Mayor blames PM; Councillors distance themselves from suit

There was a flurry of activity today all connected to Thursday’s arrest. The Mayor has been talking through her attorneys, but personally she has been deafening silent. In a statement late this afternoon, Moya Flowers took the unprecedented step and came out publicly against the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. It is most unusual but Moya is fighting for her survival and she now says that it is he who declared war on her using his “minion Patrick Tillett, a paid agent of the Ministry of Finance”. Moya Flowers says that there been a public trial by rumor and innuendos, led by the Minister of Finance. And in respect of her arrest, she says it is unconstitutional, null and void. She further states that no criminal information and complaint can be sustained against her with the actual facts and evidence that exists. Just before news time, News Five received a release from the Belize City Council signed by the Deputy Mayor Dion Leslie regarding Moya Flowers’ upcoming legal case against the government. Interestingly, the release does not refer to Moya Flowers as the mayor. The council is in effect distancing itself from her suit against the Attorney General. It says “the Belize City Council has held no meeting discussing or approving the commencement of this case. This court case has been brought by Mrs. Moya-Flowers in her personal capacity and without any approval, endorsement or participation from the Belize City Council”. But the real sting in the release is that the City Council rejects the merits of the Mayor’s suit against the government. The council says that in the interest of transparency and accountability it supports the amendments made by the Barrow administration to which facilitated the introduction of the Financial Controller Patrick Tillett, to oversee the financial affairs of the council.