Tonight, Andrew Munnings of Munnings Funeral Service is trying to re-organize his business and his personal affairs – after he was sent to jail on Tuesday. That’s after he spent one night behind bars when he was arrested for owing business tax. It’s a case that has taken on a life of its own on social media, but in the center is an entrepreneur who is just trying to make a living.
Today, Munnings was back at work not far from our studio on Albert Street. But he has big things on the way in the form of a lawsuit, all while the clock is ticking down to his next payment deadline on October 16th.
So, how is feeling about all that? Courtney Menzies spoke with him today and has this story.
Andrew Munnings spent last night at home after 24 hours in the Belize Central Prison. At 8:30 he went live on his business Facebook page for almost two hours detailing his harrowing ordeal.
He was back at the office today – at work as usual – but he says he’s soon planning to take a much-needed break:
Andrew Munnings, Munnings Funeral Service
“I definitely don’t want to say first first day, I am here still trying to put the pieces back together and everything, not feeling well at all. Definitely didn’t have a good night at all. A lot of people don’t understand that being in prison is something else but it’s more than just that, it mentally and emotionally sets you back. It was definitely not a good experience, humiliating, embarrassing of course.”
“Since yesterday I have decided that I will be doing just two funeral services this coming weekend and on Monday and I think after that I have to go on some type of break to get all of this set back into place and everything.”
The fact is though that Munnings needs to find a way to pay the money he owes by October 16th or risk re-incarceration. With time winding down daily, he says he believes his trust and faith will carry him through.
Andrew Munnings, Munnings Funeral Service
“To say that the clock is ticking and everything, I still have life and God is still good. A magistrate can say whatever, a doctor can say whatever but it’s all up to God at the end of the day and everything and I’ve always been a law abiding citizen to have trust within my system, within my government and within my country. I mean faith in this point with all of that, definitely least to none and that is how I feel at the moment.”
But while he still has hope in the system, he says he lost a little in the prime minister following his most recent interview:
Andrew Munnings, Munnings Funeral Service
“I have seen countless interviews with Michelle Longsworth, I have heard my prime minister speak and to hear my prime minister speak the way he does, I’ve met him countless times personally and to hear him vividly say that two months ago he went to the Tax Department and Andrew Munnings’ name was a topic like how was it that Andrew Munnings’ name was a topic? I was not the only one on that list so it forces me now to think what is really going on behind the scenes and everything.”
“As a young Belizean, I am absolutely disappointed in my prime minister.”
“The amount of businesses that the tax service has involuntary went to register, barber shops, all of these stuff, these are topics people are afraid to talk about. but what? I don’t hate anybody, I’m not stealing, I am not trying to challenge the law in any kind of way but at some point as citizen within this country, if I am giving you that maximum respect then let it work, let the process work, and that doesn’t mean let it work for the people you want it to work for, let it work for the common man.”
Especially because, as Munnings put it, prison is not for him.
Andrew Munnings, Munnings Funeral Service
“Went into my cell and everything, definitely not a good place. My pillow was my bottle of water. No sheet, no pillow, nothing like that. I know a lot of people say, oh but you’re going to prison, you don’t deserve all of those things, you’re a criminal and all of these kinds of stuff. I mean we’re human beings at the end of the day, you want to be able to take a good shower. I didn’t take a shower since I came out yesterday evening, haven’t even brushed my teeth since yesterday evening. But the stuff I went through some of these things will be coming up in my current case so these are things I don’t want to publicly put out but the experience in that place, it’s not for me.”
“To the families who have suffered from some prisoner within the Kolbe Foundation, my personal experience, they were the best thing within that prison. From I went to prison till the time I came out, I didn’t have a shoes on my foot, they loaned me their slippers when my sister came to visit me. I didn’t have a shirt, one of them gave me their shirt and everything. Prisoner is coming to buck with me like Mr Munnings thanks for this, thanks for that, you buried my mom, you buried my- and the love I felt from the prisoners themselves and that is the reason why I send my prayers for all of them.”
