It has been six days since the Government of Belize issued a press statement indicating that the Government of Venezuela had written, asking for an accounting on a US$20 million grant under an agreement with the former Said Musa administration.
At press time, we have still not gotten to speak with Mr. Musa, whom we have been trying to contact for six days since the news came out regarding the allegations of US$10 million unaccounted for from the Venezuelan money.
We have been calling his law firm since Friday, and while we were informed yesterday that our message was delivered to him, we have not received a reply from the former Prime Minister.
Similarly, we have been unable to speak with the Venezuelan Ambassador, Omar Valdiviezo. When we called him earlier this week, Embassy staff told us he was unavailable, though in office, but he subsequently left the country.
The only response we have to date to the Government release comes from the Opposition PUP, though it took the secretariat 4 days to respond. Notably, that release did not address the discrepancy between the amount GOB had said it would get from Venezuela, and the amount quoted by the Venezuelans.
In a press release issued February 26, 2008, the Opposition PUP simply reiterates what we already know from official sources: that on December 28, 2007, US$10 million was transferred to Government’s Central Bank account, for housing programs and the Marion Jones Stadium.
Even though it did not flatly reject the suggestion that US$10 million is “missing” from the Venezuela money, the PUP release accused the current administration of “playing political games” with Belize’s bilateral relationship with Venezuela, but does not explain what constitutes the alleged game playing.
The 4-paragraph press release ignores the substantive issue – that is, the call from the Venezuelan bank to give account of US$20 million gifted to the Government, under the Said Musa administration, in the weeks leading up to the elections.
On Monday, the Government had said that the Ministry of Finance had requested Venezuela to clarify the letter.
Reports to our newspaper indicate that a former member of government has flown off to Venezuela today.