CEO Bennett Says Mira Unshaken Amid Contract Controversy

After weeks of silence from Minister Oscar Mira, a voice from inside his ministry is finally weighing in. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Home Affairs, is dismissing the growing backlash, insisting the minister isn’t fazed. Bennett says despite mounting questions about reported contracts linked to Mira’s family, the minister remains locked in on his duties, undistracted by what he calls “noise in the market.” According to Bennett, whatever storm is brewing outside the ministry walls isn’t slowing the work inside.

 

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, CEO, Minister of Home Affairs

“We have had discussions here, but I would not go to the extent of affecting his performance and his duty. The minister continues to remain focus on his duties. We have quite a few activities last week, going into this week. So, he remains focused on his ministerial responsibility over the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Forensics Services and the Police Department. So as far as I am concerned, he is very focused and we interact on a regular basis. He is not one to be distracted by the noise in the market. From what I see, the noise out there has little or no impact on his ability to provide leadership to ministry.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Does it any at all affect you and your desire to rebuild public confidence and trust in law enforcement?”

 

Rear Admiral Bennett

“No, not at all. I don’t see the connection, and I don’t see there is any question as it relates to trust and the integrity of the minister at all. So, I don’t see the connection there.”

 

UDP Demands Answers Over Food Deals Linked to Minister Mira’s Family

 

The Briceño administration remains under intense public scrutiny, and the questions are hitting uncomfortably close to home. The United Democratic Party is pressing for answers after reports surfaced that lucrative food supply contracts may have gone to relatives of Minister Oscar Mira. From vegetables to other provisions, multiple deals appear tied to members of the minister’s family. Now, the opposition is taking formal action. UDP Leader Tracy Panton says the party has filed a Freedom of Information request, seeking full disclosure on any agreements between the government and companies linked to Mira, signaling what could become a broader probe into how these contracts were awarded and who benefited.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader, United Democratic Party

“We want to now to whom were these contracts issued, what contracts were issued, what was the value of these contracts. Were tenders publicly advertised, who evaluated the bids? Who approved the contracts? Were procurement procedures followed? Were conflicts of interest declared? Were politically exposed persons involved? Were payments made before goods and services delivered? Were invoices, stacked, split, inflated or structured to avoid scrutiny? Were public officers pressured to approve payments? We heard a few stories? Were the goods and services actually delivered? Did the Belizean people actually get value for money?”

 

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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