Panton: Auditor General Should Not Await Instructions From Briceño
Leader of the Opposition Tracy Panton has written to Prime Minister John Briceño demanding the public release of all formal instructions, directives, and terms of reference issued to the Auditor General regarding the investigation into Minister Oscar Mira.
In the letter, Panton noted concern over the Prime Minister’s public statements regarding instructions given to the Auditor General, pointing out that the office is constitutionally mandated to operate independently of the Executive and “ought not have to await instructions to act from anyone”.
The Opposition Leader outlined a list of matters she said the investigation must address, including who is on the investigative team and whether the Auditor General will personally lead the inquiry.
She also called for the investigation to determine whether Minister Mira exercised any direct or indirect influence over the awarding of contracts to businesses owned or associated with members of his family.
The letter cautioned that information already circulating publicly should not be mistaken for the outcome of a credible investigation and stated that the inquiry must go beyond confirming known facts to address deeper issues of accountability.
Separately, Panton’s letter raised concerns about the Prime Minister’s announcement that the Cabinet Secretary had been instructed to begin appointing a new board for RECONDEV. She requested immediate clarification on several points, including the statutory role of the Cabinet Secretary in board appointments or removals, the authority legally empowered to appoint or remove board members under governing legislation, and whether the existing board had been removed, asked to resign, or otherwise replaced, along with the legal basis for any such action.
“Prime Minister, Belizeans deserve complete confidence that these matters will not be resolved through a narrow administrative review but through a thorough, impartial, rigorous and transparent investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads,” Panton wrote.