PM John Briceño Labels Budna a “Monster”

Prime Minister John Briceño has labelled Joseph Budna a “monster,” saying the public has overlooked his dark criminal history amid outrage over his kidnapping. Speaking on Open Your Eyes today, Briceño reiterated that his government had no involvement in Budna’s kidnapping.

Budna was abducted near the Orange Walk Central police station on August 23rd, in Briceño’s constituency. He is now serving time in a Guatemalan prison and claims his kidnapping was orchestrated by members of the police, calling it a state-sanctioned crime.

When asked directly how this had happened in his constituency, he responded, “There have been many killings in Belize City, in the backyard of the Prime Minister back then. I don’t think you should try to hold me responsible because that happened in Orange Walk… I don’t know every criminal activity that is happening in Orange Walk Central.”

PM Briceño then took the opportunity to bring back Budna’s criminal history and criticised what was described as selective outrage. He called Budna a “monster”, stating, “The media being sensational on this story forgets that this guy is a monster. I mean, I did not see any of you out there crying out when the 16-year-old was mistakenly killed when he was in the bedroom with Mr Budna, or when Mr Budna had raped young boys. I didn’t hear any of you all out there crying out loud for justice for those people, but yet you are crying for justice for Mr Budna.”

In September, Opposition Leader Tracy Panton accused Prime Minister John Briceño of receiving “a daily briefing to the prime minister’s office on matters of national security.” Briceño denied the claim this morning.

“There’s no such briefing from the police. There is none. What I get, is I get a weekly briefing from the National Security Director from Ambassador del Cid. But I do not get a briefing for every, I don’t know where, get this story or even where the leader of the opposition think I get a daily briefing, I do not,” he said.

Briceño also said it is “not his purview” to see surveillance footage that captured the moment Budna was being taken. “That’s why [the case] is with the police and the DPP. The irony is that you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t.” Briceño said.

“I don’t want to sound defensive over this whole issue… If there are people that are involved in the abduction of Mr Budna and the evidence is there, they have to answer to that. We are trying to do our best, but again, we are allowing the police to do their job along with the DPP,” Briceño added.