And while the PM says no malfeasance was committed under Minister Chebat, the government's attorney in the Speednet case has conceded that GOB violated the Finance and Reform act by awarding the Microsoft contract to Speednet without it first going through the contractor general. That carries a criminal charge, so we asked the PM if his Financial Secretary will be facing any penalties.
Courtney Menzies:
"Will the FinSec be criminally charged for violating the finance and reform act before the 6 month statute is up?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know… I don't, actually, I don't think… well we… Let's put it this way, let's wait to see what the courts have to say, as far as I know, the only process that was not following was going to the contractor general so let's wait."
Courtney Menzies:
"But the government's attorney has always said, he conceded that the finance and reform act was violated, he already conceded that."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"So, do we need to go after Dean Barrow also?"
Courtney Menzies:
"Well, the FinSec is the one..."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Do we need to go after Dean Barrow also? Because remember he did it to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars."
We asked the former PM, Dean Barrow, for a comment on these allegations. He said that he doesn't know what Briceno is referring to, but if it is the finding of the Commissioner of Inquiry that the sales of government vehicles were in breach of FARA during his tenure then he said, quote, "One, That finding is utterly wrong and bizarre to the point where I pour scorn on it; two, I am so certain of the legal position, that I have filed suit to get the "finding" of the Commission struck down by the Supreme Court." End quote.
He went on to say that if the PM insists that the manner in which those sales were done was illegal then he indicts himself since, quote, "as all Belize knows, he conducted, and is still conducting, sales of assets using the exact system that I used. This is what caused Commissioner Luke Martinez to storm out of the Commission in protest, denouncing the current Government and Prime Minister as hypocritical." End quote.
Barrow ended his statement by saying that Briceno is unfairly shunting all the blame to the FinSec, Joe Waight, and it is supposed to be the responsibility of the Minister of Finance to take the contracts to the Contractor General. He added that, quote, "The Prime Minister shouldn't charge Joe Waight. He should charge himself!"
