AG Defends G.O.B.’s Contractor General Appointment

Michael Peyrefitte

Responding to the senators’ concerns was Attorney General and U.D.P. Senator, Michael Peyrefitte. Peyrefitte chastised the senators for pre-empting the works of Mitchell by alluding he would fail at his job. The Attorney General called on the senators to ‘give the man a chance.’

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“So Mr. Mitchell will come in, he will present a budget to the government. He will tell you the staff he needs, the people he needs to fulfil his functions under the act and then we judge him from there. We are already saying that he will fail, he will fail. Give the man chance. We are even questioning is the man is too old. What is the man’s age?  Had we put somebody young you would have heard that we are trying to put somebody young because we want to influence them. You put somebody old, you hear that person too old. What will staff these people? What? You are appointing a seasoned Belizean to a very important watchdog position. The person has nothing to gain, and nothing to lose. Senior independent engineer, he has all the power that he needs to ensure that there is transparency when it comes to government work. If we are saying that Mr. Mitchell cannot do his job or you are already doubting him then you are not speaking bad about the Government, you are speaking bad about Mr. Mitchell. You are praising him in one sense but then you are disrespecting him in another sense. You are saying all of you are saying who spoke about the concern about government that Mr. Mitchell is some sissy or some person who is going to lay down and play dead. No! No! Mr. Mitchell is a person who is going to ensure that his job is done and he is going to make sure that he submits to government what he needs to execute his duties. Give the man a chance. Make we wait and see. You are already destroying the work that he would be doing not because you don’t believe him but every opportunity you get to try and bash the government for doing anything you jump on it. You can’t help yourselves. You can’t help yourselves that you bash in the future.”