Forestry bribery allegations surface as logging businessman makes claims
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Well-known logging businessman Cesar Godinez claims that he had to bribe the deputy chief forest officer in order to facilitate his applications, allegations that have been denied by the forest officer. “I don’t think it’s something new to Belize that when you reach as a business person to a lot […] The post Forestry bribery allegations surface as logging businessman makes claims appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
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By Breaking Belize News Staff: Well-known logging businessman Cesar Godinez claims that he had to bribe the deputy chief forest officer in order to facilitate his applications, allegations that have been denied by the forest officer.
“I don’t think it’s something new to Belize that when you reach as a business person to a lot of these places, the first thing they ask you is, I guess they judge you. And then the first thing they do is they ask you for money.
And me as a businessman, of course, I’m a businessman. So I wouldn’t, why would I want to give shares in a company? Did my proposal, I submitted it. John saw it, he reached out to me. And the only way that I would be able to get co-management of an area back here is if, you know, because you have to grease the wheels,” Godinez told 7News Belize.
Godinez further claimed that after noticing his application, Deputy Chief Forest officer John Pinelo asked him to make him a shareholder to facilitate the application.
“Yeah, he asked me if you make me a shareholder, I can help you. I can facilitate it.
So, we didn’t get the areas. We didn’t get the co-management. So, then that’s when he reached and said, if you give me this amount of money, I will make sure you go. And I have proof that I gave him money.
That’s for a fact. I have all my WhatsApp messages where he would call me. Sometimes I would not even answer his calls because I’ve been in business. I know how it goes. He would reach out to me. I gave him monies and he would say, if you don’t give me a money, I won’t make it go through,” Godinez explained.
Meanwhile, Pinelo says that he will be reaching out to his attorney concerning the allegations.
The post Forestry bribery allegations surface as logging businessman makes claims appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
