She was terminated as CEO of the Social Security Board and left without being fully paid up for her employment contract and now Narda Garcia will take SSB to court and reports to 7NEWS say she's gotten no other than former Solicitor General Elson Kaseke to represent her. Kaseke has written to the acting Chairman of the Social Security Board of Directors requesting arbitration on behalf of Garcia.
The former Sol Gen, who asked not to renew his contract with the government in May, is known for fierce fought courtroom battles and would no doubt dutifully defend the disgraced CEO. But Kaseke is also the former parliamentary counsel which advised the Senate Special Select Committee, the same committee that found Garcia had been negligent and reckless in managing the fund's money and the same committee whose findings forced her firing.
And, on Kaseke, that committee also concluded that, "any committee of the Senate investigating these types of situations in the future (should) have at its disposal other competent legal counsel separate from the parliamentary counsel who also represents the interests of the members of the executive..." Well with this, Kaseke, the private attorney, has gone from representing the executive to the deposed former chief executive, the same person who was at the center of the controversy within the report he advised on.
It is now left to be seen whether the issue of conflict will be raised at the court or possibly taken up with the general legal counsel. Of course the former Sol Gen is also on a two year $200,000 retainer with the government of Belize. On Friday though that didn't stop him from entering into a case against that same government.
On Friday morning Kaseke appeared in the Supreme Court before Justice Awich on behalf of Jan Bartack seeking judicial review against the Comptroller of Customs. Merlene Moody appeared for the Comptroller. Kaseke's contract with the government deals with 11 specific matters of litigation and legislation for which he is retained and they did not include Customs matters.
