A new commission to investigate government assets’ sale before the 2020 general elections were sworn in on February 1st. The hearings’ commencement will see former prime minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight, and head of the Vehicle Care Unit Ruperto Vicente, answering the alleged irregularities.
The proceedings will take place on Monday, February 15th, at the House of Culture in Belize City. The three-member commission, chaired by Senior Counsel Andrew Marshalleck and Marcello Blake and Luke Martinez, represent the business community and unions. They will review the 2019-2020 period when the previous administration allegedly sold government vehicles, office equipment, and furniture in a fire sale just before the general elections. The current government is optimistic that depending on what is unearthed, the assets can be recovered.
“The government’s assets are for the people, and certainly the Commission of Inquiry is tasked with discovering if the procedures were followed,” said Marshalleck. He said that the list of persons who could be summoned also includes ministers, public officers, and even persons from the private sector.
The proceedings will be live-streamed by the Government of Belize Press Office via its Facebook and YouTube pages. It was announced that due to the existing COVID-19 regulations, the public and media would not be permitted to attend the hearings.
