Ray Davis
Following confirmation by Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse that Director Maria Marin had indeed recommended the termination of three passport officers suspended since September, the Public Service Union has come under sustained fire from certain quarters. Despite every indication that the scandal which affected the three public officers was instigated and facilitated by former Minister of State Elvin Penner, he has remained relatively unscathed. That has fueled fury at an overwhelming perception that public officers are generally punished while politicians have an apparently unlimited political protection. Last week both COLA and the Belize National Teachers Union remarked on the PSU’s seeming inactivity. But today, the PSU appeared unfazed, as representatives reiterated that there is a process and protocol which must be followed, and they intend to do just that.
Ray Davis, Industrial Relations Officer, P.S.U.
“These three officers were accused of wrongdoing, they were invited to show cause why they should not be disciplined. They came to the union, we work with the officers in the formulation of that reply and they have so replied. Having replied, the ministry took a look at the reply and made its own determination as to their view of the reply and have since forward it to the Ministry of the Public Services and their recommendation in regards to the whole situation. So the procedure is that at this point, the Ministry of the Public Service through the Public Service Commission looks at all the information and then a determination is going to be made at a hearing. At that hearing, the member has the opportunity to go explain to the commission their side of the story and having heard the explanations from the officers, the Public Service Commission then makes a determination. We have all confidence that the officers involve, once they explain their situation, the truth will come to light and that’s where we deal with what the truth is. We are not really caught up with hype that is surrounding the whole issue because this is a very big media hype with regards to the issue of Minister Penner and our three officers are caught up in that whole parade out there.”
View the full article