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It's a financial loophole widely used throughout government: any disbursement under ten thousand dollars avoids the strict vetting protocols and the red tape of the Ministry of Finance. While the policy is meant to expedite routine spending, it has effectively created a blind spot for corruption, allowing millions of dollars to be stealthily siphoned out, entirely beneath the radar of Ministry of Finance oversight.
Tonight we review Smartstream screenshots leaked to 7News that show payments - presumably for fruits and vegetables - made primarily from the Ministry of Defence to the sister of former Minister of State Oscar Mira. The entries we have seen suggest conflict of interest, nepotism, and deliberate procurement fraud designed to bypass Ministry of Finance oversight.
Jules Vasquez reports:
The process of supplying a Ministry usually begins with a tender document like this listing the items and the quantities - this one for Mira's Fresh Fruits and Veggies.
These 47 screenshots that capture payments made to Jenny Shubra Mira (Vendor ID A000426424) during the period December 2020 to August 2025.
Of the many we reviewed one of the most remarkable days is September 14, 2023: twelve Ministry of Defence invoices were approved for payment to Jenny Mira - who is the sister of the then Minister of State for Defence, Oscar Mira.
These invoices were all approved for payment leading to a combined total cleared in 24 hours of BZ$103,237.58.
A single, large payment like that would have required approval from the Ministry of Finance but breaking it down into 12 invoices floating at around $9,500 each puts it beneath the oversight radar.
Of the 497 entries we reviewed between 2020 and 2025 only four were over ten thousand dollars - and one of them was cancelled. That was on the 22nd of April 2025; cancelled and then 48 hours later two new invoices appeared: one for $9,270.77, the other for $8,838.49. Add them up and what do you get? The same amount as the original cancelled invoice: $18,109.27. The difference? Those smaller payments never had to get approval from Finance.
The records leaked to us reveal the systematic abuse of a loophole enabled to move a total of 1.7 million dollars into a single vendor account over a five year period. There are hundreds of rows of transactions still not visible to us - so the total may be greater.
Tomorrow, we'll look at other notable irregularities with these hundreds of payment - which were not just made to the Ministry of Defence.
In total, ninety-nine percent of those four hundred and ninety-seven individual payments stayed safely under that ten-thousand-dollar red line.
We reached out to Minister Mira twice for comment but up to news time he had not answered. But he did post a statement today saying, quote, "The people of Belmopan, who have supported me resoundingly in consecutive elections in Belmopan, have done so based on results, not talk. They have seen the transformation of our city, with new infrastructure, access to better health and education, land and houses. My record speaks for itself, and I have every confidence it will stand against the lies and misinformation being circulated."
"I reassure the people of Belmopan that the work will continue, and I will serve with pride and integrity both as Area Representative and as Minister of Home Affairs and Enterprise."
Marvin and Lena Plett, they are the mennonite couple accused of the manslaughter of baby of their 4-year-old foster child, Ayana Bennett (Moody), who passed away on November 17, 2023.
Well today in the Belmopan High Court their trial was supposed to begin, but it was adjourned until June 26th. The couple is represented by attorney Leeroy Banner.
A trial within a trial held weeks ago found that Lena Plett's recorded statement can be admitted as evidence.
"Vida Mags," the charismatic lead singer of the Sweet Pain Band, walked away without serious injury from an accident on the Thomas Vincent Highway last night. It occurred near the Bocawina junction when his vehicle collided with a cow that suddenly appeared in front of him. He told us the cow appeared out of nowhere but his seatbelt and airbags saved his life. We spoke to him over the phone today.
Voice of: Elsworth "Vida" Magdaleno, Recovering From Accident "Two cows pass but long before and then when the third one pass, it just appeared exactly in front of the vehicle so I hit the cow, probably dragged the cow and it fell off afterwards and I end up in a ditch because I can't see anything because the airbags blew out and everything."
