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The KHMH Board of Directors and the Medical and Dental Union are expected back at the negotiation table for mediation sessions tomorrow. And while relations remain tense, things generally are very cool as operations at the hospital are reported to be normal. But the temperature is rising from cool to hot to combustible this evening, as the former KHMH Director of Finance Cecil Knowles spoke out today. He has gone on multiple media outlets alleging that Chairman of the Board Dr. Ricardo Fabro directly told him act in a corrupt fashion. Now, we’ve heard of Dr. John Sosa referred to as a whistleblower – fair enough – but we’d have to put Knowles one step higher: he’s a fish from rivabottom – and the tales he had to tell us about the depths were profoundly disturbing. He says he only spoke out because.

Cecil Knowles, Former Finance Director
“I had no intention of getting involved in it. I had moved on from that since however Dr. Fabro and members of the Board continued up to yesterday to make statements that they find no evidence that Dr. Ricardo Fabro did anything unethical or did anything to jeopardize his post as the Chairman of the KHMH Authority Board. In fact they went further to say that the evidence from the quick audit showed that these things were done without their knowledge and outside of their term of office, specifically the Director of Finance’s term of office. I got upset because that was repeated many times in the media and I thought it was time for me to clear that specific issue.

They declared on radio yesterday that the current Director of Finance began to work on the 1st of July. I am saying if that is the fact then he owes them a lot of money because I am sure he was being paid before then.”

Jules Vasquez,
You mean he was being paid without being in the post?

Cecil Knowles,
“No I am just saying they are not telling the truth. They are saying he started work on 1st of July and I am saying no. He started to work before then. If they are saying he didn’t start to work before the 1st of July then they need to collect monies from him that he owes them.

You can take my point however you wish. I am saying they are clouding the issue. Secondly I am saying that Dr. Fabro had fill knowledge of what was happening at the KHMH and specifically what was happening and purchases were being made from De La Fuente at inflated prices and almost exclusively. While I am saying this is because shortly after Dr. Fabro was appointed Chairman of the Board, after the first board meeting specifically he came to my office requesting a list of all purchases. I supplied him with that information within half an hour. He questioned the information and I told him that if he wished he could come and do whatever investigation of the facts.”

Jules Vasquez,
He questioned it on what basis?

Cecil Knowles,
“He said this doesn’t look correct, he heard things, and he doesn’t see those purchases on this list I gave him etc. etc. I said well if you have a problem with it you can investigate it. I said how could I make this list up in half an hour to present to you. It is directly from my accounts. Shortly after that, I would say within a day he called me instructing me, “well you know how this goes, no more purchasing from Smiling Meats.” I said no problem, I understand fully. He then instructed me to purchase all, not some, all meat products from Gillet’s Meats and the proof is there. You can look, since Dr. Fabro became Chairman where we’ve purchasing meat products from. And when I mean all I mean fish, I mean poultry, and I mean other meat products. It is ridiculous for us to purchase poultry, we were purchasing poultry before from Quality Poultry Products, they are the suppliers of poultry around the country, I don’t see how you can get poultry more efficiently and effectively anywhere else but I was instructed to purchase from Gillett’s Meats.

Secondly I was instructed to purchase fish, of all things, from Gillet’s Meats, he is from Orange Walk. We used to get our fish from a local supplier at the fish market at Conch Shell Bay and thirdly Smiling Meats, I didn’t have much problems with that, you know how that kind of thing work.”

Jules Vasquez,
But the directive you received for the acquisition of food products was it a higher cost, was it a lower cost?

Cecil Knowles,
“The cost was not substantially different, the cost was not substantially however I was told to purchase from this person exclusively. The major issue I had was the fish that we got came without guts and with scales and I see that as ridiculous. Why would you direct me to purchase something from somebody that you are not even sure if this person can supply it. This is clearly showing that you are having clear preference and supporting somebody for whatever reason and a Chairman of the board should not get involved with those type of activities. That is basically the point I am saying. Basically I am saying and I am substantiating that Dr. Fabro gave me the directions. I did not get crazy over night. If you look at the chronological order of things, you will see that before Dr. Fabro was there we were doing certain things certain ways and after he was appointed, shortly after that changed.”

