PM Says Commission’s Findings Going to D.P.P. and A.G.

Prime Minister John Briceño told News Five today that government will send the findings of the Commission of Inquiry to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General’s Ministry for review.  The inquiry, which investigated the sale of public assets, namely vehicles, between October 2019 and November 2020 under the last U.D.P. Government, found that every one of the sales that took place violated the law. Senior Counsel, Andrew Marshalleck who presided over the Commission’s proceedings told News Five Ministry of Finance’s informal selling procedures did not follow legal guidelines.  He says everyone who participated in those transactions violated the law.  He and Commissioners Luke Martinez from the National Trade Union Congress of Belize and Marcello Blake from the private sector have recommended that government get legal advice to find out if the transactions can be pursued in court.  Additionally, the Commission is urging G.O.B. to determine what types of contracts Members of the National Assembly can engage in without disqualifying themselves from continuing to sit in that Assembly.  Marshalleck criticized the former government because he said initial steps were taken from as far back as 2013 to tighten up the loose ends within the system, but that the same practices were still being carried out in 2020.