Minister Mira placed on administrative leave

Mira exits Cabinet temporarily as leaked records show multi‑million‑dollar split payments to siblings

BELMOPAN, Mon. June 22, 2026

   Police Minister Oscar Mira is out of Cabinet for the next three months after a wave of leaked SmartStream records raised serious questions about multi‑million‑dollar split payments to his siblings. The Office of the Auditor General has been directed to conduct a full audit of the procurement processes involved.

   The political firestorm erupted less than two weeks after Mira filed a police complaint against former United Democratic Party Vice Chairman Alberto August, who was arrested on May 30 for a satirical Facebook post following the murder of Dr. Naun Bonilla. August’s post mocked Mira’s earlier controversial comments about murder victims “not being from Belmopan,” a statement that had already drawn public backlash. When Mira finally faced the press on the sidelines of an awards ceremony on June 18 in Belmopan, he defended his complaint, saying “you don’t do that in those circumstances” when a family is grieving the loss of a loved one. He added that he had obtained legal advice on the matter.

   Shortly after August’s post, Mira’s brother, Brian—chairman of RECONDEV—posted on Facebook, “I would take a charge if I see him. I really would.”

   August’s ordeal lasted 28 hours before being released on station bail. Though Brian Mira’s post was later deleted, August questioned whether police would pursue that statement as a threat.

   On June 9th, the leaks began. SmartStream screenshots showed Mira’s sister, Jenny, receiving dozens of payments under the $10,000 threshold for fruits and vegetables supplied to the Belize Defence Force while Mira served as Minister of State in the Ministry of National Defence. In a single 24‑hour period, payments totaling more than $103,000 were processed. Of 497 payments made between December 2020 and August 2025, only four exceeded $10,000—the level requiring Treasury approval. The total paid to Jenny Mira over that period was $1.7 million, with several payments being identical down to the cent.

   Referring to the first leak, Mira posted on Facebook, “My record speaks for itself, and I have every confidence it will stand against the lies and misinformation being circulated.”

   But the leaks continued. Screenshots later revealed that Mount Pleasant Farms (MPF), linked to a Brian Mira e-mail address in the system, received 70 payments since 2025 with the majority under $10,000. On one day alone, MPF received 40 payments totaling $389,795.85.

   Current CEO in the Ministry of National Defence, Francis Usher, said the goods were delivered and that invoices were paid as submitted by vendors. He said MPF continued supplying dry goods in 2025 because concerns were raised about other suppliers.

   Public Service Union President Dean Flowers then issued a Freedom of Information request to the Accountant General, Auditor General, and Contractor General on June 11, citing Circular No. 1 of 2022, which requires higher‑level approvals for payments of $10,000 or more. Flowers argued that failing to declare split payments as part of a larger transaction “constitutes a deliberate false entry in a government financial system.” He called for disciplinary action against any accounting officers involved.

   The Contractor General responded on June 15 that her mandate covers procurement review, not SmartStream payment administration, but said her office stands ready to support any investigation. Flowers rejected that interpretation as “unduly narrow,” insisting that the issue is about procurement integrity, not payment processing. He urged the Contractor General to compel ministries to produce invoices, purchase orders, approval screens, internal communications, and the names of officers who authorized the transactions. According to Flowers, high officials are not aware that structuring [the formal definition for payment splitting] is possible if they are not told. He urged public officers to simply tell officials “no”, while Ella Waight, the President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) advised employees to ask that higher ups put any uncomfortable directives in writing.

   Flowers also called for the examination of witnesses under oath, and a public report at the end of the Contractor General’s investigation. He maintained that Minister Mira should be placed on administrative leave while an investigation is done.

   The Opposition also filed its own FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) request seeking “the full paper trail.”

   CEO Usher later shared his view that the split payments were not intended to evade oversight but to speed up payments to vendors. Waight weighed in, telling Amandala on June 19 that an audit must determine whether prices were “fair and comparable to the market rate.” She added that avoiding bureaucracy “should not allow for loopholes to create questionable accounting practices.”    

   The Congress’ General Council met over the weekend and demanded the immediate resignation or removal of Minister Mira, a call that was supported by the Opposition, which described the situation as a test of leadership for the Prime Minister. The NTUCB also urged a wider investigation into invoice‑splitting practices across all ministries.

   Finally speaking with the media on June 18 in Belmopan, Mira denied involvement in payment decisions, saying: “I have nothing as a minister to do with how the Ministry of Finance pays. That is not my decision. I don’t know, and I don’t think it’s also the decision of any supplier to ask how to be paid … As ministers, I don’t go into the finance office or any way trying to influence how or who gets paid. That’s not my job.” He added that he, too, did not understand why the payments were split. He noted that if a supplier goes through the tedious tender process, “I don’t think there is any supplier who would want to be paid in so many small pieces. I’m sure that as a supplier, you would want to be paid fully. So that has nothing to do with me as the minister of state or as a minister now at the Ministry of Home Affairs. I believe that it’s probably something that, you know, every crisis, you know, you learn from them. And I myself, of course, I’m trying to make sure that I learn from this. And the government has their procedures and they should be followed.”

   Minister of the Public Service Hon. Henry Usher told Amandala he prefers to be hands‑on with procurement to ensure value for money, and agreed that an audit is necessary.

   On the issue of the cybercrime complaint against August, Mira stood by his decision, saying he acted on advice and that such posts should not be made when a family is grieving.

   While Mira would not admit the public fallout from the latest developments, Prime Minister John Briceño later that day acknowledged that the situation does not paint a good picture for the People’s United Party and places him “in a very uncomfortable position.” He said the Mira family has been supplying the BDF since 2005, but insisted he would wait for the audit before deciding to remove Mira. Today, however, the government announced that Mira is being placed on three months’ administrative leave, though the official release framed it as a leave of absence requested by Mira himself. Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing Hon. Julius Espat will oversee the Ministry of Home Affairs in the interim. The release quoted the PM saying, “It is important for the public to know that concerns regarding Ministerial conduct are taken seriously. Our duty is to secure value for taxpayer dollars as well as compliance with procurement regulations.”

   The PM added that he also intends to have a new board appointed at RECONDEV which is currently chaired by Mira’s brother, Brian, to remove any appearance of undue influence.

   After Mira’s and the PM’s interviews, new leaks showed MP Farms receiving $2.3 million between September 2024 and June 8, 2026. Total payments across all Mira‑linked contracts in the last five years are now estimated at more than $5 million, though it is believed that not all records have been leaked.

   Oscar Mira was appointed Minister of State in the Ministry of National Defence after the November 2020 general elections. He was elevated to Minister for that portfolio in 2025 and later named Minister of Home Affairs.