Last night, we told you about the big disclosures that Prime Minister John Briceno made in response to the Information request from UDP Senator Michael Peyrefitte. As viewers are aware, Peyrefitte had asked the PM to disclose how much has been paid to the law firm owned by two of his Ministers: Eamon Courtenay and Chris Coye.
Well, the Opposition has had an opportunity to review that disclosure, and here's what Peyrefitte had to say in response. In his assessment, the Prime Minister opened his government up to more criticism:
Michael Peyrefitte - UDP Senator
"The Prime Minister has responded, and I see they make the video, they think they won, and I am saying it reveals things that are far more damaging than they would want to be revealed. And as well, the Prime Minister has put himself in a position where he will be subjected to some possible serious defamation suits. Of course, he doesn't care because it won't cost him, it will cost you, the taxpayers of Belize, and probably, Courtney Coye and company will be hired again to defend those defamation lawsuits. He says that Courtney Coye and company has been paid just somewhere in the area of 200 and something - just shy of $300,000. Now, if you believe that they have been paid just that, then I have seafront property to sell you in Belmopan, we have credible information that that is not what they have been paid. Five weeks after the general elections, the ink [was] barely dry on the oath that they signed to be Minister, Senator, and Prime Minister, and this is what Senator Courtenay wrote to the Governor-General. I am the senior partner in the firm of Courtenay Coye LLP, attorneys at law. I am also a senator appointed by your excellency on the advice of the honorable prime minister. I am not aware that the firm is currently a party to any contract with the government. However, it is likely that Courtney Coye LLP will be engaged by the government from time to time to advise it on sensitive legal matters when it is deemed appropriate to obtain legal advice from practitioners outside of the public service. There are seven other attorneys at law who work at the firm that would provide any such advice or representation. In the circumstances, I write to you pursuant to Section 64 two of the Constitution to seek Your Excellency's exemption from vacating my seat in the Senate in the event that the firm is in fact engaged by the Government. I see on the morning show with Joe and Fonso, why would two of the named partners leave their law firms to become Minister and Minister of State in a government? Why? It's very easy to explain, because less than two months after being selected to the Senate in the government that was just formed, they made sure that bill locked in legal work from the government to benefit their law firm whilst they're in Cabinet."
