“Boots” Martinez and Daughter’s Finances Questioned

Last week, Minister of Human Development Anthony “Boots” Martinez denied conflict of interest in the decision by the Department of Social Services, which used to be on Regent Street, to relocate to a well-known bright yellow building near the hand roundabout at the entrance to the George Price Highway which he claims is owned by his daughter. The Government has had several instances of rental space provided by senior figures to various Government departments, including the Police and the Vital Statistics Unit. But the Opposition is keeping an eye on affairs and says the Minister and others may face the courts.

John Briceño

John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader

“Wasn’t he the one – wasn’t there a story on some local news channel where we talk about the pool table, and that was what he was doing for a living? And that he had, I think what, thirty-five thousand dollars, I think – if I remember right – in the bank? From pool tables? And now his daughter is building a huge mansion – a daughter, that I don’t know if she has been working for a year? So if it is in the name of the daughter, then where did she get the money? Has the F.I.U. done an investigation – maybe the F.I.U. needs to investigate where his daughter got the money to build that mansion, if that is the case? And for him to point out that well, it’s you know, they signed the contract with me, is tantamount to what Gaspar Vega did with his son, when he gave him this land and then turned around and gave him four hundred thousand dollars. Da the same thing, just on a smaller scale. Remember that case that Gaspar Vega, maliciously, took out against Florencio Marin and Joe Coye? You hear that saying, what ‘knife weh stick sheep, stick goat?’ that very law, that it went all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice, and the Caribbean Court of Justice has said that Ministers can be held accountable for certain decisions that they have made? Well we are studying that very carefully, ladies and gentlemen, and there is the opportunity that we can take out a case against Gaspar Vega and now in this case Boots Martinez, we will.”