And tonight, each of those campaign managers have one more hot little number on their desks. The UDP friendly Orange Walk Business Association has circulated a letter sent on the letterhead of the Deputy Prime Minister. It refers to an incident in which Eulalio Meneces, a current member of the PUP Town Board was caught with a quantity of contraband beer, allegedly 75 cases.
Dated December 19, 2005 and written "to whom it may concern" the letter states, "...we would like to inform the Customs Department that the case between Eulalio Meneces and the Customs Department is being looked after (by) the Hon. John Briceno and the Hon. Servulo Baeza." It continues "both are currently in dialogue with the Prime Minister to bring this matter to a closer." The letter then closes by asking whomever it concerns to hold off any action against Meneces until a directive comes from the PM's office.
It is signed by Kevin Alvarado for Deputy Prime Minister John Briceno. Alavardo is Briceno's political officer in Orange Walk Central. The Orange Walk Business Association has pounced on it as a clear attempt by government to stop the Customs Department from doing its job. Normally, the letter wouldn't count for much more than petty political meddling, but using the Deputy Prime Minister's letterhead, one month before municipal elections, it has sent government into a scramble.
The Prime Minister's Office sent a release late this evening saying that there has been no official interference in the Meneces case and he has been granted no immunity from prosecution. In fact, according to the Prime Minister's office, the matter is now before the Magistrate's Court in Orange Walk.
And in a parallel act of political bloodletting, Deputy John Briceno's right hand man, Kevin Alvarado has been made to issue a signed statement in which he admits to writing the letter without the authority of Briceno or Baeza. The sheepish statement says he regrets doing so, and we'll bet he does.
