The La Inmaculada Credit Union held its special general meeting on Saturday in Orange Walk town. The meeting was the result of weeks of gathering signatures by member - owners of the credit union who are demanding instant accountability from the Credit Union's Board of Directors. The issue, of course is that the long time general maanger Yolanda Gomez was suspended in April and terminate din July - and the board said she left a half million dollars unaccounted for in her wake. So at Saturday;s meeting the member owners wanted to get answers about their money - and they flocked by the thousands to the venue in Orange Walk Town. Here's what happened:...
Jules Vasquez reporting
More than a thousand member owners of the La Inmaculada Credit Union streamed into the Muffles College Auditorium on Saturday morning. Outside the mood was genial - even though the media was told that no news cameras would be allowed inside, but inside, it would be heated and volatile.
With many of the member owner calling for the board to go. But above the howls of protest. A motion for the meeting to be adjourned was passed before Yolanda Gomez - or many other could speak - causing widespread disapprobation among the members.
Board Chairman Ena Martinez was terse with the press:
Reporter
"Do you have any proof to show the members?"
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"Of course we will. Very soon we will do so."
Reporter
"How long are we talking? The members have been waiting for months."
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"Remember that we said that this is not.. Listen it is not up to us. It is up to the special investigator who has not finalized nor has the Central Bank. We have said what we can say and that's final for the moment."
Reporter
"Mrs. Ena, why was the meeting suspended when we had many other people ready in line for some questions?"
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"Absolutely, you heard that there was an adjournment and anybody would have adjourned a meeting and that was done and we have to respect that."
Reporter
"Is the board taking any responsibilities?"
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"Of course not. We don't work at the credit union."
Reporter
"But you supervised."
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"Yes we do. But we cannot go. We had a lot of trust and confidence in Mrs. Gomez and being that she receives a very handsome salary, we believe that it is her duty to ensure that she does her work, because we don't work there. We don't micromanaged."
Reporter
"Ma'am, can we expect that other persons will also be terminated?"
Ena Martinez, Chair, Board of Directors, LICU
"We are finished."
The Board has promised to reveal more details about the alleged acts of mismanagement at its general meeting which has been delayed - much to the displeasure of member-owners, who want their annual dividends.
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