Prime Minister John Briceño has reaffirmed his administration’s position regarding the ongoing investigation into the Joseph Budna kidnapping case, maintaining that the Belize Police Department retains sole jurisdiction over the matter. During a recent press engagement, Briceño emphasized that Belizean legislation currently lacks provisions for independent investigative bodies to assume control of such cases.
The Prime Minister’s statements come amid growing public scrutiny surrounding allegations of procedural misconduct within the police force. Online speculation has suggested that officers involved in the investigation may have provided falsified statements during questioning, raising concerns about the integrity of the investigative process.
When pressed about potential conspiracy theories regarding a cover-up in the kidnapping case, Broneño adopted a measured stance. “I don’t know if police officers—if it was just police officers,” he stated, suggesting that public service personnel sometimes resist administrative transfers and might make unfounded claims accordingly. The Prime Minister deferred specific operational questions to Police Commissioner Chester Williams, acknowledging that the commissioner would be better positioned to address detailed inquiries about the investigation’s conduct.
Briceño expressed particular disappointment with the Director of Public Prosecutions’ (DPP) public criticism of the investigation, while simultaneously affirming Belize’s democratic principles that allow for such expressions of dissent. He emphasized that the current priority remains ensuring police conduct a thorough and proper investigation into the Budna case.