Jules Vasquez: "You didn't fly out of the vehicle right? You remained inside."
Voice of: Elsworth "Vida" Magdaleno, Recovering From Accident "I didn't fly out of the vehicle, I had one my seatbelt, I always travel with my seatbelt."
Jules Vasquez: "Would you say that the seatbelt and the airbag saved your life?"
Voice of: Elsworth "Vida" Magdaleno, Recovering From Accident "Definitely."
Jules Vasquez: "And the vehicle is a total write off, I could imagine."
Voice of: Elsworth "Vida" Magdaleno, Recovering From Accident "Definitely, total. But I'm grateful I have life."
Jules Vasquez: "What are the extent of your injuries? Do you have broken bones fractures abrasions?"
Voice of: Elsworth "Vida" Magdaleno, Recovering From Accident "Just abrasion, nothing broken. Slight little back pain. All these owners of these animals, please tie your animals in the night, especially can't have them roaming on the street like that because it could have been worse."
Vida told us he was driving about 70 miles an hour when the collision occurred.
Yesterday we told you about the triple fatal traffic accident in Sarteneja, Corozal. Police reports indicate that the driver of the vehicle, Amadi Gongora, lost control of his vehicle and hit a Meliun motorized tricycle carrying the Sealey men. They then hit Israel Chacon, who was on a bicycle.
But today a relative, Melvin Sealey, speaking via phone explained that the crash was no accident; it may have been deliberate since the men were arguing just before the incident.
Voice of" relative of Deceased "But my little brother who was driving wasn't drinking, but the other one was when they ran into some of my cousins there in Sarteneja. They ran into one of my cousins there, and my other cousins were drinking, but my brothers they never had problems with anyone. But my cousins were supposedly talking and arguing with a guy from Botes don't know who it is, I don't know who the other one is, they were arguing, supposedly in front of the Chinese shop, that's where they got into a fight, my cousins got into a fight with the guy who caused the accident. And they say that's when the first guy got close to one of my cousins, and he threw a rock and hit him, that's what people are saying, and the other one seeing that they caught his cousin, grabbed him and knocked him to the ground, and then they separated them, that's how it started and then they left there in front of the Chinese shop. They were heading in the direction that they were when that man picked up tremendous speed and crashed into them from behind."
You'll recall that Dangriga Doctor Desmond Arzu is facing a charge of sexual assault on one of his patients. Today in court, his attorneys Brian Neal and Arthur Saldivar made a no case submission, which the judge rejected. The senior magistrate explained that in her analysis, she was satisfied with the evidence on the elements provided, which included the victim's ID of the perpetrator. So two years later, the case continues, and Doctor Arzu remains on bail of $3,000. The case will be back in court on June 15th.
This morning, a video started circulating online of a child being grabbed by a caretaker at the Russell Chiste Auditorium.
What triggered it? According to reports, the girls' volleyball team for "supernationals" was training when some male students came onto the court. Protocol is that there can only be one sport on the court at a time but the young boy didn't observe that, according to reports.
The caretaker was trying to get the boys to wait until the girls finished but while doing so he was met with what he described as a very disrespectful and rude young man. He then began to try and get him off the court. He alleges that the boy hit him in the face and then threw a basketball at him.
But the circulating video shows the caretaker manhandling the child. Today we spoke with Jason Menzies, the director at the National Sports Council who explained the investigation into the matter so far:
Jason Menzies, Director - NSC "We're not exactly sure what transpired, we saw a clip from a video and we are gathering reports from the administrative officer in Dangriga, the caretaker and the police who we requested that the caretaker go and make a police report."
"The sports council has a policy of no confrontations and de-escalation so our employees should in instances where there would be a confrontation to step back or to de-escalate, that is our policy."
"My information is that our caretaker was detained earlier when he went to make a report concerning the father who I believe is also a police officer assaulted our caretaker also."
