The Road to San Antonio pocked with Town Council Lawsuit against contractor

The Orange Walk Town Council is preparing to take contractor Imer Hernandez to court. Hernandez is the nephew of Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, who was paid by the government to pave San Antonio Road. It did not happen. And when queries were presented to the Ministry of Works, there was a media blackout and neither did Hernandez or Vega make comments on the issue. The Town Council entered the picture at the same time because they also paid Hernandez fifty-thousand towards the work on San Antonio Road which was never done. While the money paid to Hernandez by government can be considered cash under the bridge, the Orange Walk Town Council isn’t prepared to walk away so easily. Mike Rudon was in Orange Walk and has the story.

This is the voucher proving that $50,000 was paid to contractor Imer Hernandez by the Orange Walk Town Council. The reason for the payment is stated clearly – the rehabilitation of the San Antonio Road. But the work was never done, and now Mayor of Orange Walk Town Kevin Bernard has decided to pursue his legal options.

Kevin Bernard – Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“That issue is currently lodged with one of our attorneys. We are still going to seek the legal recourse in terms of collecting back that fifty thousand; because that money was given by the town Council to a private contractor for works to be done on San Antonio Road. Nothing was done by that private contractor on that San Antonio Road as far as we are concerned.  And thus we are requesting that the money be returned to the Town Council.”

There was a big stink raised in June about Hernandez being paid by both the government and the Town Council for work which was not done, and today when we drove on the San Antonio Road, we discovered that some works had been carried out – definitely not the paving for which payment was made, but at least a token gesture.

Kevin Bernard – Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“There was some work done on San Antonio Road through the Ministry of Works which is our responsibility matter of fact. I know when I was in Belmopan, even prior to that I had spoken to senior person in the Ministry of Works and I also know it was a close relative of the Minister himself. I voiced my concern and I told him that we need to need something to be addressed in that area. The last time I had gotten a call back from that same individual was that he promised some work will be done on the street. However, that is from the Ministry of Work perspective.”

But with that said, the Orange Walk Town Council is not letting Imer Hernandez off the hook.

Kevin Bernard – Mayor, Orange Walk Town

“That does give us or leave out Mr. Hernandez in any way. As far as I am concerned, the Ministry of Works is doing there due work that they should be doing on that street. The council that paid monies to a private individual or private company to carry out that work and as such we are demanding that the money be returned to the Orange Walk Town Council.”

There has still been no official word from the Ministry of Works on why the work for which they paid was not carried out.