P.U.P. Leader Dismisses PM’s Call

P.U.P., Leader Francis Fonseca was absent his seat for the back and forth between Musa and the Prime Minister – which was both awkward and vicious. But he dismissed the allegations as being asked and answered many times before. Fonseca insists that it is being handled internally, and that’s just the way it’s going to be, regardless of the Prime Minister’s attempt to call him out.

Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader

“I think that’s just usual Dean Barrow political grandstanding, political posturing. The issues discussed on that tape have been widely and publicly ventilated for many years…all of those issues. You yourself have asked the former prime minister many questions about many of those issues over the years. So it is all political grandstanding, public, political posturing and rhetoric. I say to the prime minister, he has been the prime minister for almost eight years…he is completing I believe seven years. If there is any evidence of corruption, bring it to the Belizean people or shut your mouth. That’s my response to him. Deal with the hotbed of corruption that he talks about in his government; the corruption that is taking place in almost every ministerial department, almost every ministry in his government. Talk about that, deal with that. That’s what the Belizean people want him to deal with. They have dealt…these issues have been publicly ventilated, they have been widely discussed and it is just what it is—political posturing.”

Reporter

“However sir, you maintain that it is a private party matter and not a public matter; that’s principally the prime minister’s challenge to you.”

Francis Fonseca

Francis Fonseca

“It’s…the matter has been discussed publicly man, many times…that’s my point. It has been discussed. The private part of it is us dealing with a recording made by one of our members. That is what is private and that is what we will be dealing with and have been dealing with internally.”

Reporter

“A recording where he alleges mass theft and criminality, which is a public matter…”

Francis Fonseca

“…Which has been discussed and ventilated publicly for many…”

Reporter

“Sir, I have never reported that anybody in the P.U.P. is a thief. That is absolutely unprecedented that the deputy prime minister at the time…”

Francis Fonseca

“We have made it clear and I have made it clear that the allegations on that tape are in my view baseless, they are unfounded. That is my position. In terms of the discussion about all of these different matters, those have been discussed and ventilated, man.”