"For safety there's only one discipline at a time on the court, the girls volleyball was on the court at the time and the boys who came to play basketball were asked to not use the facility as the girls were playing but I'm not aware that he was being rude to the girls."
"Social media, the life of it is instantaneous and so if the reaction is to wait to be reasonable or wait to have all sides then the, that's not the point of it, it's just this reactiveness and therein lies the danger of it."
Reporter "So what would you guys like to clarify as a Ministry about this incident."
Jason Menzies, Director - NSC "That if our is wrong in his action, if he did not follow Sports council's policy, that he will be held accountable for that."
The police department has still not taken the report from the caretaker and the council is asking for a more adequate response from the police department.
When we last spoke with the CEO at the Ministry of Immigration, she indicated that police reports had officially been made about the missing money at the Belize city immigration officer. Well yesterday, Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher said that the investigation can take two tracks, the criminal track through the courts of the administrative track through his Ministry:
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Disaster Risk Management "So I think that internally the Ministry of Immigration has not concluded its investigation as yet. I believe that they have almost in terms of what was happening but they want to make sure that it wasn't a ring or that other persons were involved. At the Ministry of Public Service we haven't received this information yet so that we could start the administrative process of disciplining the public officer or public officers if the case may be that it's more than one person. There are two tracks that the investigation will go. There is a criminal track of course that will go through the courts through the police and the courts and then there's the administrative track that goes through the Ministry of Public Service. So I can update when it comes to public service what would be the next step."
The US may be tightening its embargo on Cuba, but Belize and Mexico have teamed up to send humanitarian assistance to the island nation.
A vessel with approximately $250,000 worth of relief supplies was delivered in Havana over the weekend. It includes Items such as canned goods, batteries, medication and sanitary necessities. As Minister of disaster management, Usher also commented on that:
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Disaster Risk Management "Well certainly I think that of course you know Belize and Cuba have long been friends and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the one that I believe put together the assistance with Mexico and making sure that it goes toward those in Cuba who need the assistance. I don't know what all was composed in the in the package but certainly I'm happy that we're able to help out our sister nation in Cuba."
You used to hear his voice every day on the radio until Brother Fem Cruz was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, making it harder for him to report on the events in the Belmopan area. Brother Fem as he was affectionately known, spent over two decades in the media, but his home was at Plus TV, up until yesterday when he fell in his home and was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital. He was put in an induced coma and transferred to the KHMH, where he passed away around 11:30 this morning.
Cruz was more than just a journalist though - he was a musician, a churchgoer, and a pillar of his community. Today we spoke with Plus TV journalist Ljay Wade about his time at the media house.
Ljay Wade, Journalist, Plus TV "Every morning, everyday Brother Fem is here at Plus TV. If it's not his day to go on he would still sit in the control room in the master room and just watch the show. He would give advice, and he couldn't go on because he was sick, he suffered from Parkinson's Disease for a number of years now, which sort of limited his time on TV."
"Brother Fem took the diagnosis of Parkinson's very rough, it was not an easy thing to accept. He was a very active person, anyone who knew Brother Fem knows he was a talented musician, I think one of the best guitarist in the country of Belize, hands down. No formal training just watch persons play and he would play it. But the Parkinson's disease started limiting him in those areas of his life that he found joy. He couldn't play the guitar as much, he still tried to sing, and he couldn't be on TV as much because of the constant shaking he would have with Parkinson's."
"To see how the Parkinson's disease sort of took away that energetic person that we know was pretty rough to see."
Courtney Menzies: "What do you think it was about Brother Fem that made him so beloved in that community?"
Ljay Wade, Journalist, Plus TV "I think just how humble Brother Fem was really resonated with the people of Belmopan and Roaring Creek. I think as journalists like me and you, some journalists have an air of superiority, they feel they're very well educated, they know more about certain topics than the average person but Brother Fem was just able to break down the information in a way where everybody could understand, super humble, was never full of himself, he had this thing where every time he wanted to interview somebody, he would do a little bow to them before he spoke with them, call everybody mommy, daddy, brother, sister, just a super humble guy who quite frankly is a huge icon in the media, in church, in music, everything he did he left a mark in."
