Shyne Barrow Points the Finger. Tracy Panton Threatens Court Action.

As calls grow for greater scrutiny of public spending, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton is finding herself under the microscope as well. While Panton has been pressing for forensic audits of agencies like the Belize Tourism Board, former U.D.P. leader Shyne Barrow argues she should first answer questions surrounding the Brads Gaming Boledo contract. Today, we put those allegations directly to Panton. She dismissed Barrow’s claims as defamatory and warned that he could face legal action for what she says is an attempt to tarnish her reputation.

 

Shane Williams

“Now, the former leader of the opposition said that you have no authority to speak on these matters because you approved that Boledo contract, and that’s a nepotistic contract and what he calls a corrupt contract.”

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“The former leader of the United Democratic Party has entered dangerous territory. His comments are defamatory. They are libelous and I will take the appropriate action with that matter. No Body unilaterally under the Barrow administration approve anything. I don’t know if people remember that I was a Minister of State. Yeah. I was not the substantive minister, but I say that to say the Minister of State has no authority to sign any legal agreements on behalf of the government of that nature. It comes from the Attorney General’s Ministry and it comes from the substantive minister at the time. But I will go further. Under my administration of that process, those recommendations, after the approval from cabinet, went to the contractor general for review and for scrutiny to make sure that those contracts were being executed to the letter of the law. I have served this country diligently for forty years and in – at no time in any position I have served in this country, have I used my office or my authority for personal gain to enrich my friends and family, to enrich myself, to, um, try to, um, ga- garner any benefits that does not serve the interest of this country and the interest of the people.”

 

Panton says the Gaming Control Board included the Ministry of Finance, Attorney General’s Ministry, Ministry of Economic Development and the Office of the Auditor General.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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