Citizen Seeks Full Disclosure of Legal Fees in State of Emergency Cases

 Civic activist Jeremy Enriquez has filed a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) asking the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries to disclose how much public money has been spent on legal fees and damages stemming from the July 2020 State of Emergency (SOE) detentions.

In his seven-page letter dated September 25, 2025, Enriquez told Minister Kareem Musa that the disclosure is essential for public accountability. He cited multiple High Court rulings that found the Government’s detentions unlawful and ordered compensatory and vindicatory damages to 16 claimants, noting that taxpayers are now footing both the damages and the mounting legal costs.

Enriquez’s application requests:

• A statement of all legal fees paid to attorneys representing the State in SOE-related litigation, including copies of invoices and billing statements;

• Details of all payments made to satisfy court-ordered damages and legal costs;

• Correspondence and internal reports discussing the financial impact of the cases; and

• The names of all attorneys and firms—both internal and external—retained by the Office of the Attorney General between 2020 and 2025.

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He also asked for disclosure of Cabinet memoranda or assessments that quantify the fiscal burden of the litigation, arguing that the public must know whether these expenditures were avoidable and proportionate.

Citing Section 34 of the FOIA, Enriquez reminded the Ministry that the Act requires public officers to act in good faith and to “afford to members of the public maximum access to official documents consistent with public interest.” He added that transparency in legal spending “is not a privilege granted at the discretion of the State; it is a legal and moral obligation.”

Enriquez argued that secrecy around legal fees erodes public trust and may conceal patterns of mismanagement or political patronage. He stressed that disclosure would deter future breaches of rights and reinforce fiscal responsibility, especially given Belize’s “delicate balance in managing debt, foreign reserves, and public-sector obligations.”

The request was submitted under Section 12 of the FOIA, which gives public authorities two weeks to respond. Failing a timely decision, Enriquez noted, the matter may be referred to the Ombudsman, who can order disclosure under Section 37.

The activist framed his move as part of a broader effort to ensure that public funds are managed lawfully and transparently, asserting that citizens have both the right and the duty to demand evidence of accountability.