Cruz is the fourth media personnel to pass away this year, after Ruben Morales, Roy Davis, and Aaron Humes.
The Belize Defence Force (BDF), with support from the Organization of American States' Program of Assistance for Arms and Ammunition Control (PACAM), has successfully destroyed more than 2,000 obsolete munitions that posed a potential threat to nearby communities. The operation, conducted between April 13 and May 22, 2026, resulted in the destruction of 2,088 munitions weighing approximately 20.6 metric tons or 45,415.23 pounds. According to officials, many of the munitions were more than 40 years old and had deteriorated due to corrosion, water infiltration, and prolonged storage under unsafe conditions. Some of the aging explosives were located near civilian communities, increasing concerns about accidental detonations and public safety risks.
Military personnel carried out the destruction of 81mm mortar grenades, high explosive rounds, illumination rounds, white phosphorus munitions, and other explosive charges through controlled open burning and open detonation procedures. CEO in the Ministry of Defence and Border Security, Francis Usher, also welcomed the initiative, noting that the destroyed munitions came from both military stockpiles and unexploded ordnance recovered from various locations across the country. Usher added that if the public knows of any potential UXO's throughout the country, please call or message the BDF Watchkeeper at at 610 6037.
RevUP Caribbean is launching its Cohort 8 under the "Conecta Caribbean" program, an award-winning virtual business incubator designed to equip 30 Founders of high-growth potential businesses with the skills, networks, and investor-readiness needed to raise capital and scale across the region and beyond.
This will be done over a 5-month period, and their founders are currently in Belize accepting applications to the program. We met with their managing director today and here's what she shared with us.
Sandra Glasgow, Managing Director, RevUp Caribbean "So RevUp Caribbean is a 5 month incubation program that supports founders who want to scale and grow their businesses and access funding from angel investors this for the cohort 8 we are teaming up with connector Caribbean which is a regional incubation platform working with bridge for billions and what we are doing is blending our traditional 5 month program where we have interactions with presenters and with mentors and with the bridge for Billions platform which is a self directed incubation platform so founders get the benefit of having experts who are working with them virtually and also they can do some work on their businesses at their own pace on the bridge for billions platform. We are inviting applications for founders who have businesses that have some innovative element, founders who have a vision for growth for their businesses they want to have a business that you know is significantly bigger in the future than it is today and who are looking to access financing. It requires about 6-8 hours per week from the founder we meet a couple times a week for 3 hours or so and it is over. 5 month period from July 27th to December. People who are interested, and we are looking for, we are sector agnostic so we are looking for businesses that are climate smart businesses. Technology businesses, service businesses, edu tech, a range of businesses and they should apply to our website at RevUp Caribbean.com hit the application button and complete the application in 2 stages providing demographic information and then information on their businesses."
A major constitutional showdown is destined for the High Court. A prominent local activist is suing the Attorney General, claiming the government has paralyzed the nation's transparency laws by leaving the Ombudsman's office vacant for nearly six months.
Jeremy Enriquez has filed an urgent lawsuit arguing that by leaving the seat vacant, the government has frozen critical investigations into public spending.
Three of Enriquez's own Freedom of Information requests are trapped in limbo.
But in a recent interview, former Ombudsman Gilbert Swaso exposed a bizarre legal deadlock built into the system. He notes that the Ombudsman must rely on the Attorney General for legal defense, even when the AG is fighting the Ombudsman in court.
Gilbert Swaso, Former Ombudsman "Furthermore, I believe it is the prerogative of the Attorney General to provide any government agency or members of the government for legal defense or for any legal issues. So in my view then, you have taken this very unusual position."
