BELMOPAN, Belize, Jun 23, CMC – The Belize government has confirmed that Home Affairs Minister, Oscar Mira, has been granted leave of absence so as to allow the Auditor General to review specific procurement processes.
“It is important for the public to know that concerns regarding Ministerial conduct are taken seriously,” said Prime Minister Briceño, adding “our duty is to secure value for taxpayer dollars as well as compliance with procurement regulations”.
But Opposition Leader, Tracy Panton, has described as a “joke” the decision to send Mira on leave, saying it is also “a slap in the face to the Belizean people.
“This is an administration who promised by way of motion in the National Assembly that they would establish the good governance for transparency and accountability in public office. And here we have a member of the executive, a member of Cabinet, and the evidence is staggering,” she said.
A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that as a result Julius Espat will, in addition to his duties as Minister of Infrastructure Development & Housing, act as Minister of Home Affairs.
The statement said that recent media reports have raised questions about procurement processes relating to Mira during a period when he served at the Ministry of Defence.
“Hon. Mira has requested that the Prime Minister, in the circumstances, relieve him of his official Cabinet duties for the period during which an audit of those procurement processes is to be conducted by the Auditor General. The duration of the audit is expected to be three months,” the statement said.
It said that last week, in view of the media reports and attendant public concern, the Prime Minister ordered “an immediate, thorough, and transparent review of the relevant transactions and payment processes”.
The statement said that as chairman of Belize’s National Security management structure, to which the role of the Ministry of Home Affairs is central, the Prime Minister will liaise closely with Espat and the Ministry’s senior management to ensure the effective advancement of the various security initiatives and programmes underway.
Panton said that the “evidence is overwhelming” and in her opinion “a leave of absence is the bare minimum.
“Mr. Mira must do the other honorable thing. He should not wait to be removed from his executive responsibilities,” she said.
Panton said Mira should have volunteered to be removed from cabinet and “failing that, the fact that the prime minister of this country who went on record, who moved a motion in the National Assembly, which is tantamount to establishing a law that there would be zero tolerance for corruption.
“And yet, when corruption has reared its ugly head, they are not willing to act in the best interest of this country, in the best interest of their own government and in the best interest of the people. It, in my view, is wholly and completely unacceptable,” she added.”
Meanwhile, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is calling for Mira’s immediate resignation and a sweeping independent investigation in the matter.
The union said leaked documents “point to troubling patterns, raising concerns that payments may have been deliberately structured to dodge financial oversight rules.
In a statement, the NTUCB warns that the issue goes beyond one minister, adding it’s now about public trust, transparency, and whether key safeguards meant to protect taxpayer money were ignored or bypassed.
The union is also demanding accountability for senior public officers and sweeping reforms to close what it calls “systemic loopholes” in government procurement.
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