Councillor Mark King declared war on Mayor Zenaida Moya yesterday and she is fighting back. She called a press conference this afternoon to set the record straight on allegations that she paid $270,000 to a trucking company owned by her brother, paid 6 thousand dollars a month for a security guard to watch her house under construction, and more seriously – that she hasn’t presented any financial reports since taking office. She rebutted most of those on the news last night but today elaborated and presented financials from April of 2006 to July of this year.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
“This interview is called to categorically deny any allegations that I have stolen any money from the Belize City Council throughout my term as Mayor and to reassure every Belizean that as the Mayor, I have done my best to manage the council’s resources and will continue to do so.
As the elected mayor of Belize City, it is my fiduciary duty, my obligation, and my responsibility to the residents of Belize City and every other concerned citizen to report the fact of the operation of our Belize City Council in an open and transparent manner. Any monies paid out have been properly accounted for and the council, the internal auditor, and the financial heads can attest to that.
I would like to present a copy of the council’s statement of revenues and expenditure which was prepared by the Director of Financial Services as currently as July 2008. in it you will note every person who has provided materials or rental of equipment services to the council that are duly required, requested for, and accounted for by the relevant officers.
I do not time to have this be held up until Monday or whatever other day, I will deal with this now because after this for the record, the people have to understand and I know they understand, know that I have presented the facts and I will not wait. I will do so immediately.”
Moya also released today a list of contractors, including her brother’s company, which have received contracts from the City Council - disproving that his company gets preferential treatment. She also disclosed that instead of the $6,000 alleged, her security guard receives $800 a month.