"And while I was in office, I was seeking to have gotten an attorney to represent the Ombudsman in that same care as well. And that would have to have been paid by the government of Belize. And if they don't pay, then the Ombudsman cannot turn to the Attorney General to represent the Ombudsman because the AG is taking the Ombudsman, challenging the Ombudsman decision in court."
"So doesn't that appear to be a very unusual situation?"
Enriquez's legal team out of Trinidad and Tobago has filed a Certificate of Urgency. They claim the High Court Registry has already frozen Enriquez out of key case management hearings regarding his requests, calling the administrative failures unfair and arbitrary. The multi-million dollar legal fees appeal is currently scheduled for a hearing on June 18th.
The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future has stepped in to provide temporary relief in managing the impacts of the current sargassum crisis. Through its emergency response grants window they have disbursed BZ$300,000 in financial assistance to the project titled, "Rapid Response Support to Coastal Hotels for Sargassum Management and Cleanup." The project is being managed by the Belize Tourism Industry Association and the Belize Hotel Association, which will support approximately 40 properties across San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Hopkins, Seine Bight, Placencia, and other offshore islands over a six month period, covering sargassum clean up and disposal costs. In a release issued by the Belize Fund details that "The project targets the removal of at least 1,250 wet tons of sargassum per month and the ongoing maintenance of 12,000 linear feet of beachfront. The cleanup effort will help coastal businesses respond more effectively to sargassum blooms and protect the beach experience that many visitors, workers, and communities depend on.
Macmillan Education Caribbean has expanded it's "New Branches" Poetry Competition to an Upper Secondary category, expanding participation opportunities beyond the Primary, Lower Secondary, and Teacher categories featured in last year's inaugural edition. The competition opened just yesterday and the organization is calling for poetry entries based on 6 different themes. Today we spoke with Macmillan's Belize about the competition details and how you can enter.
This year's entries will be reviewed by a two-member judging panel comprising author, trainer and returning judge Julia Sander, along with Saint Lucian author and educator Mansha Hunte-Baptiste, who formed part of Macmillan Education's recent Caribbean Author Academy.
The Dangriga Town Council is facing a major legal battle after a pre-litigation letter exposed allegations of political interference, a literal lockout, and the unlawful termination of former Town Administrator, Austin Petillo.
In a demand letter dated May 29, 2026, Petillo;'s attorney OJ Elrington gave Dangriga Mayor Robert Mariano and the Town Council a 14-day ultimatum to settle or face a High Court lawsuit. Petillo is seeking $180,000 dollars in damages, alleging constructive dismissal and breach of contract.
The letter claims that as Petillo tried to execute his duties in accordance with the Town Councils Act and Municipal Service Regulations, he was met with "persistent political interference, obstruction, and improper attempts to undermine his lawful authority."
The tension allegedly culminated dramatically on the evening of July 13, 2024 when the Mayor or Council agents informed Petillo that he had been physically locked out of the Town Council compound and barred from fulfilling his duties.
Petillo formally notified the Council of his constructive dismissal on August 9, 2024, which the Council allegedly cemented via a responsive letter on August 12, 2024.
The Dangriga Town Council has been given 14 days fto confirm they are willing to enter good-faith settlement discussions.
Mayor Robert Mariano and the Dangriga Town Council have not yet publicly responded to the allegations or indicated whether they intend to settle or fight the matter in court.
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It's a financial loophole widely used throughout government: any disbursement under ten thousand dollars avoids the strict vetting protocols and the red tape of the Ministry of Finance. While the policy is meant to expedite routine spending, it has effectively created a blind spot for corruption, allowing millions of dollars to be stealthily siphoned out, entirely beneath the radar of Ministry of Finance oversight.
We reached out to Minister Mira twice for comment but up to news time he had not answered. But he did post a statement today saying, quote, "The people of Belmopan, who have supported me resoundingly in consecutive elections in Belmopan, have done so based on results, not talk. They have seen the transformation of our city, with new infrastructure, access to better health and education, land and houses. My record speaks for itself, and I have every confidence it will stand against the lies and misinformation being circulated."
