And the issue came up again inside the house meeting where the leader of the opposition spoke on the adjournment. She pressed the Prime Minister to authorize a transparent and independent investigation:
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"One has to ask what did Mr. Budna do and what did he know and who in the police who in the police department got the order. We have seen evidence Mr. Speaker that suggests that the police, members of the police department were involved in this incident and to say that the response to this is to place the commissioner on 45 days leave of absence is unacceptable."
"He's still the commissioner. He still has influence. He still can give order. Tell me Mr. Speaker who in the police high command will speak against the commissioner of police with the understanding that he would be back in 45 days.?"
"The police cannot investigate the police, not in a situation where leak footage has suggested that the police was directly involved in this incident. I joined my voice with the voices of former Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Godfrey Smith. I joined my voice with the association of Defense attorneys. I've joined my voice with our civil society partners. I joined my voice to our National Trade Union Congress of Belize. I joined my voice with every Belizean citizen who requires a clear explanation as to what occurred on August 22."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We on this side do not support that any citizen of this country should be grabbed and taken over to any country. We do not support that and we stand against it. But what have we said? Unlike the Barrow government, who try to cover up everything, we have been open about it. We have been open, we never hide it. When it came to our attention...."
"Could you just shut off for a moment? Could you just shut up for a moment?"
House Speaker
"Members, members."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I listen to her and even interrupt you."
"Listen. When you are talking, I listen. I never interrupt you for a moment. The point that I'm trying to make. We are not, like the previous prime minister that would try to spin away out of this thing. We have said there's going to be an investigation and who does the investigation? It is the police. Now you're asking from the videos. How can we release a video supposedly, which I have not seen, I don't know if it even exists."
"But my point is, if there's any such thing, those are going to be used for evidence. And if we put it out there, then a good attorney, just like Dickey Bradley, will come to court and say, those things have been doctored and throw it out of order."
"So we have to be careful with what we're doing. And so the commissioner then felt that maybe it's best he can pull out, and so I put him on an administrative leave. Because we want to ensure that the people could go through with a proper investigation."
"We had the assistant commissioner of police, Ms. Anderson, to be able to do it. Now I want to make it very clear. I have not spoken with the acting commissioner Bart Jones nor with the deputy commissioner of Ms. Anderson. I have not said a word to them. As to Ms. Anderson, who is a voter of Orange Walk Central. I don't know what is the last time I spoke to Ms. Anderson, it could be years. Because whenever I would go at her mother's house, she is not there, she is working."
"I don't even have a phone number, but she's a woman of integrity. I will get the report, and I do not report the cabinet on this matter. I report, but I will tell my cabinet, yes, whatever is in there."
"Of course, I owe them the respect I have for them. But they report to me, not to the cabinet, as the prime minister. Once we get that report, and if I believe that that report leads further investigation, we will have an independent investigation being done for us to get to the bottom of this."
"And also, I will release whatever tapes they may be. Whatever they may have, I will release it. The minister in charge of the police said that we could release it. I have not seen it. I have not seen any report."
