He was abducted 11 days ago and delivered to Guatemalan police. Tonight, Joseph Budna is still waiting to appear before a Guatemalan judge - but we have received credible reports of an important detail - which corroborates his story that he was kidnapped by police. Jules Vasquez says it's tied to the Officer Commanding in Orange Walk:
Joseph Budna says that he gave this man, ASP Armando Dubon the officer commanding Orange Walk pictures and particulars of the vehicle that was following him. He provided photos of the vehicle with and without license plates:
August 26th
Joseph Budna, Abducted
"Yes I sent to Mr Dubon, the officer in charge of Orange Walk formation. And the vehicle did not have license plates, thereafter it appears with Belize City plates."
August 25th
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 kidnapped him. That is his claim. Did Mr. Dubon have such information?"
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?"
Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
"That is what the investigation will reveal."
But, so far nothing has been revealed. Reports to 7news confirm that ASP Dubon did receive the information, and passed it unto his officers who did search the vehicle - only to find that police were driving it.
That vehicle was the same one that is believed to have later abducted him in front of the police station. That abduction led to Arenal - and in the three intervening hours he was badly beaten:
These are the doctors document form Melchor confirming his injuries:
August 26th
Joseph Budna, Abducted
"I'm badly beaten by the Belize police department, I'm badly beaten."
Commissioner of Police Richard Rosado is on 5 days leave and is currently in Taiwan at a regional conference. But, the alleged abduction in the heart of the PM's hometown also has political implications and reports tell us it was on the agenda at Cabinet today - which is hopefully why he rushed past that accident this morning.
