Cabinet Secretary Linked to Company Paid by Ministry of Defence

Belize’s widening Ministry of Defence procurement scandal has drawn another senior government official into the spotlight, with Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie confirmed as a director of a company that received more than $85,000 in payments from the ministry between May and June this year.

News Five has confirmed that Leslie is listed as a director of RSL Group Limited, a company that appears in a series of leaked procurement documents currently under scrutiny.

The latest revelation comes as questions continue to mount over the ministry’s payment practices, particularly a pattern of invoices being kept below the $10,000 procurement threshold. Documents reviewed by News Five show seven identical payments of $6,941 issued to RSL Group on June 4, along with a separate pending payment exceeding $49,000.

Sales orders obtained by News Five indicate that RSL Group supplied a range of seasonings to the Belize Defence Force.

When contacted, Leslie acknowledged that he is associated with RSL Group but said he has no involvement in the company’s day-to-day operations. He rejected any suggestion that he had used his position as Cabinet Secretary to influence the awarding of government contracts.

According to Leslie, RSL Group participated in the government’s procurement process but was initially unsuccessful. He said the company was later contacted by the Ministry of Defence and asked to provide the requested goods. He also maintained that RSL Group is a legitimate business owned by a family he has known for many years.