What Happened to the Senate Special Select Committee’s Report?
It has been more than a year and three months and a report on the Senate Special Select Committee’s inquiry has yet to be produced. The committee drilled and interrogated several witnesses and key experts as it delved into the findings of the Auditor General’s Special Audit Report of the Immigration and Nationality Department 2011-2013. The inquiry revealed numerous discrepancies and what many would describe as “corrupt practices’ within the department. The last we heard of the Chairman, U.D.P. Senator Aldo Salazar, was in May and he said that there has been substantial delay and volumes of information to review. Well, the Leader of the Opposition isn’t holding his breath. John Briceño says that he does not expect the report to be produced before the 2020 General Elections.
John Briceño
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
“I think the government is trying to wait us out and hoping by the time that report comes out there is a new government and hoping that the Belizean people will forget. But I want to make it very clear we are going to look at that report very closely and where there has been any sense of breaking the law those people will have to answer. We cannot allow these former ministers to get away with what they are doing. Simply also what is the Chairman doing? What is Senator Salazar doing? I think he is bidding his time, playing with the, trying to defend and protect his government. I know that Senator Salazar has his other problems with Atlantic Bank International and the massive fraud that has taken place. I know he has that issue to worry but he has a legal and moral responsibility to ensure that this report comes out as soon as possible so that we as citizens can look at really happen. And that we as the government in waiting because I am convinced that the government will act against no one that when we get in we are going to make sure that we go after those people who have taken advantage or have given away or sold our nationality just so that they can enrich themselves personally. We cannot let that go unanswered.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So you don’t believe that the report will be produced before the 2020 elections?”
John Briceño
“Well I don’t know. It has been years.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Well you do not expect it to be produce…”
John Briceño
“Let’s put it this way, I will not be shocked if it does not come out before 2020.”
