities on him. He now becomes a convenient whipping boy for social security bosses who are under pressure for not enforcing controls to protect the public interest they are chartered to protect. But if it seems a little simple to blame one man, it is because Matus says he is falsely accused of undermining a system that's full of holes anyway.
Indira Craig reporting,
David Matus
I have been fired. All I know, I have been accused of having some part in it, whereas, somebody came into our office with a fake passport, we registered the person, we took the picture, and the card was printed. It goes through a whole lot of procedures and because of my access being left in the computer I have been singled out from everybody else. But the last time, I was given no, they told me that they had concluded the investigation on Friday and they didn't find anything, but nevertheless I had to be terminated. So I do believe that I was terminated, so they could cover up what is left there to be found. The system at Social Security has a lot of holes. A lot of holes that both myself and the employees there know that a lot of leakage in the system. We have projects such as South-side where anybody could go into our office, claim to say that they are Belizean to say that they live on the South-side of Belize City and get a social security card. No ID, No identification is needed for that. So anybody could go into our office claiming that they live on the South-side and we can't prove them wrong. I'm innocent with the situation being put at me because it has not only brought me down as an individual but it has also caused a lot of complaints and, you know, family incidence, and it is really bringing me down especially to know that I am the only one singled out from everybody else who signed those forms, who issued the cards, who authorized it to be printed and yet they cannot come up with the answers as to how it happened.
One man who knows that the social security registration and identification process is fraught with irregularity is Edwin Logan. You saw him on this news-cast last night, outraged that social security had sold his identity. He today went to Social Security to find out about the investigation into this most personal of matters. But, instead of being greeted with answers, Logan says he was kicked out and dismissed.
Edwin Logan, claimed Social Security sold his identity
She said that she don't have to hear anything and she don't want to hear anything so please get out of my office and go and she asked me to leave and she get up and said I don't have the time to talk with you and I cannot talk to you so please leave because I have no comment and I have nothing to tell you and no information to give you.
Indira Craig
Were you rude to her Mr. Logan?
Edwin Logan
I was not rude. I went there with the most mannerly respect to that woman. I did not say anything wrong to her.
Indira Craig
You have not gotten any official word from Social Security as to where this situation is presently?
Edwin Logan
They do not want to give me any word on what is happening and they refuse to give me anything on what the situation is right now. They told me that they were not going to comment on anything and if I want I could go to the media and I could go to anywhere I want to go. She said they have nothing to do and they are not going to say anything to anyone. That's what she told me in a very ignorant way. Just the way I am telling it to you, and she said to please get out of my office, get out of my office. She said please go and don't come back to the Social Security Board, she said do not come back in this office. It is wrong. Why are they keeping this under secret, huh. That guy is the criminal and they are the criminal because they were the ones who did fraud in the office, so they are the criminals and the guy is the criminal. I am not no criminal, huh. And they are treating me like I am the criminal, which is unfair. I feel very let down and betrayed and insecure because they are playing around with me. They are taking me for fun. They are playing around with my future, huh. What kind of future do we have with them? Why are they collecting all these contributions and then we don't have a secure future, huh? And selling my identity to someone else so that that person can come and claim all my benefits for the future. That's no kind of future. We are not secure anymore. We are insecure with Social Security Board. I don't think it's a Social Security Board, I think it's a social selling board, put it that way, that's what I think it is all about.
The Nigerian who fraudulently registered under Logan's name, number and personal particulars has been arrested and remanded.