How Does 21k go Missing in a Police Station?

Tonight, troubling questions are still swirling around the Belize Police Department after more than twenty one thousand dollars in cash vanished from an evidence room in Belmopan. The money, tied to a 2023 court case, was discovered missing during an internal audit this week without any paper trail to explain its disappearance. Today, we caught up with Minister of Home Affairs for an update on the investigation and explain how such a breach could occur inside one of their most secure facilities.

 

Oscar Mira, Minister of Home Affairs

“The investigation is happening and I don’t have the recent updates as yet, but investigators are ensuring that we follow and that we find out what, what happened. And whoever needs to be charged will be charged.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Do we have cameras in those areas where the money is stored?”

 

Oscar Mira

“I am not sure. I am not sure because this happened that was before my time. I’m not sure, but I know that we are learning from these mistakes, and we wanna make sure that whenever there is any evidence, that the custody of these evidence are done the proper way.”

 

Britney Gordon

“The proper way would in entail what?”

 

Oscar Mira

“The proper way would be the chain of custody from one person to the next into the exhibit room.”

 

Police say that members of the Professional Standards Branch are reviewing the matter and a number of statements have been recorded amid the investigation.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: