REPORT #261 May 2000
THE PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE IS ACCUSED OF THE STINK OF MASSIVE CORRUPTION, SAYS the LOCAL MEDIA. To the tune of $3.34 million!


Produced by the Belize Development Trust

We don't know the facts. We are only repeating the allegations and rumors below that are printed in the local port town of Belize City media. Take it for what it is worth.

It seems that when the PUP political party were in power before, the five year term of about 8 years ago. There was a big scandal with the appointment of a lawyer who was big in PUP party circles for influence peddling and with an alleged reputation for under the table dealings, to the Social Security Administration. Apparently, from what we can gather from the following UDP political party five year term in office, a scheme was hatched to plunder the Social Security money. The social security money was used to buy something or other. A bunch of shares in some corporation. This was a government program and $3.34 million was earmarked and paid out for these shares, to the then head of the Social Security Administration, the lawyer with inside connections to other lawyers and accountants in the PUP ruling political party cabinet. Later, the inside lawyer who was head of the Social Security Administration said there was need for another million or so to complete the purchase of shares deal. Everything went through.

The PUP then lost power of the nation at the elections because there was a wholesale impression of them ripping off the treasury of the country with all kinds of get rich quick political schemes. Not just this scheme. The incoming opposition party, the UDP then took this politically appointed lawyer to the Social Security Board to court. It turned out in court evidence, that the first $3.34 million supposed to buy shares for the government disappeared. Allegations are that the money was spread out among cronies in the previous PUP party cabinet , with a hefty slice for the lawyer who did the fiddle. The second amount of over a million was the amount actually used to purchase the shares.

Anyway, to shorten the nasty tale, the thing went to court. In the editorial of the Reporter of May 8th, 2000. the high stakes game says the editorial, has been played out since October 1997. The fiddle was apparently exposed as a crooked scheme and while the politically connected lawyer did not go to jail ( politicians don't go to jail in Belize, only poor people and middle class people ) he was ordered to pay back the first missing $3.34 million. This money of course had already been spent and spread among the other members of the high level political gang, it is alleged. During the five years of the UDP political party administration, court after court found the lawyer guilty on various appeals, or whatever it is that lawyers in politics do, to postpone the day of reckoning, until the next election turns the tables again. A bunch of Supreme Court Justices starting with Chief Justice Sir Ge(my printer left the rest of the name out-sorry!), Justice John Gonzalez, Justice Manuel Sosa, Justice George Meerabux apparently all during that time, re-affirmed in judgements that the money had to be paid back.

If you play the court and appeals game long enough in politics, you soon come around to another election and when you get in office, you can quash this stuff. The PUP political party won the election again, under a new party leader, who is now Prime Minister Said Musa. They have been in power for about 18 months. A recent review of the case by Justice John Gonzalez showed that the Social Security Board, under this PUP administration and Ms. Lisa Shoman of the Social Security Board (I think it is.) had done nothing since the PUP political party had been back in power. ( Same mafia gang from the port town of Belize City, accused from the original scam deal of $3.34 million of Social Security funds that were plundered) When challenged Ms Lisa Shoman ( of the PUP gang apparently, from the editorial is the way I understand it written ) had done nothing in 18 months to collect the court judgement for the Social Security Board. Anyway, after the justice review and questioning, Ms Lisa Shoman had gone back to her political superiors in the party and Board and received her instructions one assumes from the editorial. She came back to tell the Judge the next day, to say that the Social Security Board had no interest in claiming the court ordered restitution to the government of Belize of $3.34 million. The editorial implies that the Social Security Board are in cohoots with the PUP mafia gang running the cabinet in Belmopan, all of which are from the port town of Belize City. Belize City runs the country of Belize the nation as a private corporation for plunder and jobs under the colonial inherited population representation system. Whether it is one party or another, it is all the same, they are all mafia gangs from the port town. The nation is treated as a colonial plantation to be plundered by the crooked townies is the widespread national belief.

The Reporter Editorial then goes on to suggest that citizens who pay Social Security take up a court case as a class action suit, as the Social Security Board controlled by the same PUP mafia gang found guilty of the missing $3.34 million is now under their political administration and not capable of independent judgements in this governance system. Justice is not blind in Belize, it is controlled by politics. It can be used as a vendetta.

The Reporter editorial then goes on to blame the new Prime Minister Said Musa of the controlling PUP political party now back in power. He has the ultimate decision making power in this elected dictatorial patronage style despotic authoritarian system we use. If he is writing off $3.34 million of stolen Social Security funds by important party members, to keep party cohesion, it sets a bad precedent. Indeed, Said Musa may never recover from this nationally, or personally for the rest of his life. ( He better get rich quick off politics to make it worthwhile!)

Said Musa came to power before this last election as head of the political party, the PUP. He was widely believed to a revolutionary , to be capable, reform minded and sincere in his patriotism and desire to do what is fair and best for Belize. People wanted him to build a real nation we could be proud of. He enjoys immense respect and charisma, even among his enemies. People understand that everybody cannot get what they want in governing, but the perception was, that he was a 'chosen one', someone who would certainly do his best for Belize. This, despite a nefarious reputation in his internal competition for the top post in the political party of the PUP, in which he was perceived as being a bit wily, conniving and underhanded in the battle for party leader. People generally thought one had to be that way, in order to get things done. This part of his personality was not held against him. It came as a shock when he gutted the promised Referendum Act and the Town Autonomy Act of any meaningful capabilities after his political party the PUP were given power again.

Now things are really looking bad for the Prime Minister as to his reputation for the future, if he has any! It is as if somebody took a 5 ton gravel truck, full of cow manure from the pasture and dumped it on him while he is standing at the curb. The feces is up to his neck and the stink stretches miles away. I agree with the Reporter editorial here. Party unity and the battle between the perceived scoundrels in his party is going to be the defining moment of the Prime Minister's character and reputation. So far, it is not looking good and this could be the straw that broke the camel's back for any new election.

As outside observers of the political scene and machinations of the competition in the port town of Belize City to rip off the revenue of the nation of Belize, one develops certain impressions and conclusions. Often you do not need facts and evidence. When the preponderance of the information is as complete as this, the conclusions are obvious.

What are your conclusions?

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