Opposition Leader Supports Police Association’s Defence of Santiago Ciau

On Friday, the Belize Police Association defended the late Police Constable Santiago Ciau Junior. As we have been reporting, Ciau Junior, who retired in March 2023 due to avascular necrosis from a workplace injury, struggled to secure invalidity benefits and faced repeated denials by the Social Security Board. The S.S.B. stated that Ciau received the maximum entitlement of two hundred and thirty-four days of sickness benefits from April to December 2021, during which he also received his full salary. After exhausting these benefits, he was denied further payments from February 2022 to April 2023 for exceeding the limit. According to the association, Ciau, who served for over seventeen years, was entitled to those benefits. The association called for an end to “further cowardly attacks,” against Ciau. During the House Sitting on Friday, Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow spoke on this matter on the adjournment.

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Santi contributed monies towards social security for over seventeen years, madam speaker, without having a choice. His money is contributed towards the 87 million that the SSB boasts about having. I concur that we always hear that the SSB needs to spend the money. They have a $100 million problem that they need to get rid of the money. So you would presume that logic and compassion would guide their actions in making sure that all Belizeans that are paying towards their social security retirement funds and benefits would get that when they’re most in need. PC Santi’s money surely contributed towards the millions that have been given out as unsecured loans at social security and remain unrecovered and unpaid. Right now we’re getting ready to pay $30 million for sunshine debt. So rather than deflect, the SSB should embrace and work towards earning the trust of the insurers. They are obligated to assist, Madam Speaker. It is the insurer’s money. As I always say, not the government’s money, not SSB’s money, Madam Speaker. Rather than casting blame, SSB should accept its shortcomings and move to eliminate its antiquated protocols from yesteryears and strive to become a more efficient organisation that will benefit the people that are paying their contributory funds”