Yesterday afternoon, Co-Chair of the DFC Commission of Inquiry Merlene Bailey-Martinez handed in her 166 page report to the Cabinet Secretary. But while she was doing that, former DFC Chairman Glenn Godfrey was in Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh's chambers with his attorney Elson Kaseke asking for an ex-parte injunction barring government from publishing that report. Godfrey and Kaseke got the injunction and it doesn't appear that the government will ask to have it set aside.
In a brief ruling, the Chief Justice said that once Chairman David Price died, the Commission was, "a calamity waiting to happen." And according to the CJ, that calamity did happen because in his judgement the Commission had, "hardly any purpose" after the Commissioners were unable to submit a joint report. The losers in all this says the CJ are the public of Belize. He concludes somberly, "it is a pity".
But according to the Opposition leader, it doesn't have to be. Dean Barrow today told us that the Bailey-Martinez report is still very usable.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
"We have to ensure that it will prove to not have been all in vain and I think that's easily done. I want to offer comfort to the Belizean and I think that comfort can be best offered by indicating that there's no need to appoint a new Commission of Inquiry, that the material, the sworn testimony, the exhibits that are taken in evidence, and in particular and the forensic audit ought to be enough to found the kind of action that will see a sudden recourse, that will see people being called to account. I don't want to put it higher than that because I am not sure exactly what are the materials disclosed."
And were the UDP elected, Barrow says he would also re-animate the Senate Special Committee's probe into the DFC.
