Naked Corruption & Official Prostitution

Belize City, March 22, 2011

A Russian ship, the M/V Faina, was high-jacked by Somali pirates. It is a Belize-flagged ship registered by the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE). The ship was carrying military hardware. This included tanks, anti-aircraft guns, rocket propelled grenades, rocket launchers and ammunition. The shipment was destined for Mombasa, Kenya. The date was 25 September 2008.

The Russian government sent a secret memo to the United States State Department and the Belize government to exercise options to save the ship. The memo stated that the Russians wanted to prevent the highjackers from delivering the Faina’s cargo into Somalia.

THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION

The ship was released in February 2009 after a ransom of US$3.2 million was paid. But there is some evidence implicating a member of the Cabinet of Belize’s Prime Minister Dean Barrow. It is alleged, from an impeccable source, that this high-ranking Cabinet Minister was paid more than BZE$2m. He has become the Russian connection.

RUSSIAN BLOOD MONEY

Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, suddenly announces in his budget speech on March 11th 2011 that he has received a grant of $20 million from Russia. He did not specify if this was in US dollars or Belize currency, perhaps, with good reason. This pronouncement came from outfield. Matters like this including Grants are normally based on bi-lateral agreements. They are normally not a part of standard diplomatic agreements. We are not aware that Belize has had any such agreement with Russia, unless of course, these are unusual circumstances.  If so, parliament should be told.

WILL THE PM MEET WITH HIS COUNTERPART OR WITH A PIMP?

Mr. Barrow announced that he will travel to Russia in June to receive the money. He has not made public the terms of any agreement he made with Russia. He will be signing the agreement in Moscow. He has given no indication with whom he will be meeting. Will this be a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Mr. Vladimir Putin, other top government officials, or with a pimp? If the latter, we assume that he may have taken prostitution to a higher level – the parliamentary level, as we are not aware of any agreement between the Russian government and Belize, unless it was made under the table where there is no sunlight, nor transparency. The whole $20 million deal, or bribe or payoff, whatever it is, is as opaque as Mr. Barrow’s shady government and blatantly corrupt ministers and administration.

In matters like these, opaqueness has become synonymous with outright greed, corruption and the manipulation of our judicial system.

BELIZE AND RUSSIAN CORRUPTION

A recent report in the British press states: “Russian corruption is all over the world, in dozens of jurisdictions such as Belize, Luxembourg and Monaco, involving lots of front companies and dirty lawyers”. There have also been reports of “hidden business links and the fortunes of Russian government officials, top-level corruption or covert espionage operation.”

RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE

But a Russian billionaire newspaper magnate, Alexander Lebedev, has been collaborating with others to expose corruption in Russia and its link to Belize and other countries. The people of Belize have not been told why all this love is coming from Russia. Perhaps it was a love affair which began on the high seas off the coast of Somalia.

We expect Mr. Barrow to fully explain the Russian connection. If not, in time, we will. We want to see a bi-lateral agreement with Russia which has come out of the Kremlin to help save Mr. Barrow’s miserable failure in balancing the national budget. This has the making of a national exposé-a national scandal!

MEXICO’S PRESIDENT TELLS DNI CHIEF TO WATCH BELIZE

Mexican President Felipe Calderon told a former U.S. Director of National Intelligence in President Obama’s administration, Dennis Blair, a few months before the DNI Director resigned, that he was not happy with Belize’s level of cooperation in dealing with drug trafficking. Calderon exhorted the former U.S. DNI Chief to watch Guatemala and Belize, since their internal weaknesses make them vulnerable. This comports with suggestions by Mexican security officials who say, off the record, that high profile politicians in Barrow’s government have become friends with known associates of the Northern Mexican cartels. That may help to explain the recent increase in clandestine flights in rural northern Belize.

CALDERON ADMONISHES BARROW

Mr. Barrow’s trip to Mexico City last September, when he visited with the Mexican President Calderon, was not all the pomp and ceremony. But yes it was frank, cordial and fruitful talks. Mr. Barrow returned from that trip deflated. He was admonished by President Calderon for his failure to meet his end of a Mexico/Belize agreement on border security. We must now watch closely the relations between the two countries.

Mr. Calderon’s admonishment of Mr. Barrow is consistent with a U.S government report. The U.S. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for this year slammed a stinging rebuke on the Barrow government for facilitating the spiraling crime rate and for the increase in the drug trafficking and narcotics trade in Belize.

It did not mention, of course, the unrelated matter of the inbound contraband business, which impacts on the trade deficit and the negative tax returns but which contributes greatly the Mr. Barrow’s political coffers.

BELIZE NEW BEACHHEAD FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS

The INCS Report says that “a lack of political will and corruption” in Mr. Barrow’s government are the main contributing factors for the increase in crime and the narco trade. Belize will most likely become a new beachhead for the shipment of drugs into the United States as the Barrow government has become so corrupt. Despite the U.S government’s huge investment in the National Coast Guard, the Barrow government is sleeping at the wheel. That may make many in Washington, D.C. weary, if not infuriated.

The next scathing report is anticipated from the International Organization on Migration. There has been an increase in the trafficking in persons over the past two years. The government appears not to be too keen to co-operate with the IOM. Apart from a few look-good TV commercials against trafficking in persons, to appease the U.S. watchdog organizations and the IOM on this issue, there is little implementation on the ground to follow-up on the base format that was established by the PUP government to address this issue.

MORE CORRUPTION:

We will continue to report on the rampant corruption in the government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. These include the Prime Minister’s wheeling and dealing, the illegal land deals and concessions, contraband as a way of filling the UDP coffers, the creation of escrow accounts by certain businesses on behalf of Ministers and the outright grab and takeover of private businesses after trumped-up charges against legitimate local investors.

This is good enough reason why the Prime Minister pounces on the legitimate media that choose not to powder puff his pretty looks or play pat-a-cake with the government. There are also some in the local media who also stand guilty of complicity in this rampant and naked corruption.

The scandalous dishonesty of this administration is stifling this country’s growth and development. This is one of many reasons why Mr. Barrow has not been able to balance the National Budget.  This is why Belize’s status as a middle class country in the world is now being reduced to the indignity of a beggar nation.

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