Jules Vasquez has been studying closely the recent remarks from the commissioner of police when he casually described the genesis of an electronic transfer to one of his senior officers. And a few things. Jumped out at him - here's his report:
This is the transfer of funds - two thousand dollars - from a prominent gun dealer to a police officer in the SPU for his commander, Aaron Gamboa.
A gun dealer moving money to a senior cop may seem suspicious on the face of it - but not to his boss the commissioner:
Jules Vasquez
"Would you be concerned if you saw a money transfer from one of the gun dealers, well known gun dealer. to an individual, which says "For Mr. Gamboa" - an individual in the SPU."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"If I, If you, would per se, have some US currency. and, I need the US. And you give me the US. And I transfer the Belize currency to you in payment of the US that you have sent to me, is that a crime?"
Well, it is. According to the Central Bank's Exchange Control Regulations, "no person, other than an authorized dealer, shall…buy….any… foreign currency from, or sell or lend any….foreign currency to, any person other than an authorized dealer."
And a gun dealer is not an authorized currency dealer.
In fact, here is the list of them: all commercial banks and a few credit unions.
And while that is the law, the top lawman seems to play by his own rules:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"Not just because we see a transaction means that we must jump to conclusions."
Jules Vasquez
"But it's a transaction with a gun dealer."
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
"It doesn't matter. It could have been a transaction with anybody per se."
Again, it couldn't have - not legally at least. Now, we know everyone does it - but that doesn't make it legal - and certainly should not be endorsed by the country's top lawman:
Kareem Musa, Area Rep, Caribbean Shores
"Indeed whenever you change US dollars while many Belizeans may say that's common place it does constitute some sort of black market transaction so to speak if that's what you're asking."
Black market and illegal.
But while that is one thing, how credible is the commissioner's explanation. He later called and told me that ASP Gamboa - who is the grandfather of his child - sold a pickup - and a portion of the payment was in US dollars - and that's what he changed with the gun dealer.
Now, assuming Gamboa is not a licensed car dealer - like his son in law - that would probably be this Ford Pickup - you can see it parked here in front of his yard in Camalote - and we know that's his yard, because that's the same yards where we saw boxes of C-4 explosives being stacked - you'll see the distinctive "Blind to Haters" sticker. The only problem is this vehicle was sold on September fourth, and the money transfer from the gun dealer was in May. We tried to reach Gamboa to clear up the discrepancy, but he was unavailable.
Up to news time we were unable to reach Gamboa.
Previously, he has told us that he is retaining an attorney and would not. Speak on record.
As you have heard - the commissioner says the transfer from the gun dealer was a legitimate currency exchange.
