By Zoila Palma: The Office of the Prime Minister has announced that, effective immediately, Julius Espat will serve as Interim Minister of Home Affairs in addition to his current responsibilities as Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing.
The appointment comes following Mira’s leave of absence from Cabinet duties while an audit is conducted into procurement processes related to a period when he served at the Ministry of Defence.
A statement from the Government of Belize said that recent media reports raised questions about those procurement processes, prompting Prime Minister John Briceño last week to order an immediate, thorough, and transparent review of the relevant transactions and payment procedures.
The audit will be carried out by the Auditor General and is expected to take approximately three months to complete.
Prime Minister Briceño said, “It is important for the public to know that concerns regarding Ministerial conduct are taken seriously. Our duty is to secure value for taxpayer dollars as well as compliance with procurement regulations.”
As Chairman of Belize’s National Security management structure, the Prime Minister said he will work closely with Interim Minister Espat and the Ministry’s senior management to ensure the continued implementation of national security initiatives and programs during the audit period.
The post Julius Espat appointed interim Minister of Home Affairs appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The Office of the Prime Minister has announced that, effective immediately, Julius Espat will serve as Interim Minister of Home Affairs in addition to his current responsibilities as Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing. The appointment comes following Mira’s leave of absence from Cabinet duties while an audit is conducted into procurement
The post Julius Espat appointed interim Minister of Home Affairs appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
