Dear Editor,
While Guyanese are clamouring for an unbiased and fearless judiciary, a brilliant jurist from the Co-operative Republic is dispensing fearless justice in the Central American country of Belize.
Belize Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin Friday afternoon made an order directing Commissioner of Police Allen to properly investigate and if need be prosecute a former minister of government, Elvin Penner in relation to his role in a passport scandal involving South Korean national Hong Kim who was issued a Belize passport while he was in prison in Taipei, Taiwan.
Chief Justice Benjamin made the order on mandamus proceedings brought by the country’s opposition leader, Francis Fonseca, after the Police Commissioner failed to take action following numerous complaints of gross wrongdoing by Penner who was fired by Prime Minister Dean Barrow following the scandal. However the Belize public feels that dismissal was not enough for the former minister’s illegal act since Kim never visited Belize and he was charged for massive fraud involving billions.
After the Order was made, the Chief Justice did not mince his words. He said that the Police Chief’s action was irrational, unreasonable and unlawful. I posted the news on Facebook and a few persons responded that Chief Justice Benjamin should return to Guyana to try those who are involved in corruption in the Co-operative Republic.
The Chief Justice, a Guyana scholar, who left his homeland in 1986, served as a judge in the Eastern Caribbean for more than 18 years before he took up the appointment as head of the judiciary in the Central American state of Belize.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet