On September 30, 2026 — the self-imposed deadline set for wrapping up work on the high-profile “Mira Millions” procurement scandal audit — conflicting statements have emerged from Belize’s top auditor and the Ministry of Defence’s chief executive over the probe’s current status.
Auditor General Maria Rodriguez confirmed publicly Wednesday that her investigative report into questionable transactions at the heart of the scandal, which centers on the Ministry of Defence, is fully finalized. While the core findings and recommendations of the audit are complete, Rodriguez explained that mandatory administrative steps must still be completed before the report can be formally released to the public.
Under the country’s audit protocol, the auditor general’s office is required to first present its conclusions to the ministry’s chief executive officer, Francis Usher. Following the presentation, Usher will be granted a formal opportunity to submit an official response to the audit’s findings. Rodriguez described this mandated process as a 48-hour procedural step that must conclude prior to publication. She added that her team has already locked in a date for the handover and secured confirmation that a timely response from the CEO will be delivered.
“ The report is done, but this process has to play out first,” Rodriguez told reporters from News 5. “I’d prefer the CEO provide the required information as quickly as possible; any delay in accessibility only extends the timeline for full completion.”
Those comments stand in direct contradiction to statements from Usher, who told News 5 Wednesday that he considers the audit still active and currently in the interview phase of investigation. Usher claimed he has not yet received any formal correspondence requesting a meeting or response to a finalized report, though he added he would follow up with his administrative team to clarify the status.
The “Mira Millions” audit was launched to scrutinize a series of low-value contracts — all falling under a $10,000 reporting threshold — that were allegedly awarded to multiple relatives of Oscar Mira, the former Belmopan area representative who has been suspended from Prime Minister John Briceño’s cabinet since the allegations surfaced.
In previous updates to reporters, Rodriguez already revealed that preliminary investigation had uncovered documented allegations of conflicts of interest involving senior public officers across three entities: the Ministry of Defence, the Belize Defence Force, and the Belize Coast Guard. She previously committed to holding an exit briefing with stakeholders before granting leadership time to respond to final findings, and set the end of September 2026 as her target for wrapping up investigative work.
With Wednesday’s deadline now passed, the key outstanding question for Belizean voters and anti-corruption advocates remains: when will the full findings of the audit be made available to the general public?