7 News Belize

PM Backs Up Perdomo/Chastens Palma
posted (November 4, 2010)
Tomorrow, we'll have more from Perdomo's quite remarkable interview in which he discusses the stresses of being the head of a corruption-prone ministry.

In that you'll hear him say that he is vaguely aware of the possibility that he could be stripped of his cabinet post because of public pressure - as happened to him in the Ministry of National Security.

But it seems he has nothing to worry about because the Prime Minister today put his neck on the line for Perdomo. Here's what he had to say about the list of visas:

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Let me just tell you that I saw a list of visas that had been approved; it did not strike me as being a particularly huge list. A number of visas were approved by the British Embassies or the British Embassy in China which acts as an agent on our behalf. I don't understand if you are telling me that these are numbers that by virtue of their size weigh suspicions. You should make the comparison with what used to happen under the previous administration. I will absolutely deny that Carlos Perdomo the Minister Of Immigration is involved in any hanky-panky, on that I would absolutely stake my reputation."

Jose Sanchez, Reporter
"Sir, you don't see the need for a commission?"

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"A commission into what? Into the plane-loads of Chinese that came on those particular days? Why is there a need for commission when we have confession statements from the people who were involved, who make it clear that the ring was inside the department in conjunction with some as I understand it, Chinese businessman from Belmopan. Open and shut. It's going to court; these people are going to be prosecuted, why you need a commission? You think we have money to waste?"

The Prime Minister also discussed the recent flap over Belize's High Commissioner to the UK, Kamela Palma. She been terminated because of an administrative flare up involving another staffer at the High Commission - who just happens to be Minister Melvin Hulse's Daughter, Tanya Hulse.

What happened was Palma took leave in August and she designated a certain staffer to hold over for her. CEO Alexis Rosado told her that the charge of the office was mis-assigned, that Tanya Hulse should be the one to hold over. Palma flatly refused - alleging administrative irregularities that occurred under Hulse.

And no matter the motive, that refusal - particularly the tones and terms of it - is what irked the Prime Minister. He told us more today:..

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"The high commissioner then wrote a letter that she had told me about when she was here - I had a meeting with her - that she had said she regretted. I hadn't seen the letter at that point. When I saw the letter, I went ballistic! It was an absolutely outrageous, disrespectful, insubordinate letter that she wrote to the CEO. I said to the minister, the high commissioner needs to apologize for that letter and needs to accept that the CEO is in fact her superior; the CEO is in charge of the ministry and in charge of all the diplomats that work for the foreign ministry. I thought that was an end of the matter, I thought the lady was going to apologize and that we were going to move on. The minister reported to cabinet maybe 2 weeks ago that in fact the high commissioner had declined to apologize, that's seems to be a complete undermining of the authority of the minister and of the government and it was agreed that therefore the high commissioner - I thought she was actually going to be given notice, I believe the contract provides for 3 months notice. But it was agreed that the high commissioner would have to leave. That is a decision that I stand by as I told the high commissioner today when I spoke to her on the phone. The high commissioner told me well that it was a little bit unexpected because she had discussed the matter with the minister and with the CEO and that she had emailed them to say that she accepted that the language in the letter that she had written was subjective. Man, I saw the letter, it not a matter of the language being subjective it a matter of the language being outrageous and insubordinate. I asked the high commissioner today on the phone a direct question, 'Did you ever apologize, ma'am?' and she says she hadn't."

"I think she is very talented, it is my understanding that she was doing a good job. If the high commissioner is prepared to apologize now, I am certainly prepared to speak to the minister and to say look perhaps this matter can be sorted out, but absent that apology it was the right decision taken by the cabinet and by the foreign minister."

Jules Vasquez
"The situation is complicated by the fact that a minister's daughter is involved - Melvin Hulse's daughter."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I don't know, not at all. Melvin Hulse's daughter is another matter and there are I believe all sorts of things that are said which I don't know that they are true or not, I certainly am not going to give them any currency without evidence but anybody against whom allegations are legitimate made must be subject to some kind of investigation, I don't care who it is. So, no minister's daughter can be any sacred cow as far as I am concerned. But one has nothing to do with the other. It is true that as I understand it, it was Melvin Hulse's daughter that the ministry suggested ought to hold over in Ms. Palma's absence, a decision with which Ms. Palma disagreed and with which she was free to disagree except you can't say I disagree and I won't comply with your directive."

Jules Vasquez
"Sir, perhaps her caution was borne out of a judiciousness in the management of public resources."

Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"And nothing is wrong with a caution. But you know the old rule 'complain and then comply.'"

The Prime Minister says that if an apology is forthcoming, he would support the mending of fences. He says Palma has been given her walking papers and a month's pay.

And what of the CEO, Alexis Rosado. He's the one whose authority was flouted - but today he told us there are just some issues that have to be worked out:…

Jules Vasquez
"Are you under pressure to retain the service of the minster's daughter;,Melvin Hulse's daughter?"

Alexis Rosado, CEO
"Not at all. I can tell you that personally nobody been pressuring me on anything."

Jules Vasquez
"Have you spoken with the outgoing high commissioner and what is the state of relations with your office and hers?"

Alexis Rosado, CEO
"I spoke to her earlier this week and we had a very good conversation, it was courteous always, cordial, we are very good friends. But as things go, when things need to change, things change."

Jules Vasquez
"No one has misappropriated funds has acted with malfeasance?

Alexis Rosado, CEO
"Not as far as I know, there is a little administrative glitches here and there but I could tell you that from what we have heard before there is no such thing. That's for sure."

Rosado said dismissively, that there's a lot of "hot air" surrounding the issue.

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