Councilor Eric Chang still not in communication with City Council

Eric Chang

Former Deputy Mayor Eric Chang remains absent without leave in Taiwan since departing for his home country in early September.  Chang, who has been accused of participating in the conveyance of a fraudulent Belizean passport to an imprisoned South Korean businessman, has virtually fallen off the radar.  According to Mayor Darrell Bradley numerous attempts have been made to contact him prior to and since the council’s decision to strip him of his post.

Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor

“He has not, still not come into Belize City.  The difficulty that we have is that since removing him from being deputy mayor and his works portfolio, the city administrator and I communicated with him via email.  We tried to get him by phone, could not get him, he did not respond.  He has since not responded so our situation is that we really have not had any contact with him.  There are provisions in the City Council Act in terms of being disqualified from office based on the extent of your absence, the extent of meetings that you miss and things like that.  So we are monitoring those things clearly but that the situation is that since him being removed we have had no communication with him. If he misses four or more unexcused meetings then he’s considered to be disqualified from holding office.”

Reporter

Darrell Bradley

“Have you gotten any indication from him that maybe he’s in some kind of a legal difficulty in Taiwan?”

Darrell Bradley

“Well we just have not [heard from him.]  I communicated with him prior to our making this decision.  We spoke by telephone and he also responded to an email that I had sent indicating to him what our position would be.  But since that communication we’ve had no communication with him.”

Chang left, along with a delegation on an official visit to Taiwan, in September.  According to the mayor he has only missed one meeting thus far.