Three Belize City Councilemployees and the Mayor of Belize City will be charged on Thursday October 1.
The Police Departmentconfirmed that charges will be brought against Mayor Zenaida Moya-Flowers on Thursday morning. The Guardian Newspaper understands that Mayor Moya-Flowers will be charged along with City Manager
Kiran Vanjani,Financial Administrator Duane Davis, and another financial employee at the council, Kiran Budhrani.
Mayor Moya-Flowers will be charged with uttering false documents for an incident which occurred on the 13th of July of this Year. Additionally she will receive two charges of failing to comply with financial regulations at the Belize City Council.
Davis will be charged with uttering false documents for an incident which occurred on July 14. He will additionally be charged with two counts of failing to comply with financial regulations at the Belize City Council.
Vanjani will be charged with uttering false documents for an incident that occurred on the 6th of July of this year.
Budhrani will be charged with two counts of failing to comply with financial regulations at the Belize City Council.
All parties are expected to appear at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court where they will be formally arraigned on Thursday morning. Defending the Mayor will be attorney Michael Peyrefitte. In speaking with him, he told the Guardian that his client will present herself at the Magistrate’s Court for 9:30 on Thursday Morning.
The charges being levied are as a result of changes that were made to the Belize City Council Act in which a Financial Controller was appointed to ensure accountability at the council. In July the Financial Controller, Patrick Tillett informed the Prime Minister of irregularities at the Council. That led to an investigation being ordered which involved the commissioning of an audit by the Auditor General’s office. At the conclusion of the audit, it was referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions who deemed that there was sufficient evidence for charges to be brought against certain individuals at the council. Thereafter on Monday September 28, the DPP instructed the police to charge the four with the above charges.
Late on Wednesday evening, the Mayor issued a release in which she is holding the position that she takes no responsibility for the irregularities that occurred at the Belize City Council, instead she has chosen to place the blame at the feet of the Minister of Finance and leader of the United Democratic Party.
The Prime Minister, Honourable Dean Barrow has maintained throughout that it does not matter who is found guilty of wrong doing, law must prevail, and he will not interfere or protect anyone from being charged with any crime.
