…And personal employees also collect from council funds
The audit also touched on the relationship between the council and Peyrefitte family business. The councillor says that her family didn’t receive any benefits from the incentives that the city council offers. However, employees of Peyrefitte Brothers did double duty and were collecting taxes for the council on commission. Between 2006 and 2008, one of those employees received approximately eighty thousand dollars in commission and two others received about seventy four thousand dollars combined. Peyrefitte said that she had nothing to hide.
Jose Sanchez
“These discounts or trade offs went to businesses that could pay. That four hundred thousand dollars could have been used for…”
Leila Peyrefitte
“Let’s use Peyrefitte Brothers. Peyrefitte Brothers never got a discount or a trade off. What is it that my business can offer to Belize City Council? There is nothing that business have than they cans do a trade-off with belie City Council. I don’t sell filing cabinets, desk, computers, anything at all. So I would not approach my business.”
Jose Sanchez
“So your business did not receive any. However…”
Leila Peyrefitte
“Courts received.”
Jose Sanchez
“Some people who worked for your business, it seems that they went out and collected on behalf of the council and received approximately over one hundred and eighty thousand to a hundred and ninety thousand dollars in profits.”
Leila Peyrefitte
“No no, no, no, no; it’s not profits, commissions. That’s a big difference.”
Jose Sanchez
“Do they work for the council?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“They currently work for the council and the portfolio does not fall under me today.”
Jose Sanchez
“In 2006 to 2008 did they work for the council?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“They worked for the council.”
Jose Sanchez
“And they worked for you?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“And they also worked for me and they currently work for me and currently work for the council.”
Jose Sanchez
“When the audit team attempted to look at the cash book for one of those employees, what happened to it?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“What employee?”
Jose Sanchez
“For Miss Sanchez’ cashbook for 2007. They wanted to examine it but they said something about flood.”
Leila Peyrefitte
“Is it only missing Sanchez cashbook that was not turned in or you have several other revenue collectors that haven’t turned in cashbook?”
Jose Sanchez
“This is the one that has been given to us.”
Leila Peyrefitte
“As far as I know Miss Sanchez has turned in all her cashbooks.”
Jose Sanchez
“It says the receipt book was damaged in a flood in 2007 so the team was unable to see it. So at the end of the day, you maintain, nothing wrong, not against council?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“I can say that any single incentive in trade-off was approved—the Trade license board knew about it, the council knew about it and the council comprises of all the councillors and the mayor.”
Jose Sanchez
“But even if you look at the books it says the law does not provide for it. There’s nothing that says you could have done it. so even if the council approve of it, does it make it right?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“In our manifesto we said that we would have looked at the trade license and we did. And I must say proudly that the trade license in 2006 was one point eight million dollars. Currently, in 2009, it is two point six million dollars. We have done a fair assessment to the business people in Belize.”
Jose Sanchez
“But would you welcome a wider examination of your portfolio during this time frame?”
Leila Peyrefitte
“Go right ahead, I have nothing to hide.”
So is this a case of double-dipping and more importantly, what will the prime minister do about this latest revelation coming out of City Hall having already set a precedent in the case of the mayor?
