… and says Shoman is well worth his pay check

And while we had the Prime Minister’s attention we asked him to explain the status of diplomat extraordinaire, Assad Shoman.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
?I needed to ask you to respond to exactly what Ambassador Assad Shoman will be doing in London. I understand there is some concern about the amount of money he is going to get.?

Prime Minister Said Musa
?I understand Channel Five has a concern about how much money he is going to get. Ambassador Shoman is still very much involved in the Belize Guatemala negotiations. He?s still the lead negotiator. I think the Belizean people should know that Ambassador Shoman worked for the past twenty months without receiving any salary whatsoever from the government, so I don?t consider the contract that was awarded to him as a consultant in London to be excessive at all. In fact, he will be continuing to work for the Foreign Ministry and in a very vital area, perhaps one of the areas to the future of our country and the survival of Belize?s sovereignty and territorial integrity.?

Janelle Chanona
?Will he be pursuing a doctorate degree as well??

Said Musa
?Yes, he is doing that as well in London.?

While burning the midnight oil in London, Shoman will be receiving a salary of one hundred eighty thousand dollars a year, free house, health insurance, business class air travel and a per diem of five hundred and sixty dollars per day whenever the roving ambassador is away from home.