And that’s where the subject of our next story comes in. Yesterday the Mayor told us that Englebert Perrera, the City Administrator was responsible for the protest because he did not call Joseph Griffith, the owner of Belize Waste Control to tell him that the money would be paid. Here again is what the Mayor said and what Perrerra had to say in response when he came to our studio today.
[August 26th, 2008]
Zenaida Moya, Mayor of Belize City
“I spoke to Mr. Griffith earlier and I asked him why the people were out there. He told me had spoken to Mr. Englebert Perrera, the city administrator, a week and a half ago asking him about payments but Mr. Perrera had not returned his call hence the reason why the people were out there.
Jules Vasquez,
The implication clearly made by the Mayor is that you did not do your job of administrating the city’s affair. How do you respond to that?
Englebert Perrera, Belize City Administrator
“It’s a false accusation. I called Mr. Griffith, I informed him about the situation.”
Jules Vasquez,
You called him when?
Englebert Perrera,
“With regards to specific dates, I believe right, sometime last week but...”
Jules Vasquez,
You called him to say you all will not be able to make payment?
Englebert Perrera,
“Yes and I gave him an update, we do not have money at the time and I will update you when I get something from Belmopan, that is the best we can do. If we don’t have money, we don’t have money. We can’t promise the man that we will give him money on a certain date and there is no money. With regards to that Mr. Griffith protested because he didn’t get paid. It wasn’t because city admin did not call him. He was updated about the situation. He did not get paid and he protested.”
Jules Vasquez,
Okay he did not get paid but could you have averted him getting paid by making a phone call and telling him, ‘look ya, you will get paid, we are getting the money this week, just hold on?’
Englebert Perrera,
“Well the last time I spoke with Mr. Griffith I told him we would be getting the money and he said to call him when I get the money, tell him when we get the money. And if Belmopan or if they tell you that you are getting the money at a certain time and you don’t get it that time, people will get upset and say I told them that time so I am waiting for the money to come so I can tell him I have the money and you can come for your check.”
Jules Vasquez,
So you made the decision not to call him until you have the money in hand?
Englebert Perrera,
“Yes I told him when I get the money I will give him a call.”
Jules Vasquez,
I know that the Mayor went to Belmopan yesterday. She told us she got the money. I understand that when she came back, she went to your office, this is what we have heard from out of that office and we went yesterday to check, that when she came back she demanded that you pay the money.
Englebert Perrera,
“The Mayor came into my office and she told me to sign the check. She said to sign the check now now now. I said Mayor with due respect the bank called, the bank told me do not sign any check, it will bounce.”
Jules Vasquez,
At what time was this?
Englebert Perrera,
“This now was pretty much ‘round four o’clock, around that time, and she came and demanded that I sign the check. I will not sign
a check and I know cannot go through the bank because if the check bounce, they can always the city admin did not advise the people, for example the Mayor because she signs the check, and I will not take blame for things that I am not to be blamed for.”
Jules Vasquez,
Reports that we got are that you were physically threatened, that Easy Glen was in the office and that Dalla, who is the Mayor’s fiancé was also in the office along with the Mayor, threatening you to sign it. How do you respond to that?
Englebert Perrera,
“That is true but I am dealing with that internally with the party.”
Jules Vasquez,
How did you feel in that moment being forced by the Mayor, who is your boss really, to sign a check for which there was insufficient fund?
Englebert Perrera,
“I was very disappointed in the Mayor’s action. I have nothing against her but what she should have done, instead of bringing her boyfriend or fiancé with her in my office along with Easy Glen was wrong, point blank. When she pretty much wanted to force me to sign a check when the check wasn’t going to be good. I will not sign it, I am not a rubber stamp. I will make sure once my signature is on a check, it is good.
I explained to her that the bank called me and the financial advisor, it was a three way call with the financial advisor on it, but she didn’t want to hear that. She just said to sign the check and the man already told me the check can’t go through if money is not in there. I will not sign the check and that is why the check wasn’t signed and I wanted my staff especially to know why the checks weren’t signed. It is not because Englebert Perrera didn’t want to sign the checks, if I signed the check it still wouldn’t be good.”
Jules Vasquez,
How do you return to work?
