The Commission of inquiry on the sale of government assets is ongoing, but already in just a single transaction for one government owned Toyota Tacoma, we have seen multiple layers of questionable business dealings.
Tonight, we have some new information that sheds some light on how truly shady one business dealing was. Jules Vasquez reports:
He's a convicted criminal - convicted of aggravated assault and sentenced to 3 years in jail. And apart from that, Juvencio Herrera has a long rap sheet, including a murder charge of which he was acquitted.
But in just a few years, Herrera went from ex-con to bridge financier provider to the second most powerful man in the country - coming through with 65 grand for a man he calls his friend.
Andrew Marshalleck
"How did you come to meet your friend Minister Patt?"
Juvencio Herrera
"I worked for Mr. Ivan and he use to stay at one of the apartment building."
He met Patt while doing maintenance work on his Belmopan apartment:
Juvencio Herrera
"Me and he had a conversation in late October and he said he wanted to acquire the vehicle but he never had the full finance to get it and I told him I would see if I could assist him."
He did by arranging a 65 thousand dollar loan interest free through another friend, to be repaid within three months.
Andrew Marshalleck
"How did you get it.?"
Juvencio Herrera
"Through somebody I worked for and I ask to borrow it from them."
Andrew Marshalleck
"So you decided to borrow it so that you can lend it to Mr. Patt?"
Juvencio Herrera
"Yes sir."
Andrew Marshalleck
"The entire $65,000?"
Juvencio Herrera
"Yes sir."
It's an implausible and probably fantastical arrangement - especially considering that Herrera was only an occasional worker with no fixed income:
Andrew Marshalleck
"How much money you make in a year?"
Juvencio Herrera
"It depends at how many jobs I get. I haven't file any taxes because most of my contracts are verbal and I don't work all year round, it's just when the weather good and when I have jobs."
But, still he found 65 grand for the Deputy PM. All in all it doesn't look good for Hugo Patt, now the first Deputy Leader of the Opposition - but today his boss, the party leader said don't ask me! Ask Hugo:
Reporter
"He says that he and Herrera are good friends, but he ask this man who has no fix income to buy a government asset at a severely reduced price. What's your opinion on this shady type of arrangement?"
Hon. Patrick Faber, Leader of the Opposition
"All of this is what has come out and still is coming out in the injury and I'd wait to hear the final version of what has happened. But please feel free to ask the Hon. Hugo Patt about those issues. We have several house meetings coming up as the budget will be presented, so you can feel free to ask him, but I will wait to hear what the commission says about those matters that you put forward before I make any pronouncement."
Of course, that's just one transaction and the Commission of Inquiry is investigating dozens of government vehicle sales, and, we are told, as many as 16 investigated so far involved government ministers, drivers or other political insiders.
