PM Briceño Quashes Corruption Claims After WhatsApp Leak

Allegations of corruption have surfaced inside the Ministry of Rural Transformation, and tonight Prime Minister John Briceño is trying to put those claims to rest. On Tuesday, the PM received a message accusing Charles Galvez, Director of Rural Transformation, of taking cheques and commissions from a well‑known hardware supplier in exchange for ministry purchases. Briceño immediately forwarded the allegation to Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie, who accidentally posted it to his WhatsApp status, sending the story into the public domain. But the Prime Minister says the claims don’t hold up. After speaking directly with the proprietor of the business named in the message, he says they confirmed they don’t even do business with the Ministry of Rural Transformation. According to Briceño, the owners are upset about the damage these public accusations could cause to their reputation.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Actually that was sent to me from a number out of Mexico. So when you see those kinds of things you know something is wrong. I forwarded it to both the CEO and the minister and I guess he was in a hurry and put it out in his status and brought it down very quickly when he was told that it was on his status. But the truth of it, and I am sure the ministry will talk about it and making allegations about doing business with Benny’s and I had somebody check with Benny’s and they say that they have done no business with the Ministry of Rural Transformation. So, obviously it is somebody trying to create some kind of mischief. The irony is that most of the monies being spent through Rural Transformation is from the EU and they have a rigorous process. So, it is somebody trying to create mischief, not really knowing how you go about doing this kind of procurement.”

 

Reporter

“And even being under the assumption that it is someone causing mischief, do you plan to investigate it further?”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Of course, but there is nothing to investigate. If the people at Benny’s are saying we do no business with Rural Transformation, what else is there to investigate?

I have not personally confirmed but I have had somebody check and from what I have told the people at Benny’s are upset because they are not doing business with them and so Charles Galvez is not going to Benny’s to do anything illegal. He is probably going to buy for personal, I don’t know, but on behalf of Rural Transformation, no.”