By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Minister Julius Espat has weighed in on the corruption complaint filed against Oscar Mira at the Integrity Commission, describing it as a political move while acknowledging the complainant’s right to make it.
The complaint was submitted on Tuesday morning by Edward Broaster, a former police officer who has declared his intention to run for political office in Belize Rural Central. Broaster was at the office of the Integrity Commission to file a formal report against Mira, the latest development in the controversy over government payments to businesses linked to members of the Mira family.
Responding to the development, Espat, who recently took over the Ministry of Home Affairs on an interim basis following Mira’s leave of absence, suggested that the complaint was politically motivated. At the same time, he acknowledged that Broaster, as a citizen and a political hopeful, was within his rights to file it.
The characterization stands in contrast to how Broaster himself has framed the matter. When he filed the complaint, Broaster maintained that the move was not about politics, saying he was acting on behalf of Belizeans across the political divide who he said are frustrated with corruption, and arguing that public officials must be held accountable for how taxpayer money is spent.
It is worth noting that the filing of a complaint does not in itself establish that any wrongdoing occurred. For his part, Mira has consistently denied any involvement in awarding contracts or directing payments, maintaining that procurement decisions are made by committees rather than ministers. A separate audit into the Ministry of Defence, requested by the government and to be carried out by the Auditor General, is already underway and is expected to take about three months. No findings have been made at this stage.
The post Minister Espat responds to corruption complaint against Mira appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff (HP): Minister Julius Espat has weighed in on the corruption complaint filed against Oscar Mira at the Integrity Commission, describing it as a political move while acknowledging the complainant’s right to make it. The complaint was submitted on Tuesday morning by Edward Broaster, a former police officer who has declared
The post Minister Espat responds to corruption complaint against Mira appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
