AG Eager to Know Which Cabinet Minister Took Bribes from Lev Dermen

Michael Peyrefitte

So who was the cabinet minister who received twenty-five thousand dollars monthly? Fingers are being pointed to one specific senior U.D.P. minister and according to the Prime Minister his ministers have denied taking the bribe including the two who are set to contest the upcoming leadership convention. Both John Saldivar and Patrick Faber have denied taking monies from Dermen. As the nation remains in suspense until the trial commences in the U.S. at the end of the month, Michael Peyrefitte cast doubt as to whether a name would be called. According to Peyrefitte, even if a name is called, the evidence must be provided to prove what is said is a fact.

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General of Belize

“I know they mentioned that there was a wire transfer to a government official. They may define ‘government official’ narrowly or wide enough to include a minister. We don’t know but that wire transfer would have a name, you would know exactly how that money would have reached. But if you are just saying that you gave twenty five thousand dollars a month, they didn’t say whether they gave them in cash or in cheque. We don’t know. We can only assume that maybe it was cash. We don’t know. We didn’t get any details. In that, we would be investigating for investigation sake. We don’t know what to look for. So I don’t think you can do more what we’re doing. It is an unfortunate wait and see. We would like to know today, I would have to have known from last week so we can be done with it. This is something that you can’t say we are stalling on. This is something that we need to move pass. We would love to know the names of the persons.  You don’t even know if the person who is saying that is telling the truth. Listen to me, you have a person who is a co accused in a criminal fraud. This person has copped a plea. This person is singing for his person. I would say anything to lessen my sentence. So we don’t know. He has not even reveal who it is and even if and when he foes that has to be tested under cross examination. It is amazing to me that we are just accepting what this could be saying as a stone cold fact when we don’t know. Even when we learn the name when he says without proof that he paid the person the money, how do you know he is telling the truth?”