And now, we turn back briefly to our press encounter with Prime Minister John Briceño in Shipyard, Orange Walk yesterday. That's when we took the opportunity to ask whether he and his co-claimant, Julius Espat, intend to appeal the decision from Acting Chief Justice Michelle Arana.
As we reported, Briceno and Espat, back when they were in Opposition, successfully sued Former Prime Minister Dean Barrow. They made the case that he unlawfully spent 1.3 billion dollars in public funds without getting prior parliamentary approval. After laborious arguments on the issue, Former Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin agreed with them. But, he failed to perfect the orders of his judgment against the former PM, and that opened the door for the defendants to challenge its validity. Acting Chief Justice Arana, Benjamin's successor has delivered a ruling that she cannot settle this dispute from the transcripts of the case.
So, at this time, the judgment's validity remains in question, and so, we asked the PM and Courtenay, the attorney who represented Briceno and Espat in the original case, about the possibility of an appeal. Here's what they had to say:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister/Claimant
"With the ruling, I have said that I would not behave like the previous prime minister, and I will refrain from commenting on that, and we're looking at our options."
Daniel Ortiz
"Is appealing on the table?"
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister/Claimant
"You will find out soon, thanks."
Daniel Ortiz
"Will that go uncontested?"
Hon. Eamon Courtenay - Attorney/Minister of Foreign Affairs
"It will be appealed. There is no about in my mind that the [Acting] Chief Justice is wrong on it. So, it's going to be appealed."
