Vasquez on Thursday October 1. Jules had questioned Espat about his involvement in getting government contracts. The line of questioning was prompted because the PUP is these days promising that they will end the issuing of public works contracts to cronies.
As Jules asked the questions it became obvious that Espat was being paid basically to do nothing. Espat told Jules as follows:
“I wasn’t the designer and I wasn’t the contractor. My participation was as a resident of Belize to identify – in fact the contract had already been given out – to see who were there if the money was going what was the work that they were doing if they completed their work. I was just a representative of the government of Belize.”
That was where he was until Vasquez asked him who was responsible for a leaking roof just days after the work had been completed.
The following was the exchange:
Jules Vasquez:
“So, who took the responsibility when the roof started to leak one week after opening?”
Hon. Julius Espat:
“The contractors did. The Mexican contractors.”
Jules Vasquez:
“So, it wasn’t your fault?”
Hon. Julius Espat:
“How will it be my fault and I didn’t build it?”
Jules Vasquez:
“Well, you’re overseeing.”
Hon. Julius Espat:
“No, I didn’t oversee. You had supervisors also, a separate company in Mexico was contracted to supervise too.”
With his response to the questions, it appears that Espat was being paid to do nothing. He was not overseeing. He was not supervising and he was not a contractor. So the question is begged, what was he being paid for?
For him to now be the champion of the PUP in a cause which is completely guilty of reeks of hypocrisy.
