Minister responds to report of constitutional breach

But when the House of Representatives resumed debate of the budget this morning, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, was the first to rise to conclude his presentation that was interrupted when the debate was adjourned yesterday. Elrington’s opening salvo was not about the budget, but about an explosive article in today’s edition of The Belize Times that calls on the minister to vacate his seat in the House for violating the Constitution. Elrington’s ire was directed at the newspaper which reports of a contract awarded to the law firm, Pitts and Elrington. The article cites section 59(2) of the Constitution which requires a member of the House to vacate his seat when he is party to any contract with the government for or on account of the Public Service, or any firm in which he is a partner unless the contract is disclosed and approved by the House.

The contract, claims the newspaper, is for the provision of legal services to the government as lawyers for the Financial Intelligence Unit. It cites two instances where the other partner in his firm, attorney BQ Pitts, has already appeared in court on behalf of the F.I.U. The point of the article is that Elrington should have made disclosure to the House of the contract BEFORE or as soon as practicable after becoming otherwise interested. Speaking this morning, Elrington said he is not motivated by money or power.

Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“We know the law and we know the constitution and we like to keep within the bounds of the law. But I would like to say to the people at the Belize Times, Mr. Speaker, that I started to fight for the poor people of this country from the time I was about eleven or twelve, 1963/64. The first person I campaigned for was the governor general of our country when he ran against the honourable Lindberg Rogers in the Collet division and I have never stopped working for the people of this country. I am motivated neither by power nor by greed. I want neither wealth nor power.”

And there is another case that has been raising eyebrows. It involves Attorney Lois Young who has been appearing as Acting Attorney General for the Government and is at the same time representing Jeffery Prosser, who in 2005 acquired B.T.L. temporarily. Young has been fighting the government on Prosser’s behalf.