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Tonight, attorney Wendy Auxillou is speaking out. She's been quiet and out of the country since her name flamed unto the pubic stage in mid-August.
That's when intimate text messages between her and Minister Andres Perez leaked out. Perez said she was extorting him for political favours; she said he was sexually harassing her and showing predatory behavior.
Here at this newsroom we have specific knowledge that around August 15th, Perez did make efforts to try and arrange a settlement of their personal dispute by using his influence as a public official to try and secure land documents for a property Auxillou supposedly had an interest in. It never worked out - and the scandal went public on August 17th.
Sensing the volatile nature of the situation - and aware of his government's claim to supporting female empowerment - the Prime Minister suspended Perez from Cabinet on August 21st for an indefinite period.
The Attorney General was tasked to investigate, quote, "the recent allegations against Minister Perez." Two months later that isn't finished and there's no timeline for completion.
But, last night Perez appeared in an interview on Channel 5 where he said that the Prime Minister has assured him that he will be returning to Cabinet - and that he knows he did not do anything wrong.
Wendy Auxillou heard that loud and clear. She has been living in a kind of political exile since August - when, fearing for her safety and professional security, she basically gave up her legal practice. She today agreed to make a statement to our News Director saying that more than two months after an investigation was announced, no one has reached out to her:
Wendy Auxillou, Attorney
"Jules I don't have any information about any Cabinet inquiry or Cabinet legal review or any legal review by the Attorney General's Office or any such thing, because no one from the government of Belize has contacted me to ask for my side of the story or to see what evidence I have in hand. It is all a sham. I myself would like to see the results of that one sided so-called investigation or legal review, if there is, if there even is one. Because I have a right to respond to whatever it is that said about me in that review. If that review was carried out in particular, if it paints me in a bad light. I have a right to respond to that. Jules, the prime minister himself, without ever even having had a conversation with me, has made soundbites to the media, repeated sound bites. I'm not talking about just one time in support of his childhood friend from Orange Walk Now. He's made these comments to the effect that he's made. He said two things that I've heard repeatedly. Number one, that what transpired between Minister Perez and I was a personal matter. And number two, that Aye man you souldn't have shared those photos, the photos shouldn't have been shared."
"What that says to me, Jules, as a lawyer is that the Prime Minister has chosen to downplay Minister Perez's predatory behavior and recast it as something personal. Remember, sexual assault is something criminal. So if he re-categorizes it as something personal, that's a sound bite that he's trying to give out. He is trying to exclude Mr. Perez, Andre Perez from having to face Well, basically the public eye, he's trying to recast what happened as a non-criminal matter. Jules, by adding words to the effect that aye man you shouldn't have sent those photos well, that's all I will say. That's all I will say. As a lawyer, what I take that to mean that is that the Prime Minister is threatening me. He is threatening me that if I don't toe and this is my interpretation, he's threatening me that if I don't toe the official line that this was a personal matter, that got out of hand that I face the risk of being criminally charged, criminally charged and arrested for allegedly distributing the photos of Minister Perez's penis."
"Something which I have denied doing completely. I would never do anything like that. It's bullying at the highest levels. Let's be clear what it is."
Auxillou told us, quote, "They have stolen my peace of mind and my livelihood and my life."
For his part, Perez has flatly denied ever harassing or making threats and says Auxillou is on what he calls "a simple smear campaign."
But, Auxillou is undaunted. Speaking to us she also called the Prime Minister, quote, "the biggest enabler of gender-based violence in Belize." Tune in tomorrow for part two of our interview to hear why she makes that claim.
