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Eric and Patrick Will Be Required To Appear
Wed, February 22, 2017

But, one UDP who the Senate wants to question is former Deputy Mayor Eric Chang. He and Patrick Tillett, the former Financial Controller for the Belize City Council, are named in the scandal for involvement with 8 stolen visas. 

Chang is also named in the Won Hong Kim Passport scandal, and both men are refusing to show up to answer questions from the Senate.

Well, it appears that both men will be compelled through the Legislative Assembly Powers and Privilege Act 1962. As we told you, this law allows the Committee to compel anyone, even private citizens to show up and give testimony. Today, Senate Committee Chairman Salazar told us how they will use it in this instance against both men:

Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"Yes we have as far as I understand issued the summons. I'm not sure if it's on today's date or yesterday but we have issued it."

Reporter
"Is that in relation to both persons?"

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Yes. 1962 Act gives the legislature certain powers and privileges and part of that - it does gives the legislature powers and privileges speaks to the power of the senate to call witnesses etc. How it directly affects us is that when these laws predate the constitution there's a constitutional provision which saves all the laws that existed prior to the constitution and except where there is an inconsistency with any law then that law must be modified so that the constitutional provisions are retained."

Daniel Ortiz
"Is the committee confident that the summons or the warrant that these laws allow for will give you enough authority to bring these gentlemen before you?"

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"I don't like to speak for the entire committee but the committee gave it consideration and it acted based on advice and its own deliberations. So it acted from an informed position. Whether there's a dispute or there's a challenge is not necessarily up to us but we have our views. So it's not necessarily whether we express confidence but we acted based on what we feel the law is."

They are expected to show up next week Wednesday, and if they don’t, the law allows the Senate to take a stronger step against them.

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