The announcement came a day after Barrow’s law partner, Rodwell Williams, was shot as he was leaving their law firm in Belize City on Monday night.

The Cabinet changes see Carlos Perdomo, who was national security minister, picked for the new position of Minister of Defence. Senator Douglas Singh, who is Chairman of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) and Leader of Government Business in the Senate, has been drafted to head the newly created Ministry of Police and Public Security.

“It has struck me, and in speaking with Minister Perdomo he confirmed, that that ministry (National Security), with all the portfolio subjects that come under it, is too large.  It’s very difficult for any one person to handle,” Barrow told a press conference as he revealed the changes. 

He expressed confidence in Singh’s ability to carry out his new functions.

“The new minister is perfectly aware of the magnitude of the task that he faces. I am convinced that he has the wherewithal both in terms of ability and in terms of dedication to give us the drive that we need to make this thing work,” Barrow said.

Among the other changes are the appointment of Senior Counsel Bernard Pitts as the country’s new Attorney General, replacing Wilfred Elrington who will be free to concentrate on his other responsibilities – Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

“The crafting of new rules and regulations for the Police Department in the context of reform of the department and the need to strengthen internal discipline and accountability, the need for some degree of freedom consistent with due process to be able to root out rogue elements within the Belize Police Department – all these things will require a kind of legal backstop that also necessitates, in my view, the appointment of an Attorney General who can concentrate on just that,” Barrow explained.

The Prime Minister also announced that he would be giving Minister of the Public Service John Saldivar the additional responsibility of Sports and taking the Ministry of Youth portfolio from Elvin Penner and adding it to the responsibilities of Education Minister Patrick Faber. Penner retains the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and also gets responsibility for Public Utilities which previously belonged to Minister of National Emergency Management, Melvin Hulse. 

Meantime, police have detained two men in Barrow’s law partner’s shooting. According to reports, Williams was walking to his vehicle, accompanied by a security guard, when two men approached them on bicycle and shot the 53-year-old lawyer in the abdomen.

Williams was yesterday flown to the Jacksonville Memorial Hospital in Florida for further medical treatment. He is said to be in critical condition.

“It is my hope that they can quickly get to the bottom of what is, on the face of it, so brazen and brutal and vicious,” Prime Minister Barrow said yesterday. “I hope that very soon the police will be able to tell us not only who did it but why this absolutely cowardly assault was perpetrated against him.”

The Barrow and Williams law office had been shot at less than two months ago, on April 15th. Police have not indicated whether the two men in custody are also suspected of being involved in that incident.