PM Benches Mira, Orders Audit Amid Mounting Payment Questions
The fallout from the Smart Stream revelations is already restructuring government. Prime Minister John Briceño has effectively sidelined Minister Oscar Mira, granting him leave from Cabinet while a formal audit gets underway into procurement practices linked to his time at the Ministry of Defense. At the same time, the Prime Minister moved quickly to plug the gap, appointing Minister Julius Espat to take over Home Affairs on an interim basis. This isn’t happening in a vacuum. The decision follows mounting public scrutiny and media reports questioning how government contracts were awarded and paid, issues that have now triggered a deep dive by the Auditor General. According to the official statement out of Belmopan, Mira himself requested to step aside while the audit runs its course, a process expected to take about three months. But the timing is telling, it comes as pressure builds over millions of dollars in payments and growing questions about oversight. The Prime Minister is framing the move as part of a broader push for accountability. “We take concerns about ministerial conduct seriously,” Briceño said, emphasizing that government must ensure taxpayers are getting value for money and that procurement rules are followed. Behind the scenes, the stakes are high. Home Affairs plays a central role in national security, and the Prime Minister, who chairs that structure, has signaled he will be keeping a close watch on the ministry’s operations while Espat holds the post. The government is pushing to keep things steady and business as usual, even as the investigation heats up behind the scenes. What happens next will likely depend on what the audit uncovers. For now, GOB is trying to strike a careful balance, keeping services running, reassuring the public, and signaling that it is willing to take action when questions arise. But with an audit now in motion and political pressure mounting, this story is far from over.
On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceno
“What happened over the weekend, Mister Mira called and said he was prepared to step aside to give the Auditor General the opportunity to do the audit at the Ministry of Defense and he feels it was best if he were to step out of Cabinet so that there can be no illusion of issue of him trying to interfere or try to manage what is happening. He felt by doing this that it will be in the best interests, as a minister, area representative, Cabinet and the country. And of course when I was looking around the table a number of people came to mind that I can call upon to take over temporarily for the next ninety-days, the Ministry of Home Affairs. But when I looked around I felt that Minister Espat would be the best person to do that. Minister Espat is nonsense and has a good team with him and could continue doing the work Minister Mira was doing and that we can continue forward.”
Paul Lopez
“How did it strike you that Minister Mira would volunteer himself to step aside?”
On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceño
“I think it should be admired for making the right decision.”
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