Appeal planned as ex Belize PM freed of corruption charge

Former Belize Prime Minister, Said Musa (Photo: Belize Magazine)

BELMOPAN, Belize, June 10, 2009 – Former Belize Prime Minister Said Musa says he has been vindicated by a decision to dismiss a corruption charge against him, but the country’s Director of Public Prosecutions has made it clear she will be appealing that ruling.

Musa, whose People’s United Party (PUP) lost power in last year’s general elections, had been accused of using half of a US$20 million grant given by Venezuela in 2007 for the repair and construction of houses, to settle an outstanding government debt instead.

He had been charged with the theft of the US$10 million along with his former home affairs and housing minister Ralph Fonseca, but a magistrate court had let Fonseca go free earlier, saying the evidence was not enough to try him.

Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh on Monday overturned that decision, ruling that if the evidence was insufficient to commit Fonseca, then Musa should not have been committed to stand trial either.

“There was no evidence at the preliminary inquiry stage to show that the claimant stole US$10 million. I order that the committal order for him to be brought to this court be quashed,” he said.

Musa was jubilant after Conteh’s ruling: “This was from the beginning political persecution. It was political persecution because they knew that neither I nor Mr Fonseca stole any money, yet they charged us with stealing US$10 million…Imagine, without even a police investigation. There was no investigation of this matter.”

However, he admitted that he should have been more forthcoming about what the money was used for.

“The fact that we did not inform the Belizean people at the time when this decision was taken, I accept that. I accept that there were political mistakes were made, but what I will not accept is that we did anything criminal or anything illegal. All my actions were geared towards solving problems, providing solutions, never for private gain,” Musa said.

But Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Branker-Tait has made it clear the matter would not end there.

“I was surprised by the reasoning for the judgment but when one gets a judgment that one is not satisfied with, one doesn’t comment or rant or rave; one simply appeals, which is what we are going to do,” she said.

The prosecution has 21 days from the Chief Justice’s judgment to file the appeal.