Criminal Charges Forthcoming Following Revelations in Auditor General’s Reports?

As much as half a million dollars was found to be embezzled at the National Sports Council between April first, 2015 to March thirty-first, 2016.  A report by the Auditor General reveals massive fraud that took place in the one-year period. One of the glaring examples of where things went awfully wrong involved former U.D.P. Sports Minister Herman Longsworth. The report found that Longworth established a company, Go Enterprises Limited, and awarded it works at the Marion Jones Sports Complex without any written contracts. This all happened under the watch of former Acting Sports Director, Patrick Henry whose name appears several times in the audit for questionable money transactions in the tens of thousands.  The report has been reviewed by Commissioner of Police Chester Williams who has appointed an investigator to deal with the matter and charges are expected to follow, after advice from the Director of Public Prosecution is received.  Attorney General says that Williams should do exactly what the Prime Minister said in the House on Friday and allow the chips to fall where they may.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I have already tasked a senior investigator and that senior investigator will be the one to carry through that investigation. We’re going to put together the relevant evidence and then we’ll send it to the Director of Public Prosecution for her determination. I have received an electronic copy of it and I’ve gone through it briefly and I’ve seen for myself some degree of criminal implication on the part of certain persons and so, we will ensure that our investigation is centered around those persons who are implicated in the Auditor General report as having committed some criminal act and once we put together that file then we will go to the D.P.P. for her guidance.”

Michael Peyrefitte

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General of Belize

“I say do what the Prime Minister said, send it to the police and see what they come up with. No matter what I say at this point it would be taken as prejudicing what I think the police needs to look at before they make their decision so let them decide. If they see something, let the chips fall where they may.”