Courtenay on Senate Inquiry: “That’s a charade.”

In mid-June 2023, four social partner senators, including NGO Senator Janelle Chanona, took a bold step by signing a motion to launch a Senate Special Select Committee. This marked a significant move to investigate the Definitive Agreement between the Government of Belize and Portico Enterprise Limited.  The committee was tasked with digging into all aspects of the agreement, including how it was presented to the Cabinet in May 2023. Their mission? To uncover any relevant communications among the key players, ensure compliance with statutory procedures and policies, and promote transparency and accountability.  But has it been successful in achieving those objectives?  Here’s Senator Courtenay’s candid view.

 

Eamon Courtenay, Attorney-at-law

“Until Mr. Contreras goes before that Senate [Special] Select Committee, we are wasting public resources.  That is my settled opinion, personally.”

 

Paul Lopez
“Isn’t it, though, a slap in the face of the Belizean public to have these two individuals walk out of the senate inquiry?  You had Hugo Patt who spent perhaps an hour or more just responding, “I cannot recall.”  Isn’t that at least what the public deserves?”

 

Eamon Courtenay

“That’s a charade.  I think for you to bring somebody who says I won’t answer a question and ask the person ten, fifteen, twenty questions so that the person simply says, “I’m not going to answer. I’m not going to answer,” seems to me to be quite a charade and there is no way that I would advise my clients to participate in that.”

 

Reporter

“Sir, this matter of Cabinet confidentiality, do you think that, through the People’s Constitution Committee, that could be reversed?”

 

Eamon Courtenay

“It absolutely can be reversed if we think, and when I say we, I mean Belizeans, if we think that that is an appropriate thing to [do].”

Reporter

“But it’s not listed in the constitution, purely notional.  It’s a practice and a convention but it is not grounded in public law.”

 

Eamon Courtenay

“Really?  Speak to one of your many lawyers, they will show you the provision where it is.”

 

Reporter

“So now the SSSC has put out an appeal to your clients saying, “man, baby come back.”  Will they come back?”

 

Eamon Courtenay

“I don’t know what they are going to do.”

 

Reporter

“Your advice.  You know, I find it remarkable that they got an invitation, my clients attended and then the senate committee puts out a release that says we did not participate.  It is a lie, it is a lie.  So the senate committee needs to check itself.”