Jules Vasquez,
Did Dr. Fabro speak to you specifically about the acquisition of pharmaceuticals and from whom those should be acquired?

Cecil Knowles,
“He did not speak to me about the acquisition of pharmaceuticals. Dr. Fabro did not speak to me, Dr. Fabro instructed me to buy supplies that we needed, not just any supplies but when we need pharmaceuticals to purchase them from De La Fuente as long as he had it available. That removed any need for me to question or try to get it anywhere else. I instructed the pharmacist look, this is my instruction so whenever you want any pharmaceuticals ensure that you call De La Fuente and if De La Fuente has it, purchase it from them.”

Jules Vasquez,
And again you are saying that is not standard procedure for the Chairman to have called you directly indicating where pharmaceuticals are to be purchased from?

Cecil Knowles,
“That was not standard procedure and should not be standard procedure in any organization.”

Jules Vasquez,
Moreover, when you saw the prices from the De La Fuente Pharmaceuticals, were they irregular or exorbitant by your estimation?

Cecil Knowles,
“To be honest Mr. Vasquez I did not even look at the prices. I had a clear directive and I followed the directive and protected myself by emailing Dr. Fabro and saying Dr. Fabro I have followed your instruction and I will purchase from x, y, z. That is the way I did it thinking that I would have been there and if necessary that would be enough for me to support why I made my decisions and did what I did.”

Jules Vasquez,
So you were almost driving with blinders on?

Cecil Knowles,
“I wouldn’t say driving with blinders on.”

Jules Vasquez,
Or in the passenger seat at least.

Cecil Knowles,
“Exactly. I could agree to be in the passenger seat. I was not with any blinders on but as I said I sent emails to Dr. Fabro saying that looked I have followed the instructions x, y, z and in addition, please Mr. Vasquez please, in addition the subsequent management meeting I went and informed Dr. Rosado the then CEO.”

Jules Vasquez,
How did this make you feel?

Cecil Knowles,
“To some extent I understood that some of this type of thing would happen but not to the this degree and not this way.”

Jules Vasquez,
Additional supplies had to be procured frequently, how was the decision made, it is not available at Central Medical Store so the hospital has to acquire it.

Cecil Knowles,
“The pharmacist calls around to find out where it is available, at what price it is, and brings three quotations. I do due diligence to find out if his information is correct and then I recommend it to the CEO. That is how it was done.”

Jules Vasquez,
So it was always a least cost…

Cecil Knowles,
“Not necessarily. The best cost value.”

Jules Vasquez,
There has to be a quality component in it as well. So then it was extremely irregular the method of acquisition, the preferred method of acquisition that this person, that the new Chairman recommended.

Cecil Knowles,
“And that’s my point. I am saying if anybody wants to verify if any unethical or any irregularities happen then just check the chronological order of things and things changing. That is what I am saying and also that will support my main point that they are saying that these things happened with their knowledge, without their instruction, without their authority and even worse by previous members of the management of KHMH. That is what has me upset and that’s why. They have repeated it many times. Yesterday morning on Love was the breaking point for me. I decided look, enough of this I will make my statement.”

Jules Vasquez,
How do you respond if people will say well its sour grapes, they give another man your job?

Cecil Knowles,
“These allegations were in the media for the past month. I had not a word to say, not a single word. I smiled and I actually laughed, I said look at the circus. However, over the past three weeks they have repeated one fact: that these things occurred without their knowledge and by the previous administration, that is what got me upset and that is what led to this decision. Nothing else.”

Knowles was speaking form his desk at his new job, Belize Diesel and Equipment Company. But there’s always two sides to a story right? And the other side of this one says that all that that you just heard is simply not so.