Last night, we told you about the Briceno Government's secret contract with Geovannie Brackett, the sometimes-activist and sometimes-journalist who often found himself in opposition to the Former Barrow Administration's public policy decisions.
According to an internal memo from the Ministry of Finance, approval was given for his 2-year contractual employment as Information Consultant to the Government Press Office. However, some public servants take issue with the fact that he has become a highly paid public officer. He will earn a salary that is larger than many civil service who have been in the public service for decades - including teachers, police officers and doctors.
Tonight, we take a closer look at Brackett's public trajectory from firebrand to a contract officer. Daniel Ortiz has that story:
During the last Government Administration, Geovannie Brackett earned his name as firebrand, sometimes fire-starter and frontline fulminator against injustice, from protests about patriotism:
File: July 25, 2012
Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"COLA called this brief press conference in front of the office for the Organization of America States, OAS, because of its recent statement concerning the death of an armed Guatemalan in the line of fire from our armed forces. However, in two statements issued by the OAS, they said that it happened near the border, and the second one - a correction, which is no correction; it is inaccurate - that it occurred in the adjacency zone. And we think this is outrageous; we are outraged at COLA for this statement."
File: August 17, 2015
River of Fire
"Yow! Come back this way!"
Geovannie Brackett
"Come back, come back!
Passenger
"Come back!"
River of Fire
"They're hauling you!"
To religious views against Caleb Orozco's successful Supreme Court challenge, which led to the decriminalization of gay sex:
File: August 23, 2016
Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"We do not support sodomy. We believe that this latest ruling only indicates that what the prime minister really wanted was to have another entity such as the courts to do their bidding."
To public cries for justice on behalf of innocent Belizeans who died due to gun violence.
File: September 27, 2017
Giovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"We want justice and we want to know if they killed that young man if that young man is missing we need an adequate explanation or else I can guarantee you it won't be just these young people but it will be the full-fledged supporters of COLA and other people who will turn this nation upside down until we get justice, enough is enough."
And even to the demonstrations made by the mighty Belize National Teachers Union. You'll remember that the police accused him of being a silent provocateur and the moving hand behind the illegal burning of tires on Belcan Bridge.
File: October 5, 2016
Geovannie Brackett - President, COLA
"I could tell you that we at COLA are supporting the teachers 100%. So don't be mad if a lee road gets closed here and there, or a little tire gets burnt here and there. We will show a little support in a different way."
File: February 6, 2017
Kareem Musa - Attorney, COLA
"Today was set for the hearing date for the matter with Mr. Geovanni Brackett, the president of COLA along with 5 other defendants. It was supposed to be for a trial, but the prosecution was once again at a loss."
File: March 22, 2017
Giovannie Brackett - Charge Withdrawn
"Today what happened, Jules, is that what the prosecutor said was that for the lack of evidence they are dismissing the charges against all of us."
Jules Vasquez
"They had caution statement, Mr. Brackett. They had these young men saying that you pay them money to put the tires out there and to put them on fire. That was the understanding we had. We had Mr. Chester Williams himself; he was the person who processed you all. Explain to me how all of this big talking, big scenery comes to dust."
Giovanni Brackett
"Well, Jules it's not just Minister "Sedi" Elrington that lives in an imaginary world you know. Many other people who probably investigated this matter were imaginary as well, even the evidence."
Then, there are the times, when, instead of being interviewed for the evening news, he's the one asking the questions as a news reporter.
File: September 18, 2015
Geovannie Brackett - Reporter
"In a portion of your release, it's actually stated that this administration is worse."
Michael Augustus, President - BCWU
"I was asked by my membership not to speak, not to comment. I think I went further than was expected of me. I was told not to even accept…So at this point, I will say no more."
But, under the Briceno Government Administration, Brackett seems to have hung up both his journalism and activism hats.
According to this memo from the Ministry of Finance, he is now an Information Consultant for the Government Press Office, which falls under the Office of the Prime Minister. With effect from February 1, 2022, he is to be hired for 2 years at a salary of $42,000 per year, and he will be given a monthly telephone allowance of $125 monthly, plus a 10% annual gratuity - for a total contract value of $47,700 annually. A teacher, nurse, policeman, or even a doctor in the public system would take decades to get to the salary - if they got there at all.
The President of the Public Service Union has poured scorn on that contract, reminding the general public that every time the government hires someone new, the wage bill goes up.
Brackett now becomes a highly paid contract officer under the Office of the very same Prime Minister who once criticized his predecessor for overseeing an exponential increase in wages during his term.
This enormous wage bill was a major talking point in the Prime Minister's Budget Speech on March 15th of this year.
John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Wages, wage-related subsidies, and pensions will cost Government $704 million in the coming Budget year. 62 cents of every dollar Government collects in recurrent revenues will therefore be spent on wages and pensions."
"So how did the previous Administration fund this bloated wage and pension bill? Well, they spent money they did not have, and they borrowed, effectively to pay wages and pensions; borrowing was at a pace of $1 million per day when we took office. It is that record of reckless borrowing and spending that enfeebled the public finances and the economy so that when Covid-19 hit us, the country was brought to the brink of default and devaluation."
And now, Brackett joins the brigade of political cronies paid from the public purse adding annually to that very same wage bill - no word yet though, if he will have to trade in all that mock military attire for office casual dress.
Yesterday, when we contacted Brackett for comment, he told us that he was dealing with a personal emergency and that he would address the controversy of his employment with the government shortly.
When we followed up this morning, Brackett maintained that position, but at around midday, he called us back to say that now that because he is a public officer, he is not allowed to freely speak publicly.
He did insist, however, that with what he says is 15 years of experience as a journalist, he is qualified for the post he now occupies, and he also asserted that he is advising the government on "technical matters".
