And that's not the only battle the PM had to fight today. The Guardian newspaper also accused him of being linked to Ministry of Defence vendor Meat Master. The UDP news outlet alleged that the business is located on a property belonging to another Briceno relative"supposedly an elder brother. However, this morning in Orange Walk "speaking to CTV-3, the Prime Minister made it clear that he has no older brother, and he's passed the case unto his lawyers:
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think the Guardian said, my older brother and that. That is something, that we will I'm passing, you know, over to my lawyers and they they're going to be writing the Guardian because I know that they know better that, I'm the oldest child for my father and my mother. And so I don't know where they're coming with that story."
"I think they're trying to link the last name, but, we the two different families and they are of no relations with us. We certainly I don't have any interest with, Meat Masters. I didn't even realize Meat Masters was selling meat to the BDF. So, I think that the the UDP is trying to grab onto something, you know, they've been, I mean, so inept."
"I mean, they've been so divided and, you know, and they're trying to find, they're grabbing a straws trying to create a, a scandal when there's none and trying to drag me into this. I've been very clear. We've given this to the Auditor general. The auditor general is was in cabinet on on Tuesday and with, everybody and the CEOs and the ministry and the ministers, and they explained to me what the process is when they do audit, not this one in particular, because she said, I cannot speak on this one, because if I have sworn I, I an oath of secrecy."
"So she didn't speak on that, but she just spoke on the process. And, and I've been clear, if this young man or this gentleman Briceno is and I don't think he did anything wrong, but if you did anything. Well, he will have to answer and to answer. And I repeat one more time. We're not, related in any which way."
"It's a different Briceno. They have been Bricenios in PG. They have Bricenios in San Ignacio. They have been Bricenios in Corozal and Orange Walk and Bricenios in Trial Farm. And most of them we are not related. So I think the Guardian will you know, weilll definitely have to apologize and quite likely we might decide to, depending what my attorneys advise, we may be taking legal action against them."
