On Tuesday, we told you how Auditor-General Dorothy Bradley completed
her very last day in a 10-year stint as the country's ultimate watchdog
against corruption in public life.
During that time, her office spearheaded many audit reports that led to
significant exposure of corruption, abuse of public funds, and
irregular behavior in different government departments.
One of those audit reports on the Immigration Department was so
impactful, that it led to a 13-month-long Senate Inquiry on the
Immigration Department, where evidence emerged of corruption,
systematic violations of Immigration procedures, and, widespread
political influence. There was the clear suggestion of a money-making
enterprise that provided express lanes to Belizean national identity
documents.
Yesterday, she and 11 other individuals were honored by the US State
Department's Anti corruption Champion Award.
A press release says that she is deserving of this award because,
quote, "Under her leadership as Auditor General, Bradley's office
exposed corrupt practices and illegalities in the sale of Belizean
passports, visas, and granting of Belizean citizenship to foreign
nationals. Her report on the findings of an audit conducted at the
Ministry of Immigration provided evidence that resulted in the
dismissal of a sitting Cabinet Minister and contributed to the Belizean
government signing the United Nations Convention Against Corruption
(UNCAC) in December 2016." End quote.
Here's an excerpt of a speech she gave in acceptance of this honor:
Dorothy Bradley - Recipient, Anticorruption Champions Award
"I am most honored and humbled to accept the Anticorruption Champions
Award on behalf of all nominees. It is a blessing to be recognized and
bestowed with this award from the US Department of State. For me, it is
a symbol of hope for people and institutions committed to changing the
sullied landscape of global corruption. Together, we can move
mountains, but it requires moving one pebble at a time. The
inconvenient truth is that corruption is a scourge that threatens our
world's democracies, and the value systems on which they are based.
Corruption results in unjust enrichment that benefits its perpetrators.
It can occur on both a local and international scale. Our collective
work had demonstrated the need for government agents to work without
fear or favor, because it inspires conscientious, courageous champions
for justice around the world. It also underscores the need for citizen
involvement to successfully combat corruption. This award, as well, is
significant for my office, country, and fellow citizens, because it
establishes the importance of citizen participation, demonstrates
credibility to the office and its work, and support of our effort to
combat corruption."
You'll remember that back when the Senate Inquiry took place, Bradley
came under intense public pressure from members of the former Barrow
Government. They took great exception to her findings, and despite
attempts to discredit her work, she stood her ground.
Here's an excerpt of an Interview she gave shortly after the Senate
hearings concluded:
Daniel Ortiz
"Are you vindicated in the revelations that have come out of the Senate
hearings?"
Dorothy Bradley
"I would not call it vindicated because I never felt that way. We did
an audit, we made a presentation and once it reached this committee I
felt that we were making progress. It took a year, they met with
different people, got the information they needed and I am very
satisfied that we are at this point."
Daniel Ortiz
"Given the interest that the public has kept over those months, are you
satisfied that the Belizean people were keeping themselves informed as
to what was taking place in these hearings?"
Dorothy Bradley
"I was very impressed and I encourage people to continue because if we
have a watchdog for the country, I call the people of Belize the
watchdog, they must be vigilant because out of that we see what
happens, we saw what happened. So, I continue to encourage people to do
that. It is the right thing."
Email
Print