Tonight, Belize is represented in Egypt at COP-27 by a delegation of over 20 persons. But, the delegation's members who are stirring controversy back at home are Orlando Habet, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management, and his wife, Nadine Abigail Habet.
She is on the Official COP-27 list of delegates as "support" to the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management, but she isn't employed with the Ministry. That's why, similar to her presence in Glasgow, Scotland for last year's COP, her politician husband's harshest critics are calling the couple out for it.
The suggestion is that "Landy" Habet is using his authority as a minister of government to give his wife, who is not a ministry employee, a free trip to Egypt at the expense of Belizean taxpayers. So, in the context of Prime Minister Briceno's request to ministers to reduce the government's travel expenses, we asked Habet for a response to these allegations.
He responded to his critics this morning via WhatsApp in response to our request for a comment.
Habet said, quote, "I believe they are being irresponsible by not first finding out whether her trip is paid by GOB /tax payers funds. Ultimately, it is to create a story and for me to have to defend. To create doubt in the public's mind, to smear my name or position at their benefit.
The president of the public service union did the same story and accusation last year. I had to take receipts of payments of receipts for airfare etc.to the SunUp show on Channel 7.
Perhaps my wife should not have been in that meeting where she was pictured. Really, she was standing outside to take pictures but was asked to sit in as no classified information was being discussed. Then, the media walked in, and they took the pictures. If it were classified the media, would not have been allowed either.
In regards to the ticket payments, you can check with Exodus Travel agency in San Ignacio for mine and for my wife's." End quote.
