Two elephants are fighting, and I am the grass getting trampled, says Adolphus
Last week five-time Mesopotamia representative Michael Finnegan made the media rounds blasting long-time UDP supporter Goldburn “Easy Glen” Adolphus for calling local businessmen and public sector departments, impersonating him, asking for donations, and in at least one instance actually receiving “some $2,000 plus” from Tony Griffith, the proprietor of Belize Waste Control. The Minister of Housing was absolutely sure that Easy Glen, and his sidekick, James Swaso, were the culprits, and he reported the matter to the Police Commissioner.
Police, acting on the complaint, found Easy Glen and Swaso, also known as the Chain Saw Man, in Orange Walk on Tuesday, December 18, and they were detained, pending charges.
Easy Glen on Monday, December 24, did his version of the media rounds to clear his name, starting with an extended call to the KREM WUB morning show.
Adolphus told the KREM hosts, “If you listen to my voice, there is no way, no how that I can sound like Mr. Finnegan…I didn’t imitate anybody. I didn’t go and collect any money in anybody’s name.”
An irate Easy Glen said he was detained for 94 hours, before being released on Saturday. “They took me from Orange Walk to Belize City to Belmopan back to Belize City, with no water, no food, and no communication to nobody. They run my wife like wahn dog out of the station,” said the popular Belize City street personality.
And citing as evidence that he was innocent, Adolphus said no charge was levied on him.
Superintendent Alden Dawson, in the police’s weekly Monday press briefing, confirmed Adolphus’ innocence. “From what we have here in Belize City, there is absolutely nothing against Mr. Adolphus,” he said.
Adolphus said that he is the victim of an internal power struggle inside the governing United Democratic Party, featuring Ministers Finnegan and Patrick Faber on the one hand, and Port Loyola representative Boots Martinez and Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega on the other.
Martinez, Adolphus says, is supporting Vega against Faber, who is bidding to unseat him as First Deputy Leader in a February UDP national convention. Our sources say Martinez was not at a banquet Faber held for delegates last weekend at the House of Culture.
Adolphus, for his part, said: “They invited me da dem delegate thing; I no gone at all. Period.”
But Adolphus was quick to point out that he is not in the weight class of the elected representatives. “When two elephants are fighting, the only thing which feels the pain is grass. I am the grass in this instance…Da no me, da Boots they after,” said Adolphus, who says he is a delegate for the convention from Port Loyola.