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On Friday night we showed you Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Branker Taitt explaining how it is that she arrived at a charge of theft for former Prime Minister Said Musa and Housing Minister Ralph Fonseca. She illustrated by example using a bottle of orange juice and a pack of Shirley biscuits...but the theft is for 20 million Belize dollars, not a few snacks. Tonight Jules Vasquez looks at a few of the critical documents and public prevarications that illustrate how grants from both the Taiwanese and Venezuelan governments were funneled into the Belize Bank without anyone other than a cabal of senior officials knowing.

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
[March 12th, 2008] “The enormity of what Musa and Fonseca did and Amalia Mai, although I suppose she may be able to resort to the Newenberg defense, she was just following orders."

Foreign Affairs CEO Amalia Mai in this December 28th letter to the President of Bandes, acknowledged that the US$19 million is for construction and repair of houses and then asked that US$10 million be sent to the Belize Bank’s account at the Bank of America in London. The money was then transferred to the Belize Bank’s London account via this wiring directive which states plainly and unequivocally: ‘disburse only to the Government of Belize for the construction and repair of houses.’ Of course it was never used for that. Instead it went into the all swallowing hole of this hospital’s debt and the same goes for the Taiwanese funds.

[September 17th, 2007]
Jules Vasquez,
Sir in a week’s time the Universal principal payment is due, September 23rd, what will happen on that day?

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
“We are convinced that the private sector will take up the matter.”

Of course that wasn’t quite true. What he should have said was five days earlier he had handed these checks, money gifted by the Taiwanese, were handed over to the Belize Bank, US$10 million - $20 million Belize, partial payment for the UHS debt. And then on October the 10th, Musa again misspoke.

[October 10th, 2007]
Jules Vasquez,
The principal for the Belize Bank was due September 24th and I know it was not paid. What is the arrangement?

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“We are nearing concluding the matter but they have agreed to an extension. We’re looking now at towards the end of October.”

Jules Vasquez,
And it is the Belize Health Partners that will take it up and they will pay the full indebtedness?

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“Is that the group with Dr. Venny? Yes.”

Jules Vasquez,
And they will pay the full indebtedness?

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
“They are looking to secure the complete financing of the project, yes.”

Of course as we now know, that complete financing came actually from public funds secretly paid by the Belizean government.

Hon. Dean Barrow,
“The upshot is that the government and people of Belize end up having not even one single solitary share in the facility now owned by Belize Healthcare Partners Group.”

None of the documents that have been released by the new government involve Ralph Fonseca. But as he Minister of Housing, he was seen as the central figure in negotiating the loan and getting the money landed in Belize.