By now, you've surely heard all about Education Minister Patrick Faber. He was named in a criminal complaint by a 25 year old Ministry of Education staffer who appears to be his girlfriend. She says that she was having her 25th birthday party at his house on Saturday morning when he assaulted her. She made a police report saying he choked her, puled her by the hair and hit her twice.
As often happens in such domestic cases, she didn't proceed with charges - so Faber was not charged. But, the court of public opinion is something else completely - and that's where he's come under major attack.
Remarkably though, the PUP which you might think, would instantly seize upon such an opportunity to take down a ranking minister was slow to react. The party held a press conference on another matter yesterday, and the party leader didn't even want to talk about Faber when he was asked:..
Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Oposition
"I have not heard anything. This is the first time I am hearing about any incident involving Patrick Faber and I have no desire to comment on that issue."
But, things changed today, when the Opposition seems to have woken form its slumber on this very current affair. The party issued a statement this afternoon, and the Party's Senior Senator spoke about it today - after we asked her about the Leader's hesitation yesterday:..
Jules Vasquez
"What explains the equivocal response from your party when your party leader was asked about it at the press conference yesterday, he; A) did not know and; B) expressed no interest and I know you as a Facebook doyen would have known that it has been on the social media since Sunday, the entire report. How is it that even the PUP which one imagines would be lightning quick to respond, did not issue a statement until today?"
Lisa Shoman, Senator, People's United Party
"I think the Party Leader didn't have an equivocal response. He was not at that point in time prepared to comment about that. The press conference yesterday was not about Patrick Faber. There has however been discussion and consultation and the statement has been made and it is a clear and unequivocal statement that there must be an investigation and that Patrick Faber must account to this nation for has occurred. The Honorable Patrick Faber is an elected official, an area representative, member of parliament, Minister of government and we believe that he owes a duty to the nation to explain what it was that happened in his home, and further for him to make a full statement to the Police about the incident, and we also believe that it is incumbent on the Police to interview all witnesses that were involved, and to make a full investigation of what occurred, notwithstanding the fact that the complainant has allegedly withdrawn the complaint that was made."
Reporter
"Yes but the lynchpin of the case is ultimately the complainant and if the complainant stock to her guns and refuses any further action with regard to the matter, it's almost self-defeating."
Lisa Shoman, Senator, People's United Party
"No it isn't. There are several reasons why a complainant may actually withdraw a complaint. It should trouble every single Belizean that the complainant herself has not come out and said well I withdrew the complaint because this is not what actually happened, I am sorry, I shouldn't have made the report or whatever it is. But we haven't heard from the complainant. We've heard from Patrick Faber and we've heard from the police. Patrick Faber himself as his employee of that ministry is involved should have had the grace to know that he has no business having a relationship with anyone who works in his ministry or who reports to him whether directly or indirectly. We call on the Prime Minister to look into the matter and to see whether the matter merits a suspension. I will tell you that it shouldn't have to wait for the Prime Minister to do this. I haven't seen a statement from the Women's Commission, I've not seen a statement from the Special Envoy on Women and Children. I am sincerely hoping that they are consulting on the matter and they will be saying something, but none of this should be waiting on what Patrick Faber has to say. He is one of the parties involved and he can't simply sweep it away by saying that there is nothing more to be said and that's as far as he is concerned this is a private matter and not a public matter. It's eminently a public matter."
And while the PUP is now beating the attack drums, it is a certainty that Faber will not be criminally charged, and it also appears that he will not be disciplined by the Prime Minister.
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