Last week we told you about a major case of embezzlement uncovered at the Belize City Immigration Office. Between 2025 and April 2026 at least $160,000 was fleeced by at least one staffer who was reversing receipts.
Today the Minister of Immigration Kareem Musa - who's held the portfolio since November - said he is sure that at least one employee will be charged and they are still investigating to see whether anyone else was involved. Here's what he told us today.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"In terms of the scale of it, that is something that we are still in the process of assessing. We have an idea, but I don't want to comment in terms of a number or a particular number, because this will more than likely be the subject of a criminal investigation. We have already identified one individual and based on the information that we have gathered, I am pretty certain I am convinced as minister that that individual needs to be charged criminally. It has been said that the individual could not possibly have been working alone. When you understand the level at which, this person was operating in terms of altering receipts, there's possible forgery of signatures of supervisors that might have occurred. If that is the case, then it would be the individual alone, If it is that he committed acts of forgery, but if he did not, then it would be that there are others involved. And so we have to look at both possibilities. But like I said, for the time being, I am convinced, that certainly one individual is going to be charged. Obviously it's going to take the police involvement. But in addition to getting the police involved, I have given directives that we request immediately an audit into this particular scheme that has been taking place, at least up until February of last year. And we're looking at other offices throughout the country as well."
Reporter:
"How long has he been an employee?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"The individual in question, five years."
Courtney Menzies:
"I understand that there was situation of receipt reversal. Considering there may have been similar incidents happening in the past at the ministry, do you think it's a slip up in vigilance by the FO?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"From what I have been informed, this is a different, entirely different scheme than what was taking place before. Like I said, this one may even involve forgery of signatures. Again, something different from what was previously there. And so I would have to see the two situations, I wasn't there for either. But certainly this one will come into my term. But we will look at both of the instances to do a comparison analysis. But at the very least, you can say that there was some supervisory rules that could have been tightened up if it is that, this individual was able to operate since February of last year."
And while he wasn't minister when the embezzlement first started, we asked Musa whether the then minister and CEO should be held accountable.
Courtney Menzies:
"Who should be held accountable for the sum of the losses? Some would say that whichever sitting minister or CEO, that they were asleep at the wheel."
Kareem Musa, Minister of Immigration
"I would not agree with that. As you know, we put people in places of trust and accountability. It happens every single day, not just in the public sector, but also in the private sector where you have individuals embezzling, misappropriating funds. You see them getting charged every day on a daily basis. And so these are things that when you when it comes to light, it depends what you do as the minister, what you do as the CEO to rectify the situation, to make adjustments, to hold people accountable. That is what is going to be determining whether or not you're doing a good job as minister and CEO. We are not in these ministries or these departments on a daily basis, to see the transactions that they are doing and the reversals that they were doing. But at the end of the day, we have to make tough decisions, hold people accountable, fire who needs to be fired, transfer who needs to be transferred and discipline those individuals who are not doing their jobs."
