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The meeting had key input from the contractor general who has been investigating allegation of corruption at SIF for some time, too long a time, according to some. We say that because those concrete allegations were made 7 months ago by a contractor SIF had retained to build the New Dangriga Town market. He is Kennard Smart, and tonight, we'll look at those allegations of corruption:...

Jules Vasquez reporting
Two months after The Dangriga Market was supposed to have been completed, it stands walled off, ugly and incomplete - a testament to all that can go wrong between incompetence and apparent corruption at the executing agency, the Social Investment Fund.

The contractor K and G Construction shut down work on the project - because it owed too many people and couldn't pay.

In February of 2013, Contractor Kennard Smart - who is a former UDP convention candidate sent an alarming email to the contractor General - pleading for his intercession in what he characterizes as a case of corruption run amuck.

He says, quote, "between 2009 and 2012, at least four SIF staff, have extorted me or shake me down if I did not want to pay the monies requested from me."

Smart then lists various cheques which were paid to SIF Staffers. Though our colleagues at Plus TV - we have obtained copies of two of them: this one for $500.00 to Mike Hernandez the Public Relations Director at SIF which was paid in December of 2009.

And then on 30th September of 2010, Smart paid Enrique Romero - a SIF Officer with this thousand dollar Scotiabank cheque.

Romero also got another one thousand dollar cheque on the 16th of March 2010 - which again, was signed and cashed.

We have copies of three returned cheques with the SIF employee's signatures on the back.

Smart lists at least three other payments made to SIF staffers - but not all were cheques. The most alarming is ten thousand dollars cash, which he claims to have paid to SIF's Executive Director Daniel Cano in a black plastic bag.

Reporter
"There has been allegation of a colusion within the SIF. They said that your name has been called as well. We received some documents involving cheques that were paid off to different members/employees of SIF, as well letters that Mr. Smart explaining that he had been extorted. Do you know about that and what is your response?"

Daniel Cano, Executive Director, SIF
"I am aware of the allegations and its something very serious that has been alleged that will certainly impact people careers and the image of SIF."

Reporter
"Your name was also called that you received a substantial amount of money as well."

Daniel Cano, Executive Director, SIF
"Yes, a number of allegations are being made and those needs to be investigated fully."

Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"Do you deny these allegations?"

Daniel Cano, Executive Director, SIF
"On my own personally, I am not speaking on behalf of SIF, yes I fully denied having anything from Mr. Smart."

In his email, Smart says he took the evidence of corruption, cheque stubs to Cano - who he says, misplaced them.

In March, Smart wrote back to the contractor general complaining that SIF was giving him the run around on a payment. The suggestion is that this was deliberate because seasoned observers know that whenever inducements are not paid, the red tape increases.

Smart pleads to the contractor general, quote "things like these are affecting my company drastically because I can't make my payments on time with my workers and it's affecting my credit facility."

And that brings us back to Friday's protest; his creditors are investors Emy Ramirez and Lyndon Bailey. They fronted money for Smart to get to this stage of the project. And now that SIF has cancelled the project and Smart can't pay - they're afraid they lose everything - that's why - on the advice of their attorney Audrey Matura Shepherd - they are holding unto the keys:

Geovanni Brackett, reporter
"You are reluctant to remove yourself here today from the premise. Any reason why?"

Emy Ramirez, Investor In K & G Contract
"I have all my investments here. All these things are pertaining to us, to me. My money is here."

Audrey Matura Shepherd, Attorney for E. Ramirez and L. Bailey
"Ms. Emy has come onboard on this contract on the 25th of June. Since then she has invested, she has bought materials, she has been paying labour, she has been pushing the project and no monies are forthcoming. So they ask me if there will be any handing over of this project today and I told them I didn't advise my clients to handover anything."

Daniel Cano, Executive Director, SIF
"Our purpose here this afternoon was to have the site handed over now that the contract has been terminated but we understand that the persons on site are not willing to hand it over. There is not much that we will do at this point."

Audrey Matura Shepherd, Attorney for E. Ramirez and L. Bailey
"She has spent over half a million dollars and they have not even paid her back one penny and they know that's it's her money that has been pumped into this project."

Donovan Bailey
"From all the evidence I have seen Mr. Smart was definitely working with somebody within SIF for him to have gone with so much money with this project that SIF had to be using our money to fix up their books."

And then, there are the Dangriga residents and the vendors,

On Friday their signs said it plain, UDP SIF corruption, Dangriga Suffers. And indeed, they still don't have their new market - and there's no resolution in sight - plus a possible lawsuit on the horizon:

Gilbert Swazo, Mayor Dangriga
"There is no telling how much longer that this specific project will be delayed - further inconveniencing Dangriga, causing further loss of revenue to the vendors and all other issues can be attributed as a result of this court case. That isn't the fault of Dangriga. Dangriga should not be punished for that. We want this project to be finished as early as possible without sacrificing any quality so we that stop the pain and suffering to our people - stop the loss of income to the vendors."

When ground was broken in May of 2012 - things seemed to be right on track, but now the allegations of corruption and the stalled project are the subject of high level deliberations:

Hon Santiago Santino Castillo Jr., Minister of State with Responsibility for Finance and Economic Development
"I can promise you that from where I sit and I am sure my Prime Minister and the Cabinet - if there is any sort of corruption, heads will roll. That I can promise you."

Of course these promises ring hollow for the residents of Griga because even if heads do roll, when will they get their long promised, long delayed market?

Since that interview with KREM radio earlier today, Minister Castillo has told us that the board has been authorized to make and act upon its own decisions without having to wait for a go-ahead from Cabinet.

As we noted, our sources say that decision is to terminate as many as four persons - for whom Smart could produce cheques that he paid them. He also made an allegation against Cano, but because there is no proof - we understand that Cano will be asked only to resign - since he was the boss when all this was happening. Smart maintains that he told Cano all that was happening and furnished him proof.

In the story, you heard Cano's denial but we were unable to reach anyone at SIF this afternoon as the phone just rang off the hook - which is perhaps understandable since the organization, was rocked to its core by today's firings. We did hear from a friend of Mike Hernandez - who got a 500 dollar cheque on December 23rd - that Smart offered it to him as a Christmas gift and he accepted. Hernandez as Public Relations Officer -told his friend he had no influence on project decisions - so it could not have been considered an inducement.

We'll have more on this story tomorrow.