Deadline for public disclosure of assets at hand

In the year 2008, Belize legislated the Prevention of Corruption Act #21 in accordance with preventing, detecting and eradicating corruption in the performance of public functions and acts of corruptions. Section 6 of that Act summons those in public life to commit sworn declarations of their income, assets and liabilities, including those of their spouse and live-in children. Appointed to enforce this act and its regulations is the Office of the Integrity Commission. Don Hector Silva sat down with Co-hosts Patrick Jason Andrews and Santi Valencia this morning on Rise and Shine to talk more about this convention against corruption.

Don Hector Silva
Belize enacted a law called Prevention of Corruption Act #21, which came into effect on February 6th 2008, just one month before the General Elections of 2008. Now in charged to enforce this act is a committee called the Office of the Integrity Commission. The Office of the Integrity Commission is fully responsible to vet this act. Elections were held in March of 2008; I as a Senator, was obliged to make a declaration before three months expired. So I did it. Later on, I inquired from the officer in charge - how many had made a declaration. He said only three.

Well, the deadline for this information to be disclosed to the public for the new year is this coming Thursday, June 7th.

Don Hector Silva
The position right now is this – we do not know, but the press has the privilege by an act to acquire information under the Public Information Act and find out how many have made their declarations so far. It is the duty of the press to by the 7th of June to find out how many have submitted that report.

We will have an update on the progress of these filings in tomorrow’s newscast, the day of the deadline.

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