Englebert Perrera,
“Trust me I didn’t even want to go to work this morning, I was threatened to do my job. I am not a rubber stamp. I will make sure check and balance happens. I called the Manager for security this morning and I told him I want a security. Point blank I didn’t know it would reach this level. To do your job, you need a security, it is ridiculous. I got one because what happened yesterday, I don’t want it to be repeated and like I said, I am dealing with it internally and I am writing a letter to the Chairman of the party and when things ease down then I will go to work by myself.”
And to get a response to those allegations about physical threats being made in the presence of the Mayor, we spoke to Troy Dalla Flowers, the Mayor’s fiancée. He confirmed that he was in the Administrator’s office,
but stressed that it is an outright and blatant lie that he intimidated anyone.
And what about Easy Glen, properly known as Goldbourne Adolphus? He was also in the office with the Mayor, and with his street reputation, could likely be seen as a threat. We caught up with him today, and here’s what he had to say.
Easy Glen, Disputes Englebert Perrera’s Accusations
“I wouldn’t threaten Mr. Perrera at all. If he feels threatened by when I went in his office with the Mayor I am sorry about that but threatening him, that didn’t come from my me brother.”
Jules Vasquez,
You didn’t hold a chair like you were going to pick it up and throw it?
Easy Glen,
“No Jules when I walked in the office, the Mayor is the head person so I can’t go and have no kind of confrontation with Mr. Perrera at all because I am an employee, I am a regular employee so I just pulled a chair to sit down on, that’s all. I dragged the chair to sit down on, you understand me, but to see whap somebody with a chair man me Easy Glen and the level I am at right now, this is the best of my life brother Jules, you understand me. I am employed for going two years and a change, this is the best of me right now.
Mr. Perrera if I made you feel threatened or anything, I apologize but to say I walked into your office or threatened you or assaulted you at any time, I did not do so and I could go to the whole of Belize and say that my brother, you understand me.”
And while Easy Glen wouldn’t say much in our interview, 7NEWS has obtained a memorandum that he sent to the Mayor today, complaining about the City Administrator. In it, he accuses Perrerra of encouraging yesterday’s demonstration. In the memo, he says he concluded this because he called to warn Perrerra about the demonstration, and claims that Perrera mistook him for “Midgit” – one of the men organizing the demonstration. He claims Herrerra said, quote “Bring them because we have to have each other’s back.”
Plots and rumors of plots, but according to City Administrator Perrerra, one thing that is not a plot is the unauthorized spending Mayor Moya approved for Helen Castro’s bulldozer. He told us the Mayor authorized the rental from Edmund Castro’s wife without telling him or the council.
Englebert Perrera,
“For some reason the bulldozer went down. My understanding is that
the Mayor rented a bulldozer. The Ministry of Works lent us one, it is for free pretty much; free. She rented one, I realized like two weeks into the rental that a bulldozer was rented. I was not informed, which I should have first of all, I was not informed.”
Jules Vasquez,
$4,400 a week and the City Administrator did not know?
Englebert Perrera,
“Yes for about two weeks and then when they called me and informed me about what was happening I told them no, why rent bulldozer when we can get one from the Hon. Boots Martinez, it is ridiculous –I will not pay it. The invoice came on my desk. They told me it came from upstairs. Later on the Mayor, I believe, when I saw the invoice and I saw the $15,000 and I know Belmopan is lending us one cause we need one, why pay for it, I put the invoice one side and said I will not approve it. I have to approve expenses, I run the day to day operation for the council and the council is made up of ten councillors and one Mayor, not one Mayor, and I have nothing against the Mayor but that is the situation with the council. But with regards to the invoice, get back to the invoice, I put the invoice one side because I knew I will not sign any check for that invoice.
Now, with regards to the amount which is close to $15,000, anything over $5,000 needs to be approved by the council and that is why I defined who made up the council, ten councillors and one Mayor. The Mayor called me about the invoice and the Mayor asked me to pay the invoice. The Mayor told me the people done do deh job, we need fi pay them. I asked the Mayor if the council know about this and she said, ‘noh worry bout di council, I dah di Mayor, just sign it.’ I then told the Mayor I cannot sign it, it was not approved by the council, I did not even know about it, and why will we rent a bulldozer when we can get one for free. She didn’t even check if she can get one for free, she just rented one. The Belizean people will do the math but it was an unauthorized and I will not sign any check.”
That money has not been paid, and we are reliably informed that it very likely will not be paid.
