As we've been reporting, the Joseph Budna kidnaping cover-up is unraveling. As 7news has shown, multiple police officers who played no role in the abduction were pulled into the criminal conspiracy. And we now know that at least two of them were given false statements to sign unto - and this was done by higher-up's in the department.
And now that it is known that these statements were untrue and given under duress - it feels like the whole lid could blow right off this less than competent cover -up.
And while full exposure of the kidnaping conspiracy could reach as high as the political directorate - today in Belmopan the Prime Minister held his ground - saying the police - the same ones who have been exposed as inducing officers to make false statements - must be left to investigate:
Courtney Menzies:
"Do you believe now it's time for some deeper level of investigation?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"But I don't think you listen, or you listen selectively. I have pointed out there is no law in Belize like in for instance the US where you could call a special investigation, that does not exist in Belize. Investigations are done by the department of police and prosecutions are done by the DPP's office. And so that's what we did. Initially when all of that happened, I felt that maybe just to kind of remove the Commissioner out of it for a few weeks. He excused himself while we appointed deputy commissioner Suzette Anderson who is a highly regarded and respected police officer to try to do some form of investigation to see what she can come up with. when she gave me the report then I said I think it's time for this to go to the DPP, which is what I did. It went to the DPP, what they gave to the DPP, I have no idea, I don't get involved in these things. I don't know how you can't understand that. I allow them to do that. Whether her report was given to the DPP or another report was given, I don't know. The point is that the DPP expressed concerns, I'm very disappointed with the way she expressed herself but that's okay, we live in a democracy. Now the point is that she needs to get after the police to do the proper investigation."
Courtney Menzies:
"Are you concerned that this seems to be a conspiracy to cover up the kidnapping?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know, it's just the police officers, but there are lot of instances when officers of the public service whenever they are transferred they cry foul because they don't want to move and it could be that they just don't want to move and they say something like that, it could be, it could not be, I don't know, I have not spoken to them but I believe that's something that probably the commissioner of police would be in the better position to answer."
