BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Dec. 10, 2020– After a period of silence, the Office of the Ombudsman issued a vacancy notice on Tuesday in an effort to recruit a professional to perform the role of “investigator” for the office.

For those who may not know, the Ombudsman is tasked with receiving and investigating complaints of injustice, injury, abuse or any other wrongdoings that are allegedly committed by persons in authority.

It is then the responsibility of the Ombudsman to document the findings of their investigation and forward them to the Principal Officer of the ministry, department, government agency, local authority or public corporation that is relevant to the investigation.

The Ombudsman is also mandated by law to submit an annual report to the National Assembly, relating to the execution of his/her functions.

The Office of the Ombudsman was adopted in Belize in an effort to replicate a similar model in Jamaica, and the Ombudsman Act was passed by the UDP administration in 1994 under the stewardship of Prime Minister Manuel Esquivel.

It wasn’t until five years later, however, that the Act was actually enforced by Prime Minister Said Musa and the PUP, who opened the Ombudsman’s Office in August of 1999.

The Ombudsman’s authority and freedoms to investigate complaints are similar to those accorded to a Supreme Court judge; however, his/her findings and recommendations are not legally binding.

The Ombudsman’s Office also works closely with human rights organizations locally, regionally and internationally (i.e. the Council of Human Rights Defenders and Ombudsmen.)

Lionel Arzu currently holds the post of Ombudsman and is the second longest-tenured Ombudsman to date. Arzu was first appointed to the post in January of 2013. He served as Ombudsman until 2018, but his reappointment was delayed at the beginning of the year.

Subsequently during a House of Representatives meeting held that same year, Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister at the time, motioned for Arzu to be reinstated on a one-year contract, which would take effect in April 2018.

Arzu’s last annual report for the period of January to December 2019 was presented earlier this year in March, and indicated 102 new complaints of corruption, wrongdoing, injustice or abuse.

Arzu is the third appointed Ombudsman of Belize, succeeding Paul Rodriguez, who served in this capacity from July 1999 to February 2008, and Cynthia Pitts, who served from January 2009 to January 2012.