Marvin and Lena Plett, they are the mennonite couple accused of the manslaughter of baby of their 4-year-old foster child, Ayana Bennett (Moody), who passed away on November 17, 2023.
"Vida Mags," the charismatic lead singer of the Sweet Pain Band, walked away without serious injury from an accident on the Thomas Vincent Highway last night. It occurred near the Bocawina junction when his vehicle collided with a cow that suddenly appeared in front of him. He told us the cow appeared out of nowhere but his seatbelt and airbags saved his life. We spoke to him over the phone today.
Jules Vasquez: 
Yesterday we told you about the triple fatal traffic accident in Sarteneja, Corozal. Police reports indicate that the driver of the vehicle, Amadi Gongora, lost control of his vehicle and hit a Meliun motorized tricycle carrying the Sealey men. They then hit Israel Chacon, who was on a bicycle.
You'll recall that Dangriga Doctor Desmond Arzu is facing a charge of sexual assault on one of his patients. Today in court, his attorneys Brian Neal and Arthur Saldivar made a no case submission, which the judge rejected. The senior magistrate explained that in her analysis, she was satisfied with the evidence on the elements provided, which included the victim's ID of the perpetrator. So two years later, the case continues, and Doctor Arzu remains on bail of $3,000. The case will be back in court on June 15th. 
This morning, a video started circulating online of a child being grabbed by a caretaker at the Russell Chiste Auditorium.
"We're not exactly sure what transpired, we saw a clip from a video and we are gathering reports from the administrative officer in Dangriga, the caretaker and the police who we requested that the caretaker go and make a police report."
"So I think that internally the Ministry of Immigration has not concluded its investigation as yet. I believe that they have almost in terms of what was happening but they want to make sure that it wasn't a ring or that other persons were involved. At the Ministry of Public Service we haven't received this information yet so that we could start the administrative process of disciplining the public officer or public officers if the case may be that it's more than one person. There are two tracks that the investigation will go. There is a criminal track of course that will go through the courts through the police and the courts and then there's the administrative track that goes through the Ministry of Public Service. So I can update when it comes to public service what would be the next step."
The US may be tightening its embargo on Cuba, but Belize and Mexico have teamed up to send humanitarian assistance to the island nation.
You used to hear his voice every day on the radio until Brother Fem Cruz was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, making it harder for him to report on the events in the Belmopan area. Brother Fem as he was affectionately known, spent over two decades in the media, but his home was at Plus TV, up until yesterday when he fell in his home and was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital. He was put in an induced coma and transferred to the KHMH, where he passed away around 11:30 this morning.
"Brother Fem took the diagnosis of Parkinson's very rough, it was not an easy thing to accept. He was a very active person, anyone who knew Brother Fem knows he was a talented musician, I think one of the best guitarist in the country of Belize, hands down. No formal training just watch persons play and he would play it. But the Parkinson's disease started limiting him in those areas of his life that he found joy. He couldn't play the guitar as much, he still tried to sing, and he couldn't be on TV as much because of the constant shaking he would have with Parkinson's."
The Belize Defence Force (BDF), with support from the Organization of American States' Program of Assistance for Arms and Ammunition Control (PACAM), has successfully destroyed more than 2,000 obsolete munitions that posed a potential threat to nearby communities. The operation, conducted between April 13 and May 22, 2026, resulted in the destruction of 2,088 munitions weighing approximately 20.6 metric tons or 45,415.23 pounds. According to officials, many of the munitions were more than 40 years old and had deteriorated due to corrosion, water infiltration, and prolonged storage under unsafe conditions. Some of the aging explosives were located near civilian communities, increasing concerns about accidental detonations and public safety risks.
Sandra Glasgow, Managing Director, RevUp Caribbean 
Gilbert Swaso, Former Ombudsman