AG Ministry Given 14 Days to Reveal Taxpayer Spending on Court Battles

Last night, we told you about social activist Jeremy Enriquez taking on the Attorney General’s ministry over a Freedom of Information request. Enriquez wanted answers; how much of your tax dollars have been spent on legal fees in recent constitutional cases, and which attorneys got the work. The AG’s ministry said no. So, Enriquez went to the Ombudsman, and guess what, the Ombudsman sided with him. The ombudsman agrees that the AG’s Ministry must release the information, and they’ve got fourteen days to do it. We spoke with Enriquez about what this means.

 

Jeremy Enriquez, Social Activist

“After we requested this information from the attorney general, he denied this information saying that it would in respect compromise the case, but also cost serious risk to the Government of Belize. And seeing that he refused to give that information, I forwarded his response to the Ombudsman to look at the constitutionality and legality of the response to that request that was made through the FOIA. The Ombudsman then after thorough review decide that the AG violated the FOIA by denying the request. Therefore he instructed the AG to provide that information. We are looking forward to that information within the required fourteen days and we trust that the AG this time will act in good faith.”

 

Paul Lopez

“What happens if after fourteen days this doesn’t work and that information is not released?”

 

Jeremy Enriquez

“Well we will have to go to court. The thing is we are going through these needless kinds of things to get the government to provide that kind of information that is rightly information for the people of Belize, or to comply by the constitution, which is what they have sworn to do under oath at the beginning of each term in office.”