Last night we reported that Minister of Agriculture Jose Mai had resigned - after he was forced to do so by the Prime Minister - after a de-briefing with the US Embassy - which, according to our reports, raised concerns about Mai's activities in the free zone and other areas. Well, today the Prime Minister shocked the whole nation when he came out with a counter-narrative: Mai doesn't have a bad reputation, he has a bad back!
We got it directly from the PM today in a Zoom interview after the Tuesday Cabinet meeting. Here's what he told Jules Vasquez:
Jules Vasquez
"Abi Mai, he has resigned from the cabinet. What's behind that?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well, let me start off by pointing out that I sincerely believe that former Minister Mai, or Honorable Mai, who has been the best Minister of Agriculture, Belize has ever seen, at least since 1981."
"Many people don't know this, but I think over a year ago, he was riding a horse in his farm, and he fell, and he hurt his back. I know we were joking about in the cabinet all along that he tried to ride a horse and he dosen't know what he is doing and we did not realize how bad it was, and it's been getting progressively worse. So he's saying that he probably will have surgery in his lower back, probably in Guatemala. And so he felt it's best for him to ask for a leave of absence, which I agreed to."
"But during that time, we have to have another minister. And so that's when I looked at around the table, who we have, and Minister Ferguson being a deputy leader and also a senior in parliament, being that he was first elected in 2003, I felt that it would be easiest to bring someone that already had some experience as how a ministry works."
Jules Vasquez
"Certainly you will have heard the report that, in fact, Jose Mai was forced to resign because you had received intelligence from the US Embassy indicating that he had suspicious activities around him."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"That's not true. I didn't, I received no such report or suspicious report around Minister Mai. And so it was at no time and you and check with the people at the embassy that no time did they ask me or told me or suggested that that minister Mai should leave the cabinet and so that that certainly is not true."
"We do have concerns in the free zone and it's something have been concerned for some time and that is why I felt that in the configuration it would be best if we could put the free zones on the enterprise with home affairs because then the police will be working closer with the business people at the free zone because even them have expressed concern."
Jules Vasquez
"But PM your story that Mr Mai or your account that Mr Mai has an injured back and has to take time off. Sir Florencio Marin Jr has had major back surgery. He did not resign. Madam Speaker went through cancer treatment, radiotherapy. She did not resign. The deputy speaker, Marconi Leal, did not resign as Minister of State when he went through similar cancer treatment. It rings rather hollow, sir, that you would assert that, oh, because Jose Mai hurt his back and he has to get surgery, he's gonna resign from the cabinet?"
"It's not a terminal diagnosis."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"He did not resign. He ask for a leave of absence and I granted it to him. But during that time, we have to appoint another minister. And you could put it in which way. I mean, I know you're working for your ratings and that's fine. I respect that. Different people deal with things different ways and I will give that to the Minister Mai."
Jules Vasquez
"So, sir, are you rejecting completely, are you rejecting completely the report that the United States had concerns about the activities of Jose Mai?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez
"If I could ask you on the whole Jose Mai timeline, you did your original shuffle, you took away enterprise, obviously took it away, or you removed that portfolio, enterprise and you did it for reasons that are clear to you."
"We know the free zone was running red hot. So maybe that's why you did it. But then how is it that three days pass, you announced that on Tuesday, you have the meeting with the Americans on the 14th, three days later, and by Monday, Jose Mai needs back surgery."
"It doesn't add up. Why didn't he need back surgery on the 11th when you made the first portfolio reassignment?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"But he was already telling me that he has some issues. He was already telling me some issues. And I will stick by what I've been telling you all along that at the end of the day, he felt his best that he take a break."
And while the PM says Mai has taken leave, we stress that senior government officials have confirmed to us that he has resigned. And, we maintain that based on what we have heard from high level sources, the narrative of a bad back - is not the true story behind Mai's departure.
