Last night you saw out interview with embattled chairman of the BNE Trust Orlando Burns. He was battling back after being accused by the outgoing General Manager Deborah Sewell of being overtly political, possibly corrupt, and stubborn.
He countered charges of mishandling a gift school chairs with documentary evidence that he had delivered the chairs, and he accused the three BNE directors of throwing a tantrum by walking away from the board table and now demanding his resignation.
He also detailed to us the contents of a June 2009 report from the auditors, Panel Kerr Foster who pointed to a number of irregularities with the management of the trust. He read to us from the report.
Orlando Burns, Chairman - BNE Trust
"The trust received a contribution of new school furniture and school supplies valued at $200,000.00 from Domus foundation to be distributed to needy schools in the country. Apparently there were no procedures in place to properly account for the receipt and distribution of in kind contributions. We understand that none of the schools signed as having
received the donation. This is a year ago and I can read to you several instances where cheques are being issued out of sequence, where payments were made without vouchers or invoices. This is the accountant saying this a year ago. Listen to this one: We understand that a contribution of $5,000.00 was made to Rotary for community enhancement. This was a transaction that apparently did not have any supporting documentation and neither did we see the authorization for this expenditure, presumably the contribution was for environmental conservation."
Jules Vasquez
"You felt overall when BNE headed the trust that it was run as a sort of public relations fund."
Orlando Burns, Chairman - BNE Trust
"Of course, they approved $110,000.00 for public relations. They pushed some cheques in front of me to sign for PR for publicity and we have these bills to pay for September, we have eight thousand and change for this one TV company in Belmopan and we four thousand and change for a radio station in Belize. And all you see in one little line that says 'Raise You Flag Competition.' Well i want to know how much flag we can raise for $4,000.00? Because If I sign the cheque I want to see details. The accountant had question marks on the bill."
Jules Vasquez
"What sort of projects? What sort of difference in the type of projects would you like to see? Would you like to see smaller projects? Would you like to see projects in Orange Walk East maybe? What would you like to see?"
Orlando Burns, Chairman - BNE Trust
"You are trying to paint it politically but if want to call it that Jules. If 239 projects you want to call political that people apply, call it political. I want to, if I could, fund the 239 of them. If you are going to have a million dollars lets divide amongst everybody. We are not going to let these people come here and take our oil and come and dictate to us and put us down. Learn to work together."
Of last night's interview BNE director Kevin Herrera today told us that he has never heard so many blatant lies. He said that when the directors walked out - one of them stayed in the room to see what would happen next. Based on what was observed, he accuses the government directors of a very serious thing; that is, manufacturing minutes to make it seem that a resolution was taken to advertise the general manager's post - when no resolution was taken. And because no resolution was taken, Herrera says no casting vote was made by the chairman as he claims.
Whatever the case, the general manager's post will be advertised in the papers this weekend…..
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