| PM Cagey When Discussing Alleged Misuse of Funds At BAA |
| Fri, August 18, 2017 |
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| And one statutory board that does seem to need an audit is the Belize Airports Authority. In 2014, it erupted in a patronage scandal when it was discovered that funds were being used for the then Minister's constituency. That Minister Edmond Castro was stripped, and measures were taken to ensure that it didn't happen again. Except, it now appears that it has. Government has been keeping a tight lid on what the Authority's former accountant pointed out as irregularities supposedly involving misuse of funds. And today, when we asked the Prime Minster about it, he toed the fine line of plausible deniability:...
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I do know, to be perfectly frank with you, that there was an ex-employee of the BAA that had raise some concerns and it may well be that it's in consequence of that that the chairperson resigned, if he has resigned. But I don't know enough and I don't want to prejudice anybody so let me just leave it."
Jules Vasquez, reporter
"Are you aware of misallocation or misuse of the funds at that board once again in terms of persons receiving pre-payment of their stipend, misuse of the credit card - other things related to that?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I am not aware. I've not been presented with any evidence of any board member having been the recipient of prepaid stipend. I have heard that this may have taken place, but the person who came to see me did not offer any evidence of that, so I am not trying to be the artful dodger. I know that there has been that talk, but I certainly wasn't given any evidence of that."
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