Email

Print

But that explanation doesn’t cut it for Michael Finnegan. We caught up with him in his division this afternoon before we spoke to Perdomo and he was none too happy about one of his constituents being – what he characterized as – taken advantage of. We air the interview uncut. It’s a long interview but a remarkable one – so we beg your indulgence.

Hon. Michael Finnegan, Mesopotamia Area Rep.
“Oh she came to you? I am glad she came to you because it is important to note that when injustice is being meted out to the small person in the street, the small person must know to use the media so that they can get their matter addressed. First of all this land was owned by Dawn’s mother from in the 60s; a house which was built there for her from way back in the 60s. Her mother died and the mother willed over the land to Dawn and her two brothers.

Those ladies don’t know that she doesn’t have title for the land, dah only a lease land. But she thinks that the land belongs to she and I do believe it belongs to she so many years and so she willed it to the daughter and the two sons. Now the daughter and the two sons gone dah Lands Department, this dah 2005, and they get permission from the then Minister to purchase the piece of land. This is poor people you di talk about. The Lands Department gave them permission to purchase the land and the purchase price is $5,000. You know that to purchase a piece of land, you can pay on an incremental basis towards the purchase and then when you are done you get your title to the land. She has been doing that all along the while, up to July of this year. And behind her back, they cancel the woman’s land and pass the land to somebody else. Man that is an injustice. That is unfair, it is not only unfair – it is illegal. It is legal.”

Jules Vasquez,
“But it is not the opposition that did this, it is your colleague and brother Minister, Area Representative Carlos Perdomo.”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I don’t care who do it. Whatever was done to the Jourgesons was unjust and is illegal. And I spoke to the Prime Minister in connection with it and that matter has got to be corrected. I said to her that we will take legal recourse, she must take legal recourse. I directed her to the law firm of Michael Young and I spoke to Michael Young himself and asked him to deal with the matter for me and if it has to cost me every cent in this Belize Bank book, I will pay for those legal fees. That is a poor woman, that is an ordinary grassroots woman, and she lives in the constituency where I live and nobody will chance no nobody once they come from Mesopotamia division.”

Jules Vasquez,
“But this thing could be solved without going to a lawyer, you’re talking about a member of your own government.”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“They believe that the matter cannot be resolved because all transferring documents and new title was given to somebody else. And I know no judge, no judge sitting at the Belize Supreme Court will never condone such an awkward and backward and high handed behaviour like that.”

Jules Vasquez,
“But to fix the position firmly, this is your brother Minister who did this your fellow UDP Area Representative. You must could call the man and say hear what, mek we settle this.”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I have spoken with the Minister also about it and I hope to get the matter resolved. But I am saying to you that if we cannot sit down and resolve the matter, with all respect to everybody the lady will take legal recourse and I guarantee you that that will be successful. You can’t just capture people land and tek whe people land just like that. There is a process.”

Jules Vasquez,
“To be clear about it, this is what you’re saying your fellow UDP Area Representative did and that he was wrong in so doing?”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“The Land Department should have advised him properly. He cannot do that on his own. The Minister cannot do that on his own. The Lands Department must advise the politicians properly.”

Jules Vasquez,
“But at some point the Minister of Natural Resources had to sign off on it.”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“The public officers advised the Minister of Natural Resources also properly.”

Jules Vasquez,
“I don’t think you are a man who passes the blame but are elected members of your own government, are they responsible for this act to a woman who says she is a staunch UDP supporter?”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“All I am saying to you is as a politician, he should be advised by the Lands Department what is right and what is wrong, what is a, b, c, e, f, g, what are the steps he should take. So those who are sitting there must advise the politicians properly and whenever the politicians go to them to try get thing, they shouldn’t holler ‘yes Minister, correct Minister.’ Advise the Minister properly.”

Jules Vasquez,
“You don’t know that he wasn’t advised properly.”

Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I want to believe he wasn’t advised properly.”

Again, Perdomo insists that he acted in good faith and is simply trying to help people who will use the land more effectively. It’s a developing story that Finnegan says he has taken to the PM and we’ll keep you posted.