BAA Suspends Security Contracts to ISecurity and Four Diamonds

The Belize Airports Authority has hit pause on two security contracts that were awarded under its previous board. The contracts, given to ISecurity and Four Diamonds, are now under investigation by the current board of directors. In a public statement, the BAA said it has asked its legal team to review the contracts and give an official opinion on whether they’re valid. Meanwhile, the authority plans to start a fresh, transparent bidding process to find qualified security providers for the country’s local airstrips. Former BAA General Manager and now government minister, Thea Garcia-Ramirez, also weighed in. She clarified that while she was on the board at the time, she didn’t have voting rights and never signed or approved any security contracts. In fact, she said she raised concerns about the contract and advised that it be reviewed by a lawyer before moving forward. Garcia-Ramirez pointed out that under the BAA Act, only one of the three ex-officio board members, the Financial Secretary, has voting power. When asked about the contracts today, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight was tight-lipped, saying he had no knowledge of them.

 

Paul Lopez

“Would you have been privy to the information on the BAA security contract, that twenty-eight million dollars?”

 

Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary

“No, I don’t. I am not on the board so I don’t know. No, no, no, ok.”