Minister Kareem Musa Chimes in on Commission of Inquiry

It was only the first day, but what has been revealed so far during the first sitting of the Commission of Inquiry is being described in most quarters as incredible. The details on the fire sale of government assets under the Barrow administration between October 2019 and November 2020 stunned listeners and viewers even as the Commission probes further to determine whether in fact there was wrongdoing by anyone involved. In the first round of questioning, former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and Head of Vehicle Care Unit, Ruperto Vicente appeared before the Commission. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa tuned in and was floored by the revelations, especially given the tough economic times compounded by the COVID pandemic. 

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries

“You are perfectly right Duane, I was not in the least bit surprised about what came out this morning. But at the same time it just goes to show you how heartless and crass the last administration was.  We were actually going through the most severe time in our country in terms of our economy, we are going through a pandemic, one hundred and thirty-two percent of GDP and they had time to facilitate special deals for themselves – for their ministers, for their C.E.O.s, for comptrollers – all of these people getting very special sweetheart deals and to me it’s a very heartless and absurd move on their part and shows how out of touch they were. To see the former attorney general, the former minister of police say that he left behind a healthy economy for us. When he himself is directly contributing to the financial losses of this country by purchasing the equipment of this government. We are talking laptops and reinforced chairs that were made especially for him. He is not the only big person in Belize, so why does he get that deal? Why is he the one that’s going to get this special deal? So it’s absolutely incredible that they have the nerve to then come on national TV and say they left us in good economic position when we all know that is a lie.”

Reporter
“So charges left, right and center for those who are involved?”

Kareem Musa
“We will have to see the outcome of the Commission of Inquiry and the recommendations, but certainly at the very least, they are heartless, they are absurd and I would want to venture to say criminal.”

Viewers can tune in for the Commission of Inquiry’s next session on February twenty-fifth.