For the past two nights we've been reporting on flower shop owner Diani Chan and the shipment of plants she received two weeks ago from Mexico. The Forestry department said the inventory of plants contained some listed as endangered by CITES and an invasive species. So, they went to confiscate the items - and that's when they ran into a whole lot of Ministerial interference - including a phone call with the Prime Minister. The PM says he directly intervened to try and protect a business owner from unnecessary losses - but today the President of the PSU says the PM was out of order when he presumed to give a directive to a forestry officer.
Tonight we have his remarks in the context of the wider story. Jules Vasquez reports:
Diani Misheli Chan certainly makes an endearing sales pitch and her Facebook page is literally blooming with the hundreds if not thousands of plants she has on offer.
It's quite an impressive show, but are endangered and invasive species among her vast catalogue of plant life?
These are the 9 BAHA permits for the plants imported by Chan between April 11th and 12th.
The permits are for a total 70 thousand plants and 17 bags of fertilizer and other accessories.
We checked the 8 permits for the plants and found at least three varieties of plants listed in the appendices of CITES - and another that is invasive.
To use their common names, they are the Crown of thorns, the Madagascar palm, the Cyclamen and the Palo de Brazil which is considered invasive.
The plants arrived at the border in a container on April 11th - and the Forestry Department called BAHA and Customs to hold it at the border and that Forestry would go there on the 12th to inspect it.
But that's when the PM made his first call - at the urging of his Agriculture minister:
Hon. Jose Mai, Minister of Agriculture
"When she got to the border there seemed to be some kind of controversy with BAHA and forestry, first she was saying that they needed to give an import permit."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"She had all her permits and everything in place, and she was being stopped at the border, giving problems at the border, and could not bring in her plants. And again, Minister Mai called me the minister responsible - the people at the Customs Department to ask them to please process that permit, or that order, or else if it stays on the other side, it is going to spoil."
And that's when the first red flag went up. PSU President Dean Flowers has been in contact with the Forestry Department:
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"It is my understanding that these flowers crossed the bordered well after closing hours."
So when the Forestry Department went to make its examination on April 12th - the container had already been discharged - and they had to go to Chan's home. They entered a hostile situation where - according to reports - they were jeered at for their enforcement attempts.
But they were intent on confiscating and destroying the CITES prohibited species so they went to pick up police to assist with enforcement.
And that's when the Prime Minister made call #2:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"This time around now, again I was in the middle of a meeting, and Mr. Mai called me again very frustrated. He said the same person is having the very same problem."
"And now that there's a staff member from the forestry department that was attempting to take away these plants. I was in the middle of a meeting. I quickly called. I know the mother-in-law, so, I called her to see if I can speak to the officer in charge. The officer in charge was very rude in the way he behaved. He said only his boss can call him. And I said that I am asking you as Prime Minister to please allow them to come in, and then, we can deal with the facts afterward."
PSU President Dean Flowers says he's stunned at the PM's admissions:
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"My reaction was jaw dropping, I mean I was shocked."
And that's because he said the PM gave the Forestry officer a directive:
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"Instructions were in fact issued to the officer and the officer was right to not carry out such instructions because instructions ought not to be issued by any minister."
"But equally concerning to us is that the prime minister was very forceful in his comments in identifying himself and purporting to give instructions and that's unfortunate because we're dealing with he highest office of this country having these kind of squabbles, if I can use that term, with a public officer, totally out of order, Jules, totally out of order."
"I'm concerned about the fact that the Prime Minister attempted to instruct the officer and that is when the officer said ", you have to go through my supervisor."
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Yes, I called. That person was very rude and set down the phone on me."
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"And while the prime minister is alleging that he was disrespected by the manner in which the officer conducted himself, the officer also has concerns about the tone used by the Prime Minister and the manner in which he himself, or attempted to carry out or give this instruction."
Jules Vasquez
"What is his characterization of the tone employed by the Prime Minister?"
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"That he was forceful and that, ahm, I do not wish to report what the union is in receipt of what, the manner in the prime minister introduced himself and the manner in which he attempted to give this instructions because if it is that this matter goes before the commission, and even before a court of law, I certainly don't want to say anything quoting the Prime Minister that has been presented to us as evidence."
And that's the other issue - the Forestry officer is now the subject of what can only be considered a public threat of at least a reprimand:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"So, I will be speaking with the Minister. So, I will be speaking with the Minister. I'm not shying away from that."
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"I think of you were to examine the comments of both ministers, both the prime minster and the minister of agriculture, there is an undertone in there of what I personally would classify as intimidation."
Flowers says the PSU stands ready to defend the public officer, but says there are broader issues to address as well:
Dean Flowers, President - PSU
"I'm not surprised that the Prime Minister pretty much threw good governance out the window when he said "deal with it afterwards - mek they come een" clearly he was not concerned as to whether or not these species were invasive whether or not they were harmful, would be harmful to the local flora of the country, he wasn't concerned with that, he was more concerned in doing a political favor and throwing the public officer under the bus."
"Because essentially that is what this has come down to: a public officer who simply was carrying out the instruction fo his superiors, he was carrying out the legal instructors of his superiors to look at what was being imported and to confiscate and destroy what was not authorized or legal to be in the country."
But, the Prime Minister makes it clear that this officer was a fetter on free enterprise and, speaking generally, said that corruption often drives such stalling:
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"You have people who invested a lot of money. You have small businesses, like this individual, Miss Chan, who placed her life savings to try and get a permit and to try and open a business. And when we drag our feet, we create serious problems."
"Members of our government drag their feet. And there are some instances - and I'm not suggesting that this is one of them, but there are instances that they drag their feet because they want to be compensated for the work that the Belizean citizens are already paying them."
Dean Flowers. President - PSU
"Corruption reigns supreme in the country of Belize - that is no secret - it reigns in the private sector and it reigns in the public sector - the public sector, corruption that occurs in the public sector is enabled by the private sector - so the prime minister needs to also address his comments to the enables of the corruption which are his private sector colleagues."
And in intervening so directly for this private business owner - when others have had their plants confiscated and destroyed - also raises questions: Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Miss Chan - I don't know Miss Chan. Like Miss Chan who is putting her life savings to try get a permit."
Tomorrow we'll look at the CITES treaty and what violation of it could mean for Belize - as the Minister of Agriculture has pointed to a legal loophole where it hasn't been domesticated into law - but Belize has still signed the treaty.
