And while referred to cabinet confidentiality as both convention and principle, the Prime Minister also referred to what he says is another convention: that former Prime Ministers should stay out of the spotlight.
He was discussing Dean Barrow's appearance before the Senate Special Select Committee as attorney for Wilber Vallejos and Hugo Patt.
Here's the PM's take on it:
Reporter
"What do you make of the former prime minister's presence in the senate special select committee's inquiry and him blocking questions from the senate with regards to his clients?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think first of all I think there has been this general convention that retired prime ministers you go on the side don't stay here in the limelight. Now I know that he is an attorney and there is a lot of other work that he can do that would not necessarily have to do something directly with the government so that is my first point. Secondly, I believe that the former prime minister continues to try to protect his former government. he was the one who admitted readily that there are many corrupt actors in his government and so now he is doing his best to be able to protect what has taken place. It's I think it's a sad day for Belize that a former prime minister would now be actively out there trying to protect and defend the accusations of his government."
Reporter
"Do you concede to his position in saying that the government did not put in place the proper terms of reference that would have allowed for questioning or matters be pertaining to that transaction?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well first of all it's not that the government had not set up the terms of reference with the senate select committee that's one but secondly when you are setting up your terms of reference you set it up broadly you do not set up every single step of what can be done. It's done in broad strokes so when it comes to Portico there are many issues that affect Portico and the Definitive Agreement. And the issuing of land in that area that all of it was issued within a very very short span and that right after that it was sold to the same actors that are somehow directly or indirectly connected to the project raises many questions and I think that the senate select committee had every right to ask those questions."
