And the man with all the fingers pointing at him is the Commissioner of Police, Richard Rosado. It's his first full blown public crisis of credibility where his department is being credibly accused of facilitating an extra judicial extradition. We say credibly because how else does a vehicle travel from Orange Walk in the north to Arenal in the west without being detected at one of the many checkpoints. That's what Jules Vasquez asked him today. Here's the back and forth:
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"A confrontation involving several individuals occurred on Hospital Crescents in Orange Walk Town. A witness reported that one individual, matching the description of Joseph Budna, was placed in a SUV vehicle with Belize City license plate."
"In response to that information, we immediately activated our investigative and our operational plan, and several VCPs were activated at strategic locations. Additional operational personnel were sent to different border points, our border personnel at the borders were informed and basically, our operation was fully launched. What the challenge that came to us was when we had to follow leads or misleading leads that diverted or took a number of our investigative capabilities, diverted a number of our investigative capability."
Jules Vasquez
"How is it that none of the checkpoints, some of which are fixed, how is it that none of them picked up Mr. Budna?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"Thing is what we have seen from the investigation, our initial investigation revealed, and from camera footage - Initially, the information we were getting was several descriptions of several different vehicles, and we have to admit that while our checkpoints were out at strategic locations, we cannot ascertain exactly where that vehicle that took Budna went to."
Jules Vasquez
"Okay, there is a fixed checkpoint on Arenal on the Hydro Road, as you would know, manned 24 hours, manned by SPU corporals that night. They have to pass through there. Not many vehicles pass through there, it's not a highway, especially late at night or early in the morning."
"Did the patrol there or did the officer there observe anything, did it pass through that checkpoint?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"You are saying that the vehicle, you have to realize that in Arenal there are several, we have several ways to reach to Arenal, to the Santa Rosa, there are almost three routes, but so far the investigation is ongoing and we have not, and whatever it will reveal, whatever it will uncover we will reveal it, but so far we have not determined that if any Chevy Equinox enter that location."
Reporter
"Is there anything to confirm what Mr. Budna is alleging that he was abducted by police officers?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"Let me be unequivocally clear. The police department was not involved in the apprehension or the alleged extradition of Mr. Budna. What is being alleged was not conducted by our police officers or were not sanctioned by the senior command of the Belize police department."
Jules Vasquez
"However, if it was not sanctioned, it might have been done by rogue police officers."
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"The investigation is ongoing at this moment."
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Budna alleges that police officers tried to come to his rescue and the persons abducting him said, no, we got this, we're the police. That's the allegation he makes."
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"Anybody can make allegations. And I would want to ask you to allow the investigative process to take it course and whatever we uncover, we will share with the media. But our investigation so far has not revealed that any police officer approached those individuals and it was shown in the camera footage that only four, the confrontation were among four individuals."
Jules Vasquez
"He says he gave Dubon, the OC for Orange Walk, the license plate number and the description of the vehicle that was about to kidnap him. That is his claim. Did Mr. Dubon have such information?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"Not to my knowledge and when the VCP were activated, I am confident that no vehicle fitting that description passed the VCP."
Jules Vasquez
"So, but how do you get from Orange Walk to Arenal, if they did get there?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"That is what the investigation will reveal."
Jules Vasquez
"There are either two interpretations, either rogue elements or outlaw elements, picked him up and delivered him to Arenal, or rogue police officers, since you say there is no sanction, did that. But either way, a citizen's right to due process was taken away and he was effectively extra judicially extradited."
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"The allegations are serious allegations that are being made and the purpose of the investigation is to uncover exactly what has occurred. And I do not want to prejudge the finding of the investigation by confirming or denying any details or specific details."
"Let us allow the investigation process to take its course."
Rosado said the investigation would take its course - but also said that no police were involved - which seems to preclude the finding of any investigation.
And should such an investigation even look at the compol? Budna said his name in the recording - we asked for a response:
Voice of: Ryan Joseph Budna, Abducted
"There were communication with the officers and also one of them mentioned Compol, you know that we have the man."
Jules Vasquez
"The allegation by Mr. Budna includes a claim that calls were made in the car to Compol saying that we have the man."
"What do you say in response to that?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"Like I said, anybody could say anything. And if I would get a dollar for every rumor that is being made, that would be a millionaire by now. We are looking, in fact we are looking at, we are following all investigative leads. And wherever that lead us to, the chips will fall where it may."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir are you under investigation then because he made an allegation that you are a part of it, that you are complicit?"
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"I'm saying that anybody can make an allegation, but please allow the investigative process to take it course."
"And I will repeat, I will on the unequivocally state that at no time I nor the police department was involved in the apprehension of Budna or to his alleged extradition."
