Broken System or Lack of Accountability?

When the Ministry of Defence procurement scandal first emerged, Prime Minister John Briceño promised that anyone found responsible would be held accountable.

Weeks later, the national conversation appears to have shifted. Instead of focusing on who may have breached procurement rules, government ministers are increasingly talking about fixing what they describe as a broken procurement system.

Two former Ministers of Defense, Florencio Marin Jr and Oscar Mira, remain on administrative leave over questionable supply contracts and spending practices. Briceño had promised a full accounting once the audit concluded. “If there were any wrongdoings, be it public officers or politicians, they will have to answer. We are not going to cover this up,” Briceño said on July 3rd.

But attorney, Richard “Dickie” Bradley, believes reform alone is not enough.

“There is no accountability. There are no checks and balances. There is no transparency. You can’t run a country like that,” Bradley told News 5. “”We have started to see in the country that something is going terribly wrong with the control of public monies.”

Bradley argued that the real problem lies with the public officers responsible for processing government spending.