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Tonight, the man who would lead the UDP, Security Minister John Saldivar is under intense scrutiny after the emergence of an extract from a court document in Utah.  

The single entry in a much larger document names John Saldivar and points to string of text messages which will be produced as evidence in the trial of Jacob Kingston - an associate of the now infamous Lev Dermen.

Jules Vasquez looked at  the significance of having Saldivar’s name officially appear in this court document in Utah, and what it could mean for Saldivar and the UDP.  He starts with context on who Jacob Kingston is and his connection to Dermen and Saldivar.  

This is Jacob Kingston, the Washakie Renewable Energy CEO who has pleaded guilty to 41 counts of fraud, money laundering and obstruction in the US.

Now, Washakie is an energy company in Utah, so what business did Kingston have with Minister John Saldivar in Belize?

This court document shows that in the 29th of April, 2015, Kingston and Saldivar exchanged text messages.  Those messages will be a part of the evidence that Kingston explains when he goes to trial.  The court document says, quote, “Jacob Kingston will lay the foundation for the texts he sent to and received from this particular Belizean associate (Saldivar) of defendant Dermen.

Now, what’s in those text messages?  Well that’s the million dollar, or maybe 25 thousand dollar question.

We know that court documents say:

“Kingston will also testify that a government official from Belize was routinely paid $25,000 cash a month by Dermen and that when Dermen could not make the payment himself he would ask Kingston to make the payment on his behalf.â€￾

Now, while we don’t know if the April 2015 text message had anything to do with that payment, what we do know is that - Saldivar was an associate of Lev Dermen.  In his statement made 8 days ago, Saldivar said, “I met American businessman Lev Dermen in 2013 and last saw him sometime in early 2015. Mr Dermen was known to many in Belize as a wealthy businessman. I interacted with Mr Dermen on several occasions and did so publicly, including as is already public knowledge at the Gold Cup in 2013.â€￾

Indeed, Dermen was said to be flying Saldivar and his entourage to the Belize - USA  game in Portland, and he even reportedly paid a thousand dollar bonus to certain high performing team members at a dinner after the game - which was a loss. 

In this statement Saldivar says, “I categorically reject any suggestion of my involvement in any act of fraud or bribery with Mr Dermen.â€￾  Notably he does not deny receiving funds, which could be explained away as campaign financing which is not a crime, and neither bribery nor fraud. 

But, the Prime Minister has made it a fatal political misstep when he asked his ministers whodunit 9 days ago:

FILE January 15, 2020

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister
"Let me put it another way, did anyone in this room (talking about the cabinet room yesterday), received $25,000 US dollars a month over a period of time from this Mr. Lev or Mr. Kingston or some third person that at one time Mr. Kingston said was used as an intermediary and the answer came back no."

Now, if it is proven otherwise:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow
"You lied to me and you lied to the cabinet in saying that you did not received any money. That in itself is a basis for me to say sir/madam you cannot stay in any cabinet that I lead."