By Breaking Belize News Staff: Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira faced the media at a police event in Belmopan on Wednesday, where he denied having any role in the awarding of government contracts or the processing of payments to members of his family.
Mira has come under mounting public scrutiny following the release of leaked SmartStream records which reportedly show substantial government payments to businesses connected to members of the Mira family, including his sister Jenny Armstrong Mira and brother Brian Mira.
Responding to questions from reporters, Mira insisted that he does not sit on any procurement committee and had no influence over who received contracts.
He said procurement decisions are handled through established government processes led by the Ministry of Finance, and that tenders are publicly advertised.
Mira said any relative who applied for a government contract would have done so on their own and not because of any influence from him.
“I sit on no procurement committee,” Mira told the media, adding that he had “no say” and “no influence” in the process.
Reporters also pressed Mira on whether the contracts created a conflict of interest, given that several members of his immediate family were reportedly benefiting from government payments.
Mira rejected the suggestion, saying he did not ask anyone to apply for contracts and did not know how many persons applied. He said decisions are made by committees, not by him.
The minister was also asked about allegations that payments were structured in amounts below $10,000, raising concerns that the transactions may have avoided additional layers of approval or oversight.
Mira again distanced himself from that process, saying he had no involvement in how government pays contractors or suppliers.
He said payments are handled by finance officials and not by ministers. However, he acknowledged that the optics were troubling and said he did not know why payments were made in that manner.
When asked about the term “smurfing,” used in the financial world to describe the splitting of payments into smaller amounts, Mira said he was concerned but did not know whether anything illegal had been done.
He said his role was policy and management of the ministry, not handling financial transactions.
Mira was also asked whether he regretted making the police complaint against former UDP Chairman Alberto August, whose arrest over a satirical social media post triggered the chain of events that later led to the public release of leaked documents.
Mira pushed back on the wording of the question, saying he did not charge August and did not ask police to charge anyone.
He said he made a complaint as a citizen after receiving advice, because he believed August’s post used a tragedy in Belmopan for political mileage and attributed words to him that he did not say.
Mira said August was afforded the same process as any other person.
When asked whether he planned to make complaints against others over the ongoing social media commentary and mockery, Mira said he does not file charges. He added that he has handed the matter to his attorney, who will advise him on the way forward regarding what he described as defamatory statements.
The controversy surrounding the Mira family has continued to grow as more leaked records circulate publicly. Critics are now calling for a full accounting of the payments, the ministries involved, the goods or services supplied, and whether proper procurement procedures were followed.
The post Police Minister Oscar Mira denies role in family contracts amid SmartStream leak controversy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira faced the media at a police event in Belmopan on Wednesday, where he denied having any role in the awarding of government contracts or the processing of payments to members of his family. Mira has come under mounting public scrutiny following the release of
The post Police Minister Oscar Mira denies role in family contracts amid SmartStream leak controversy appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
