7 News Belize

Mayor Says Eric Chang’s Explanation Inadequate
posted (December 6, 2013)
And while we were waiting for our interview with the mayor, who should we just happen to run into? That's none other than Eric Chang, the councillor who has been missing in action for weeks, while away in Taiwan. As we've reported, his name was called by multiple highly placed sources as the man who brokered the Citizen Kim deal to get Kim Won Hong his bogus passport which got Minister of State Elvin Penner sacked.

And, as we've told you, we've made many interview requests with Chang to give him an opportunity to clear his name, and respond to the allegations, but he has either refused or ignored all of them. Well today, Chang attended a council meeting to ensure that his seat didn't become vacant, and afterwards, we tried to give him yet another opportunity to speak to the allegations. He declined once again, so we spoke with his boss, Mayor Darrell Bradley, who he can't just brush off after weeks being AWOL without communication. Here's what Mayor Bradley told us about their discussion on the passport scandal:

Mayor Darrell Bradley
"Eric Chang came back to the jurisdiction last week. I think he came back maybe Wednesday and I had a meeting with him I think on Thursday or Friday. We sat down and I wanted to satisfy myself that his unexplained absence from the jurisdiction had nothing to do with his commitment to serve as an elected representative on the Belize City Council and that since his return to the jurisdiction he will follow in terms of what is expected of him as an elected official. I also raised with him in relation of his name being called. I made certain advice in relation in making some sort of statement to assure members of the public, because I still think that it is a major issue; it's a block on the reputation of the government at the central and at the municipal level, but involvement principally with Councilor Chang is to ensure that as a councilor, he discharges his obligation and that he comports himself with the highest level of ethics."

"The meeting was to explain to him in clear language that I expect certain things of him. I expect that he will be present at meetings and he will discharge the functions for which he has been elected and what the people are paying him for."

Daniel Ortiz
"Sir, now his name has been called several times in relation to this issue and he still has refused to address the public himself. Are you satisfied with whatever explanation he has given to you? Has that discussion of that immigration debacle gone into any sort of detail in which you can give us an idea in what he is saying?"

Mayor Darrell Bradley
"I raised it with him and he indicated to me that he was not involved. I cannot say that I am satisfied. I discussed it with him in the meeting, I fully intended before his arrival to raise it with him. He gave certain indications to me, but my principal role and responsibility as mayor is to ensure that all 10 councilors are doing the job in which they were elected to do."

Daniel Ortiz
"Will it at any point be an issue where you will have confidence in him given the fact that this issue is still lingering and as you've indicated you are not totally satisfied with his explanation?"

Mayor Darrell Bradley
"Confidence is linked with performance. I was very dissatisfied that he left the jurisdiction and he chose not to be in communication with us for an extended period of time. That caused us to lose some goodwill that I think we have earned over the last year and a half and it also weakened our ability to discharge and carry out our functions particularly because of his role as the councilor then with responsibility for infrastructure and as the Deputy Mayor. I was very disappointed is that. I communicated that clearly with him in relation in what he should have done. I made certain recommendations to him and building trust is something that is done overtime. He has now come back in the country; he attended several meetings that we had in terms of discussing various issues. He seems to be interested in continuing his term in office."

And as we told you, we tried our best once again to convince him to grant us an interview on the topic. He told us that the time isn't right, but when he thinks it is, he will seek us out. Well, we'll just have to wait and see if he delivers on that promise.

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