And in his affidavit Swaso pointed directly to the Minister of Public Service for attacking his integrity and suggesting he didn't write the decision against the AG. But according to Usher, he was joking with Swaso and saying it in a friendly manner because of the history of their relationship. Nevertheless he says that if Swaso interpreted it in any other way other than that, he apologizes:
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
"Major Suazo and I have known each other for many years, when he was in the BDF, when he ran and won as a mayoral candidate for the People's United Party in Dangriga, when he demitted office and was a businessman, he owned a restaurant, when he was at the port, and as ombudsman. So, he and I have had hundreds of conversations in our private capacities as Henry Usher and as Gilbert Suazo. Last year, he called me because he was traveling for a family event in the US. He said, can we meet in Belize City? I said, sure, I'm in Belize City, come and see me. I would never believe that this would have ended up in some kind of lawsuit or, you know, in an affidavit. But in that conversation, I can certainly recall we spoke about his family, we spoke about him traveling, and he brought up the fact that his contract was coming to an end, I think it was coming to an end on December 31st. As you know, Jaleeza, the appointment, and if the contract comes to an end, the reappointment of an ombudsman, that is done by the Governor General after our process. So, you have the House of Representatives has to pass a resolution, the Senate has to pass a resolution, and even before that, it goes to a House committee. I don't sit on that House committee. And I made that very clear to him. I said, listen, that is something that you will have to take up when the House committee convenes and if you intend to renew your contract. There's no way in no world am I in any way able to influence the contract of the ombudsman. So, that is really fantasy for a conclusion to be drawn like that. On the other point, on the point of the letter writing, I was actually paying him a compliment, because I said, man, you're always putting out these letters and responses so fast. I said, do you have a ghostwriter writing for you? Because as far as I know, he's a one-man operation. He has a small staff, yes, but he's really efficient in terms of putting out these letters. So, that's what I told him. I said, man, you really are efficient in putting out these letters. Do you have somebody else writing for you? It was intended as a joke. Certainly, it wasn't intended to cast any aspersions against him and if I did, certainly I apologize, but that was never the intention."
Reporter
"A comment like that, would you have asked a judge that? Because essentially, he's a judge."
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
"Well, most judges have people who help them write too. So, that is actually something that is very common in the United States. US Supreme Courts have clerks who clerk for them and it's often said that they are the ones who write judgments. It's something that is known in the legal fraternity, but the point is that I just was complimenting him on how fast he was being able to respond to letters, not only in giving his advice or his decisions, but when somebody wrote him or makes a correspondence to him, he responds very fast. So, I was trying to play a compliment."
