Who Approved the Payments and Who Takes Responsibility for The Mira Millions?

A criminal complaint against a political opponent has now snowballed into a controversy that has placed Belmopan Area Representative Oscar Mira under growing public scrutiny. Earlier this month, Mira’s complaint led to the detention of UDP stalwart Alberto August, but with the DPP later ordering the case discontinued, the spotlight has shifted back to Mira. Now, leaked Smart Stream invoices linking five of his siblings to millions of dollars in payments from the Ministry of Defense have raised new questions about accountability and oversight within the ministry he helps lead. The revelations have triggered an official audit, and as the public awaits answers, one question is becoming harder to ignore: when it comes to these payments, where does the buck stop? News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

As government officials trade blame in the growing “Mira Millions” controversy, one question still hangs in the air: who is ultimately responsible? Throughout June, News Five spoke with key figures at the center of the scandal and found a recurring theme, everyone seems to be passing the buck. When we first questioned Minister of State Oscar Mira on June seventeenth, he repeatedly pointed to the Ministry of Defense’s procurement committee, insisting he had no role in awarding the contracts. According to CEO Francis Usher, that committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the BDF, the Coast Guard and the ministry’s Inspector General.

 

Oscar Mira, Area Representative, Belmopan (File: June 17^th, 2026)

“I was not part of those committees. If they did so they did on their own, not with my influence or anything to do with me.”

 

And then on June 23^rd, we spoke with Prime Minister John Briceño following a Cabinet meeting. In this seven-minute interview, PM Briceño  passed the buck twice. When we asked him why the Office of the Prime Minister purchased grocery bags from MP Farms. He said,

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: June 23^rd, 2026)

“I think you need to ask the Cabinet Secretary, he is the one that looks after payments.”

 

Placing the responsibility squarely at the feet of the Cabinet Secretary, not once but twice in the same interview. And then on the twenty-fifth of June when we caught up with Minister Andre Perez, we asked him for his thoughts on the allegations.

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South (File: June 25^th, 2026)

“I want to say let’s leave for the audit to take over.”

 

Passing the buck to the Auditor General at least half a dozen times in the same interview. One day later, we heard from Minister of Defense, Florencio Marin Junior, who has been at the helm of the ministry for the majority of the Briceño administration’s two terms.

 

Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of Defense (File: June 26^th, 2026)

“Please let us have the audit finished first. Please let me differ to when I speak to the auditor general in these questions. I don’t want in anyway comment something that would prejudice this audit report. I will comment on the audit after that.”

 

Minister Marin answered none of our questions on the Mira Millions scandal. Instead, he passed the buck to the auditor general, at least four times in that interview. The clearest picture may have come from Financial Secretary Joseph Waight. Rather than deflecting blame, Waight walked us through the Smart Stream payment process and identified the officials responsible at each step. According to Waight, a clerk prepares the invoices, the financial officer, Salvador Alas at the time, approves the payments, and the Accounting Officer, who also served as CEO, retired Brigadier General Dario Tapia, reviews and authorizes them to ensure everything is in order.

 

Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary (File: June 23^rd, 2026)

“But sure enough it does not look good. And in my view, either somebody dropped a ball, fell asleep or worse moved together on it.”

 

And so, with all the deflections and shifting of responsibility, the question tonight is, who does the buck stop with? Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

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.

 

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