Closure of Police Checkpoints Raises Suspicion

The Commissioner of Police Allen Whylie issued a directive, dated October thirteenth, to all formations of the Belize Police Department on Tuesday to remove checkpoints across the country.  While the brass of that arm of law enforcement has gone on record to say that the easing of random checkpoints is to ensure the free flow of traffic, concerns have been raised in various corners, including the People’s United Party.  This morning, we asked Party Leader Francis Fonseca for a comment on the commissioner’s decision.  Fonseca alleges that there may be some hanky-panky taking place at the various ministries involving the siphoning of Petrocaribe funds through government’s SmartStream service.

Isani Cayetano

“The issue of the lifting of the checkpoints, the police checkpoints, do you have any comment on that as to whether it was politically motivated?”

Francis Fonseca

Francis Fonseca, Party Leader, P.U.P.

“Well it’s, we are very concerned about it, I’ve heard all sorts of rumors and speculations so we are very concerned about it.  You know, it’s strange to say the very least, it’s strange.  The timing of it, so we are concerned and we think, at the very least, we deserve a very clear explanation for why it was done from the Commissioner of Police and from the Minister of National Security as to why this was done.  My understanding is that it was done on the orders of the prime minister himself.  We need to know why it was done because there are speculations of people coming in, money coming in, drinks di flow free from free zone into different constituencies and I am very concerned about that. and let me say, allow me to add this point that I am very, very concerned of many very serious reports I’ve gotten over the last twenty-four hours of finance officers being forced to pay people to march today through the SmartStream System and I would certainly urge the media to look into that matter. I’ve gotten this from credible people, who work in these ministries, who are being forced to pay people to march today. For example, the Ministry of Housing…one hundred and fifty dollars through the SmartStream System. This is on top of very serious allegations that a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in Petrocaribe Funds has been channeled to U.D.P. candidates over the last two weeks, each candidate. This is very serious; we have to look into it. It’s a serious matter. At this point, they are allegations, but they are credible, credible allegations as far as I’m concerned.”