P.U.P. candidates protest financial nondisclosure in O.W.

It is political season and around the country both the incumbent U.D.P. and the opposition Peoples United Party, are on the campaign trail for the March fourth poll. As the election heats up, the buzz words of transparency and accountability are resonating as audits of town and city councils are still pending and accusations of irregularities continue to surface. In the last showdown at the October, 2008 U.D.P. convention in Belize City, Mayor Zenaida Moya was accused of unauthorized spending. Today in Orange Walk, the U.D.P. controlled council was challenged for nondisclosure of overdue financial statements. Duane Moody reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The heavy rains early morning did not deter a group of Orange Walkenos from protesting the failure of the Town Council to release financial statements of the Council. The group marched midtown to the Town Hall to present a petition singed by over 2000 persons to the U.D.P. Mayor Ravei Gonzalez. There have been rumblings of financial irregularities for some time and with the recent revelation of a loan made by the council from a Pawn Shop with a whopping fifty percent interest, the protesters were energized.

Ramon Cervantes, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate
“Since November fourteenth, I sent a letter to the mayor asking for disclosure of the financial statements and record from 2006 to presents. He answered me about the beginning of December in a letter stating that the statements have been published in a local newspaper; it didn’t give the edition, the date, anything. In other words, he told us go and find it if you want. I think this is ample time this is over two months and the people want to know. The loan from a pawn shop for nine thousand dollars and they paid at a rate of fifty-nine percent yearly interest. Now that loan, in addition to the loan being made at such a usurious rate, it was falsified also because the voucher said that the loan was made from and paid to the Orange Walk Business Association, which in the Business Association had no knowledge of it. Actually, it was a pawn shop they loaned it from so it amounts to falsification also.”

Faride Riverol, Candidate, P.U.P. Council
“It’s the public information so we launched a people’s petition and we gather two thousand thirty signatures and this is very important for us to note because this is the people of Orange Walk requesting it and it is their money. And today, it’s been a slap in their face because these people are refusing to give it, we’re come in peace to ask for it and we haven’t gotten any good response. Financial statements should be published at least quarterly and when asked for them , anybody can walk up here—it doesn’t have to be a prime minister, it doesn’t have to be a minister of government—it can be any Orange Walkeno walks up to the Town Council and find out listen how are you spending this money? What tracks have you acquired? Where’s the transport money? How do you account for that? What projects do you have in place? Because it’s the people’s money, we all live here and we all know that. It’s very important to know that that’s the way it’s supposed to be; find out how your money is being spent.”

The group arrived at the town hall at ten o’clock, but it was not until an hour later that Mayor Gonzalez came to office. Prior to that however, deputy mayor Phillip De La Fuente attempted to provide answers saying the petition is political.

Phillip De La Fuente, Deputy Mayor, Orange Walk Town Council
“Let me make this clear, da only P.U.P. deh out yah hear. Dah only P.U.P. deh out yah and dehn like create mischief but…”

Duane Moody
“So you think it’s more politics than…”

Phillip De La Fuente
“Dat dah di P.U.P. if nothing mi bally; politics as usual… nothing good for the country.”

Carmelita Perez, CTV3
“Mr. De La Fuente, are you implying that because they are P.U.P., they are not Orange Walkenos?”

Phillip De La Fuente
“Of course not, Carmen. You know better than that.”

Carmelita Perez
“They are not Orange Walkenos.”

Phillip De La Fuente
“I did not say that.”

Carmelita Perez
“But you are saying that I know P.U.P.’s support that.”

Phillip De La Fuente
“Yes, but they are Orange Walkenos too.”

Duane Moody
“Should they not be privileged to the information?”

Phillip De La Fuente
“Of course, February seventh. We had a meeting with Ralph Avila and Munche Cervantes asking for some information. I invited everyone to come out and I am extending the invitation to everybody to come out February the seventh we will be having a mayor’s report, mayor’s address and that’s where you guys will get all the information you need. I have not seen the petition and the mayor will be making his report.”

Manuela Ayuso, Love F.M.
“Do you have any influence at all over…”

Phillip De La Fuente
“On what he will be reporting on, no; it’s the mayor’s report. We voted for him and he will be making his report… he is the mayor of Orange Walk Town.”

Ramon Cervantes
“He said that the mayor is running things. That it is only the mayor that can give the financial statements and the mayor is not available. That’s what he said. So he can’t do anything on his own. He said on February seventh, there will be a town meeting and at such time they will disclose the statements. When the council assesses a tax, they expect payment and they might take you to court and everything. So likewise, the council must be made responsible to the public for disclosure of such financial statements and open to questions and critiques.”

Duane Moody
“Is there anything that he has to hide?”

Phillip De La Fuente
“Well it looks like. Overtime there has been many examples of financial improprieties that have been coming to light.”

Whether or not Mayor Gonzalez has answers is still not known since he refused to speak on camera. Opposition Leader John Briceño says that it doesn’t end here.

John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
“Well certainly we’re disappointed one that the mayor is not here at work. I mean it’s a quarter to eleven on a Monday morning so the mayor should be at work and he’s not here. And secondly, I think that what the deputy mayor and his mayoral candidate for the U.D.P. Mr. De La Fuente answered is a weak response that on the seventh of February the mayor is going to give his report and he can’t tell us what is going to be in that report. What is important is that we’re not just asking for a report, we want to know how the monies were spent. We want to see the vouchers, we want see who they paid and for what. We need to look at what our options are and probably one option is to go to the courts and use the Freedom of Information Act. I’m certain that we’ll be talking to an attorney for advice but we will say keep this on the burner because it is something that the people are demanding. They want to know how the council has mismanaged, how they have spent the millions of dollars they have collected over the last three years.”

Duane Moody reporting for News Five.