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Last night we told you how the Leader of the Opposition John Briceno had written to Prime Minister Dean Barrow accusing him of malfeasance and threatening to take him before a judge if he didn’t get back that 40 thousand dollar write off for Joshua Perdomo.

Well, the PM has written back a fiery two page response.  He opens with a blistering attack, telling Briceno, quote,  “I find your letter…to be a weaponization of falsehoods, unsustainable conclusions and downright dishonesty.â€￾  He continues, quote,  “…it is a crass and opportunistic screed designed to score points off the public outrage that followed the discovery that Joshua Perdomo is the son of Cabinet Secretary Carlos Perdomo…â€￾

The PM goes on to explain that even if the debt were not statute barred, they still could not get back the money, because, quote, “Perdomo lived abroad and the Ministry of National Security would have been unable to sue him in the United States for a Belize case; and if the Ministry of National Security had found a way to sue him in Belize and won, there would have been no way of enforcing the Belize judgment in the United States.â€￾ End quote.  

And when it comes to the allegation of malfeasance, the PM rejects that, saying he got the write-off from the Financial Secretary, and quote, “That was the first I learned of the matter…But advised by both the Ministry of National Security and the Financial Secretary that the money was indeed impossible of collection, I…took the write-off motion to the House. How that could amount to malfeasance completely defeats me.â€￾  

The PM adds, “you say you will institute Court action against what is a proper and legal write-off.  But the ship has sailed and requires no assistance from your huffing and puffing.â€￾

And while the PM has no time for Briceno’s attacks, he does have a caution for Joshua Perdomo, saying, quote, “while Joshua Perdomo is, I believe, beyond the reach of the law, he is not beyond reach of his own conscience.  He has caused much anger and resentment in Belize and is morally very much responsible…You should join me, Mr. Leader, in appealing to him to volunteer payment of the debt even though it is legally uncollectible.  In that way he could make amends and ease somewhat the upset he has caused in the land of his birth.â€￾   

End of letter, but, we are certain, very far from the end of this story.