B.T.B.’s Karen Bevans is Out!
Karen Bevans
After months of controversy Karen Bevans is officially out at the Belize Tourism Board. This evening News Five was the first to report that the B.T.B. staff has been informed of the embattled Director’s departure. As we’ve been reporting since late last year, Bevans had come under scrutiny after refusing to step down from her post following the November 2020 General Elections. At the start of 2019, Bevans signed a five-year contract to remain as the Director of Tourism until 2024. The sweet deal awarded Bevans one hundred and seventy-three thousand dollars annually – with a number of plum perks and rewards. Just last month, an investigation was launched following reports the B.T.B. had dipped into the pension fund to pay salaries last year. The allegation is that that over four hundred thousand dollars in pension funds were used between July and November 2020. Both Bevans and former B.T.B. Chair Einer Gomez were under fire for the decision. The Ministry of Tourism tells News Five they will be issuing a full statement on Monday about this change. We revisit an interview with Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler where he explained the latest investigation into Bevans last month.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism [File: February 19th, 2021]
“It’s not solely Mrs. Bevans, it’s a review of the trustees for the pension funds for the staff. We are looking at the way they used it, some excess funds that had accrued over time and they used it for certain things that we don’t think is appropriate.”
Anthony Mahler
Duane Moody
“Could you explain that? Who had the authority over that fund?”
Anthony Mahler
“They are trustees. A trust is governed by its regulations and stuff like that. We believe that there was a mistake in how they used the excess funds that had accrued in the trust for the regular staff for paying salaries over time during the COVID period. And I think that is against the trust.”
Duane Moody
“How much? What’s the amount that was used sir?”
Anthony Mahler
“Probably close to maybe three hundred and fifty, four hundred thousand dollars, somewhere around there.”
Duane Moody
“…that was for pension and was used to pay people’s salaries when there were some people that were left off and all of that?”
Anthony Mahler
“As I understand it, the board in July had approved that there was a twenty or twenty-five percent pay cut for the staff at the B.T.B. and to offset that, they used the excess for the pension funds to pay themselves. As I understand it too, the former chairman was a trustee on the pension and he approved it.”
Duane Moody
“What can be done because I know that an investigation is underway?”
Anthony Mahler
“Well a review is being done and I am waiting legal advice.”
Duane Moody, Reporter
Could this be grounds for the termination of not only Miss Bevans, but anybody else who sat as trustee?”
Anthony Mahler
“Like I said, I will wait for legal advice. This is not a witch-hunt. This was brought to our attention by former pensioners. So people who were a part of the pension who were terminated over the last few months or last year or so, they brought it to our attention.”
