Opposition Leader Demands Forensic Audit of Petro Funds

John Briceño

In his statement this morning, John Briceño spoke of the Chief Justice’s latest ruling against Dean Barrow and his government. In January C.J. Kenneth Benjamin ruled that over one billion dollars were spent illegally by the Barrow Government. He said that Barrow as the Minister of Finance was in breach of the constitution which demands that appropriation for the amounts spent be taken to parliament for approval. In his ruling, the Chief Justice gave PM Barrow and his government time for a constitutional amendment to correct the matter. The Prime Minister will need the support of the Opposition, but Briceño says the support will not be forthcoming until a forensic audit is conducted. 

John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition

“We also demand that a forensic audit of this illegal spending with special emphasis on the Petrocaribe spending be carried out by a reputable firm of forensic accountants. We believe that before any constitutional amendment is considered, there must be a systemic review to ensure that this can never happen again. We also believe that those who broke the law must be made to face the courts. We will therefore present the commissioner of police and the director of public prosecutions with the evidence, as well as the chief justice’s judgment so that criminal prosecutions can be instituted. No one; no Saldivar and no Barrow is above the law.”