And one of those Ministers who boldly said he has nothing to answer for is Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr.
Yesterday, when we asked him about the Auditor General's reports he boldly claimed that he won't be named as one of those Ministers who wrongfully intervened to try get passports, nationality certificates, or visas. He said that if indeed auditors did name him, it was only for one of his constituents, but it won't be for any sort of mass hustling.
For context, here are those comments once again:
FILE: August 24, 2016
Hon. Manuel Heredia - Minister of Tourism
"Even though I'm part of government I always try to focus on what I am doing. If you see my two ministries that I hold; Civil Aviation and Tourism, over the 8 plus years that I have been you have never heard any type of scandal or any negative thing about this particular minister or with my ministry itself."
Courtney Weatherburne
"So you don't expect your name to be in that report as among the list of UDP ministers who are engaged in illicit visa transactions?"
Hon. Manuel Heredia - Minister of Tourism
"Well let them prove that to me. From the time I have been in government there is one visa that I have recommended for 1 of my constituency wife who lives in Caye Caulker a businessman in Caye Caulker; one. If they mention one that is fair but it is not that anything that can show that Minister Heredia was involved in a pave to get; that will never happen. My reputation has, my credibility has been there from ever since and it will continue to be so."
Today, we did some digging into the audits, and contrary to what Heredia said, he is named as one of the Ministers who the Auditor General says intervened at immigration when he shouldn't have. In the Audit for the issuance of nationality certificates, Heredia is identified as a minister who intervened on behalf of a number of people with the same titles, suggesting that it may be one family.
Heredia 1
Here the audit says that he made recommendations for Osama Khaled Harmouch, and Hani Harmouch.
Heredia 2
Here, the report says that he made recommendations for Ammar Harmouch, and Zoila Aquino
Heredia 3
Here, the report says that he recommended Ahmad Harmouch, and on this page it also says that Anmar Harmouch did not qualify for Belizean Nationality. It also notes that he made recommendations for Samir Harmouch.
Of note that Rene Montero is also noted in the report as making recommendations for persons with the same Harmouch last name.
Heredia 4
Here on this page, the auditor general's report says that Ammar Harmouch did not qualify for the Nationality certificate at the time he was recommended. But he got a passport 2 months earlier, and it was post dated to coincide with the date that he would have qualified. It also says that Ahmad Harmouch, who Heredia also recommended, did not qualify, but he received his immigration documents which were post-dated to 8 months later when he would have.
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