And while police are building their case, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was doing his own investigation yesterday when he had his Cabinet meeting. The PM had to ask his ministers who all visited the Mason Manor, and who all received donations. This morning after appearing on LOVE FM, he disclosed that Dangriga Representative and Minister of State Frank Pawpa Mena did receive campaign financing. This revelation came as part of a wider conversation about who all had been to the house on the hill, cap in hand:…
Jules Vasquez
"Sir we know that at least two of your cabinet have conceded that they socialize at the home of this gentleman Mr. Mason. We know that at least 3 others we received reports senior ranking ministers were regulars at the house. Are you concerned about this?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Of course I'm concerned because naturally there are certain conclusions, wrong conclusions I think being drawn in consequence. But as long as the acquaintanceship ministers had with him did not result in any kind of impropriety engaged in or sanctioned by ministers; we will just have to take the licks that the fact that optically it is not an ideal situation brings."
Jules Vasquez
"Have you questioned your ministers on whether they accepted money in the name of campaign financing from this gentleman?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"I have. The Pawpa Mena has said that the time of his bi-election there was a contribution made to that campaign from the fellow and how long ago was the bi-election? Last March or so; he's the only person who says that there was any sort of donation made with respect to political campaigns."
Reporter
"Was that figure disclosed?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Yes he did say; He's not hiding it but I prefer you ask him. It was anything outrageous. In fact I will tell you he said that a 10,000 dollar contribution was made to his campaign."
Reporter
"What's the situation with the former deputy prime minster Vega; we are being told that he was the one who introduced Mason to the Mennonites?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"That's not true, that's absolutely not true."
Reporter
"You've asked him?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Yes I tried to find out just yesterday in Cabinet everybody who had an acquaintanceship with the man because I need to know precisely to be able to answer your questions. That certainly is not true."
Reporter
"We are made to understand that it's at least 6 Cabinet ministers who have an acquaintance with Mr. Mason, correct?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"There can be no question of trying to hide from the fact but lord man just the extent of the questioning makes clear that you all mean to draw more from this than it properly can sustain. What it can sustain is what it is and I've already conceded that optically it is a problem for us politically but I insist there is no suggestion that the acquaintanceship that various ministers had with this man resulted in any kind of impropriety. I hope to god nobody will try to make the giant leap that seems to me lurking in the wings and suggest that ministers merely in consequence of an acquaintanceship is somehow guilty by association with respect to crimes that this gentleman is accused of having committed. Lord man we have to draw the line there."
Jules Vasquez
"However sir isn't there a practical effect because the police said they information for 2 months; 2 months in which Patrick Faber the deputy prime minister was having congratulatory drinks at his house that falls within the 2 month window. I'm saying it had a practical effect because they couldn't move on this house because I don't know it seems that he was untouchable and might that not be because of his close relationship with these very senior ministers including the police minister and including also the commander of the GSU?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Man Jules first of all you make all sort of allegations that I don't know to be true but in terms of the substance there is no suggestion; I've been briefed by deputy commissioner Blackett from the start almost on a daily basis. There is not suggestion that at any point the police stained there hand in terms of shadowing this fellow in terms of surveillance because of any acquaintanceship that the fellow might have had with ministers."
And this evening a statement was issued from the divisional office of Frank Pawpa Mena. It says, quote, "…one year ago, in the last bye election season, I received a campaign contribution from a businessman I knew as Danny Mason. In the interest of full disclosure, I would like to inform the public at large that about a year and a half ago I met Mr. Danny Mason through Dr. Henry Canton when he visited Dangriga expressing interest in the Commerce Bight Port. I was later taken to his residence prior to the bye-election by Minister John Saldivar. Mr. Danny Mason, who was presented to me as a businessman, contributed $10,000 to my campaign. At no time did I promise to offer any special services or access by virtue of my position to Mr. Mason. The horrendous scenes unveiled over the last few days have been deeply troubling to me, my family and to all Belizeans. To that end, I am publicly returning all of the $10,000 contribution I received for my campaign from the man who I believed to be businessman Mr. Danny Mason. Please know that when I accepted this campaign contribution, I had no reason to believe that Mr. Mason was who he is now known to be. I'm placing the $10,000 into an Escrow account to be used for some kind of charitable purpose." Of minor note is that Pastor Llewelyn Lucas also ran in that election as an independent and got 14 votes.
And so Frank "Pawpa" Mena is, sort of, refunding his donation – but could so much of this drama had been saved if those who knew – like Minister John Saldivar – had acted n the interest of the public good and outed Danny Mason when he claims to have learned of his shady past in September of 2015? Many, including his cabinet colleague Patrick Faber would have been at least warned about this unsavoury character who seemed to operate on the up and up. And the Prime Minister also told us today that he learned of the Freisen extortion three weeks ago:…
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"He had gyp a couple of people in Belmopan and so there was some knowledge of report circulating as to his being a con-man. There was never as far as I can determine any suggestion that the man was a would be murderer, a kidnapper; somebody who engaged in violence. As I indicated I did get a report maybe 3 weeks ago about his having kidnapped the Mennonite couple. I immediately called the minister of national security, called CEO Lovell and I was told well the Mennonite couple left the country. Did not make any report to the police; that was the first as far as the officials are telling me that there was any suggestion that this man is more than a con-man. And again the husband in terms of that couple was in a business relationship with him and it seems the kidnapping occurred as a consequence of having falling out of the allegation from the Mennonite that the man gypped him and when he tried to request an accounting this is when that sort of thing happened. But he left the country, he reported to his Spanish Lookout community who told an official of government who came to me. I immediately acted upon it but the people said he's gone obviously in fear for his life will not make any report to the police so there was nothing the police could do. But at that point certainly the question of surveilling this guy came into play that was 3 weeks ago. Before that as far as I can determine in my conversations with the national security officials there was never any suspicion that this was a violent type so that's where things were."
Jules Vasquez
"However if you isolate him from all the connections he has in the police, in your cabinet might they not have moved against with deliberate haste instead of dancing around the issue shadowing him when there were allegations known to me that he has extorted one well known Belmopan businessman and also this Mennonite."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Jules I insist that as far as the police are telling me no report was made. Certainly when I question them after the individual that I told you about came to see me about the Mennonite couple I did hear that well you know from CEO Lovell it is said that there are people in Belmopan that this man might have extorted but nobody has made any complaint so it had not reached the stage where it required the sort of police action that you are now saying in hindsight might have been undertaken."
Marisol Amaya - Krem
"Sir but Brackett said on Monday that police did speak with the couple before they fled and they spoke with the couple when they were in Canada and they gave conflicting reports so that contradicts what you are saying."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Marisol I am telling you that when I had that report and I spoke to the ministry of national security officials I was told that he Mennonites had made no official report, no complaint. That's not inconsistent with they perhaps said something informally to some police officers I don't know. There was as far as CEO Lovell told me no official complaint and the people had left the country. In the absence of an official report and in the absence of the victims from the country how on earth would be police be able to make an arrest? They couldn't have. Thank you all very much. Thank you very much man."
Marisol Amaya - Krem
"Sir do you know how much bandits received in financing from the gentleman?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
Ask the bandits people."
Marisol Amaya - Krem
"But you said you asked everyone what was their involvement."
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"They asked me about political donations, I have been honest and forthright in telling you what Minister Mena reported to me. I never question a football donation you can pursue that on your own. Thank you very much indeed."
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