BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC -Nearly a month after he surprisingly resigned from the government of Prime Minister John Briceño, the former agriculture minister José Abelardo Mai is dismissing suggestions that he was forced out because of criminal ties, including involvement in the abduction of a Belizean national in Guatemala.
Speaking on a television programme here on Tuesday night, Mai also says Prime Minister Briceño also had it wrong when it came to his health.
“Given all the scandals, I have to keep optimistic. I have work to do in my constituency, and I have to keep focused so I can’t be. I’m worrying too much about the noise in the market. I have a constituency to care for, and I will do that so I can be better, but it’s okay. I’m doing fine.”
Asked whether he was forced to resign, Mai insisted that he did not, saying, “I wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to kindly relieve me of my duties for me to seek medical attention for my spine.
“Who wants to believe if I am sick or not? It’s their business. I’m not saying this to convince them; I need to take care of my health, my constituency, and my family first. I had to decide that the Prime Minister give an explanation earlier, which was probably not too accurate, and maybe I should correct the statement.”
Mai said in May this year that he had surgery on his shoulder as a result of an incident on his farm, dislocating his shoulder and ripping one of the ligaments.
“So I had surgery for that,” he said, adding that his spine is a chronic matter.
“It has been there for years, I believe, and the older I get, the more severe it becomes. So it is a chronic situation that needs surgery. No, I have to decide when I want to do it, and I’ve selected this time to do it.”
Mai told viewers that he must do what is best for himself and his family first, and that he is not the least bit concerned about whether critics believe his story.
“To be honest, I am still looking for advice,” regarding where to do treatment on his spine, including possibly Guatemala and Germany.
He said he is keenly aware that even hearing directly from him won’t stop the public ridicule and innuendos, and that the many memes of him falling off a horse and accusations of criminal activities don’t bother him.
“I am not a fan of reading Facebook. I will try to look for the positive things on Facebook. Still, if you’ll read every comment that says, “You are crazy,” I don’t have the time for that. I prefer to use my time positively to do something to learn something than to be looking at gossip,” he said, adding, “I choose to use my spare time wisely.
Asked whether he was involved in the abduction of Joseph Ryan Budna, links to cartels, and his life at risk, Mai told viewers that one or two media houses here have been involved in publishing allegations.
“If there were any evidence, it would’ve been set forth already. I have done nothing wrong, and I have done nothing illicit, and there is no evidence to prove that of me.”
The Belize Police Department has officially launched an investigation into an incident involving Budna that occurred on August 22 this year. The Policia Nacional Civil (PNC) of Guatemala has confirmed that he is in their custody pursuant to an arrest warrant; however, they have not disclosed the details of his apprehension.
Asked about being threatened by the cartels, Mai replied, “Absolutely not, sir. No sir.
“None at all. I don’t even know who the cartel members are. I don’t want to know them, and I don’t want them to know me. I just read what I see from the cartels in Mexico. It isn’t enjoyable.
“And I think that some media people just keep repeating these people’s names, and I think they don’t understand the level of danger that they get themselves into when they do that, because you don’t even want to mention those people’s names,” he said.
Meanwhile, the leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), Tracy Panton, told a news conference on Tuesday that many Belizeans still aren’t convinced by the prime minister’s explanation regarding Mai’s resignation.
“I don’t want to be facetious. I think no Belizean believes the kind of justification the Prime Minister provided for the revocation of José Mai’s appointment as a minister of government. We know for sure that the Governor General of Belize has signed off and revoked his appointment as a member of Cabinet.
“If Mr. Mai has fallen off a horse, or if he sat on carrots, I don’t know which one, the Belizean people were not aware of that matter until the government had a hand forced, until the prime minister’s hands were forced to have him removed from Cabinet. If indeed Mr. Mai needs medical attention, he can be assured of our thoughts and prayers,” she added.
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