Remember the firing of Carlos Magana? It happened on July 7th –
which in the current instant amnesia news cycle, seems like about a year ago.
I mean, since then we’ve had money scandals at the KHMH, the City Hall,
the Treasury, and the Border Management Office...throw in the Krooman Lagoon
bust-up, the dual citizenship flare-up, and the flap over the Venezuelan Housing
money, and you can see why Carlos Magana’s name has faded from the headlines
faster than the dye on a $20 pair of jeans.
But Magana has been gathering strength, amassing momentum and munitions
to drop the bomb on the Cane Farmers Committee of Management which dumped him.
He did it today at the Crystal Palace in Orange Walk, where he gave the media
one more money scandal to unearth.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The shabby setting which seemed to leave him isolated behind what looked like
a boledo selling table on a wide and empty stage, served almost as a prop, making
a kind of thematic counterpoint: number one, it’s him alone against a
corrupt gang in the industry’s management, and two, it’s not about
how it looks, it’s about what he had to say –and that was plenty.
Most alarming was the charge of corruption demonstrated in the audited financial
reports of the Orange Walk division between 2005–2007 revealed in a special
audit demanded by General Assembly.
Carlos Magana, Former CEO of BCFA
“After months of investigation the findings were disclosed which compromised
past and present directors of the Orange Walk Division with almost four hundred
thousand dollars of alleged misappropriation.
It was recommended that the matter should be discussed with the Deputy
Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. This meeting was held in Orange Walk Town with the
Chairman Mr. Eric Ek, myself as the CEO, and the Deputy Prime Minister. After listening to the presentation of the facts disclosed by the special audit which
implicated several Orange Walk Division directors who are supporters of the
UDP, the Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega states that while corruption could
not be sustained, in this particular situation he would prefer that the individuals
involved be left alone – just let their time run out and not be given
the opportunity to run again as Chairman of their branches.”
Question,
“You are saying that the Deputy Prime Minister of Belize the Hon. Gaspar
Vega says just leave this as that and forget about it?”
Carlos Magana,
“Yes, that is the response and that is why I said I was very astonished.
The then accountant Mr. David Madrid was instructed to make a formal report
to the Orange Walk Police. He did so on several occasions but the police kept
saying that they needed the advice of the DPP’s office. This matter was
brought to the attention of the DPP’s office. A representative of the
DPP advised that there was not sufficient evidence to charge anyone. I found
this to be incredible. I was then informed by the now interim CEO Mr. David
Madrid that he had been visited by senior officials from Belmopan that since
this matter involved white collar crime, it would be managed from there. I refused
to let this corruption be covered up and that is another reason why today I
am without a job.”
But did he really refuse – truth is, he said nothing to the farmers and
now that he’s been kicked out he’s speaking out.
Carlos Magana,
“I am not a person who would hide myself behind a mask and when I
need to accept that certain things should have been done, I didn’t do
it and that is why I said I can stand to my actions and my decisions and definitely
I can accept that I should have come up to the cane farmers prior to this.
Why now because if I would have done it now, the cane farmers would have
made that request at the September AGM and I would make the assumption that
the Directors would have shown it that Mr. Magana wouldn’t have done anything,
they would have wanted to wash their hands. That is why I am coming up front
to the people and the cane farmers at this moment.”
And he also had a hard putdown for the man who signed his letter of termination,
Chairman of the Committee of Management Eric Ek.
Carlos Magana,
“Let me remind you Mr. Ek of your own package of benefits you enjoy 
as Chairman of the Committee of Management. Your branch Chairman allowance is
$700. Committee of Management allowance is $300. You are privileged with a 24/7
vehicle that you use to your own advantage which includes all your family activities.
This fuel is paid by the cess monies of the cane farmers and a telephone with
open value and your food and drink allowances. No one questions your allowances
since you are the Chairman. Therefore when you state that my extra benefits
are alarming, consider yours since it is paid with direct cess monies of the
hard working farmers.
He has a salary advance of $4,500. That is until I left office a month
ago. He has not made any payment towards it from the month of October 2008 when
he took office as the Chairman of the Committee of Management. This is very
shameful for the Chairman of the association in showing no willingness, responsibility,
and respect in complying with his monthly payments to the association.”
Ek had no comment to but Magana says Ek never wanted to change the open book
policy of fiscal management – which gave directors free range over funds.
Carlos Magana,
“A director could take and use, let us say from his branch monies,
from his branch monies, $1,000, $2,000 – up to $5,000 for administrative
expenses and he would be able to do so being the Chairman of that branch. That
is what we wanted to stop with the standardization process.
Mr. Ek was never serious about bringing any reform to the association since
it would have affected the status quo of the Committee of management and my
supplementary documents would have curtailed such practices.”
And more than just making unpopular proposals, after the unrest Magana says
he was marked for dismissal.
Carlos Magana,
“I can state without a doubt that there was a strong political interference
in my removal.
And because as the CEO I stood up for the rights of the cane farmers given
the crisis, I became the target of the ruling politicians in Belmopan. I recalled
on the 5th February, days after the demonstrations, I saw Mr. Eric Ek, the Chairman
of the Committee of Management as he came out of the vehicle of Minister Gabriel
Martinez. He said to me that the Minister proposed that the core sampler could
be removed but that Mr. Magana had to go.”
And now he’s gone but it was clear today that he’s ready to come
back if he has a popular mandate from cane farmers.
Carlos Magana,
“If I would take my stand back to office, I would only do so if the
general membership requests it and providing that the reform process, policy
procedures, and implementing bodies be accepted to perform their duties in the
best interest of the association and our country.
If it is the will of the farmers but that would mean to say that the farmers
would have to vet that procedure. If it is not vetted, I will recall myself
again. I will not accept the post of CEO.”
And while it is a sweet thought, the CEO is not democratically elected, he’s
hired and unless there is some mass industry-wide popular insurrection, a move
not suggested by the modest crowd in the room this morning, Magana is shooting
for the stars with a slingshot in his hand.
Chairman of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Committee of Management Eric
Ek today had no comment; he would only say that they will most likely have a
press conference next week. As for the allegation against the Deputy Prime Minister
that he basically consented to let allegedly corrupt persons go unpunished,
he is out of the country and will be out of office until August 24TH. His Ministry’s
press officer told us she would try and reach him – but up to late this
evening, we had not gotten a reply.
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