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Did The Well Connected William Mason Get Special Treatment?
posted (July 18, 2016)

But, even if he was evasive and cunning, how much of the delay in tracking him down was due to the fact that William Mason was a very big man in Belmopan? Â In three years, he had insinuated himself into the company of many powerful and not so powerful people.  Today the media asked police minister John Saldivar if he was one of Mason’s many friends – even after the Minister made it clear that there would be no special treatment for him:…

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"We want to make it absolutely clear that this investigation will be conducted with the greatest openness and transparency because there are no sacred cows in this investigation and no special connection that will give Mr. Mason any special privilege."

Geovannie Brackett
"Is he being well connected going to hinder the investigation? How will this be treated?"

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"Well absolutely will not have any effect, I do not know who he is well connected to and I don't know what you mean by well connected. If you're asking the question if I know Mr. Mason obviously he is a resident of Belmopan and a business man and in terms of my direct involvement with him at some point last year he had made some contributions to my football club the Bandits but that is the extent of it. I have not heard or seen Mr. Mason since September last year; we do not at this time have any friendship. The reason for that is because I was provided with background information that convinced me that I ought not to have a relationship with this gentleman. The same information which I believe is now being seen on various internet sites and so prior to that we knew nothing of that gentleman until that information was brought to us. He represented himself to be an upright and outstanding business man who assisted in the community and assisted in sports and assisted in many other areas."

"But certainly I can say categorically for all those who may be the conspiracy theorist out there that Mr. Mason and I our involvement was only as far as sports meaning our football team was concerned. There was no other relationship or arrangement with Mr. Mason."

Jules Vasquez
"You have been to Mr. Mason's home, A and that B other of your colleagues in government in the cabinet those who are aligned with you are well known guests at that Intelco Hill house. What are you able to say about this?"

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"I can speak for myself and I can say to you as I have said previously Mr. Mason is a business man, Mr. Mason lives in Belmopan and prior to finding out any information about him he represented himself to be an upstanding person. My colleagues can speak for themselves but certainly for me I have no contact with him since September last year."

Jules Vasquez
"But previous to that you did go to his house."

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"Yes like I said I am not denying because at that time we knew nothing about his reputation or character but as soon as that became available certainly to me I stopped that association with him."

Reporter
"When you found out these unsavoury things about Mr. Mason as the minister of National Security did you sir prompted all officers to launch a formal investigation?"

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"Actually I can reveal to you that my source was the police so they were aware of the allegations. I will also say to you that what I found and what we have found on the internet does not suggest that he was criminally charged with anything. These were all allegations but I thought that they were serious enough that for me from a personal standpoint that I ought not to maintain a relationship with this person."

Reporter
"The word on the ground is that Mr. Mason was one of your chief financial supporters..."

Hon. John Saldivar - National Security Minister
"Absolutely not; he has never contributed to my political campaign and I have said it and I will repeat it again. My involvement and knowledge of Mr. Mason has been as a contributor to my football club and that is the end of that story. We have not had any other relationship, I know that he was sponsored many other clubs in our professional league. He was a business man to whom people went to for contribution and so that is in the ordinary case of things but no he has never contributed to my political campaign."

Jules Vasquez
"Multiple credible reports we have received was that the investigators, the police received calls from ministers urging them to please release this man, he's a well-known and reputable business person. Were such calls received?"

Russell Blackett - Acting Commissioner of Police
"I must tell you when you talk about credible sources I don't know who we deemed to be those persons. When this was discovered the lead investigator called me immediately and briefed me on this. I left my home and returned back home 4 am Saturday morning. No call was made to me; no call was made to any of my officers."

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