Finnegan Tells Why He Is Not in Special Audit Report and Defends Fellow Ministers

The Special Audit conducted by Auditor General Dorothy Bradley into the issuance of Belizean passports and visas during a two-year period spanning 2011 and 2013 still has currency and is being discussed just about everywhere else outside the National Assembly. While the debate was stifled with the suspension of Julius Espat, we asked Finnegan for a comment on the findings of the Auditor General.  He also told the media why his name does not appear in the seven hundred page document.

Michael Finnegan, Area Representative, Mesopotamia

“I don’t know who tell the Auditor General that ministers of government cannot intervene on behalf of constituents. Who tell she that is illegal? Who tell the Auditor General that you, Isani Cayetano, cannot go to lands department and intervene on a matter on behalf of friends or maybe colleagues or family members? Which law she quote to say that is illegal? There is no law, no law, weh tell you that a minister cannot intervene on behalf of constituents. Ih quote wah law. Which law says that illegal? That is not illegal at all. I am not saying that there are points that were made in the report that should be concerning to politicians and should be concerned that members of the House should give it much concern, but they just quote things and the law says this and the law says that. If she could say something like that, weh else ina di law, weh else ina di report that is wrong? And there are lot of other things weh I see ina the report that I could list right now.”

Michael Finnegan

Isani Cayetano

“Now Minister Finnegan, yours is one of the few names that did not appear in the seven hundred page document compiled by the Auditor General. Any reason for that?”

Michael Finnegan

“Because I am experienced. I know that there will use those letters that you send to those different government departments and ministries and when time comes, they try use it against you….like ministers instruct public officers what to do. You know every letter I send to any department or any ministry or anywhere in this country, to make the letter noh look like I di instruct anybody or tell they what they fi do. I put in the last paragraph, if it meets the authority, if it meets the necessary requirements of your department or your ministry. My letters never come from my desk without that last paragraph in there. If it meets the requirements, if that person—he or she meets the requirements—of your department or your ministry. So that nobody can’t say that I send letter di instruct public officers weh fi do, or weh noh fi do or give them illegal instructions. That’s why yon oh wah see my name ina dehn thing.”