A deepening corruption scandal within the Belize Police Department escalated dramatically on Friday as legal representatives for Police Constable Gabriel Pou issued a vehement rebuttal to Commissioner Richard Rosado. The confrontation centers on the controversial Budna kidnapping investigation, with Pou’s attorneys alleging systematic evidence manipulation and political interference.
Pou’s legal team contends their client was coerced into providing falsified testimony, directly challenging Commissioner Rosado’s recent appeal for officers to come forward with information. In a scathing statement, they accused the police commissioner of orchestrating a disingenuous campaign that suppresses critical evidence rather than pursuing transparent truth-finding measures.
Prime Minister John Briceño addressed the mounting controversy during a press briefing, delivering blunt advice to the accused officer: “He needs to go to the DPP [Director of Public Prosecutions]. That’s his right and legal responsibility. He should stop just hurling these accusations. He either steps up or shuts up.”
The Prime Minister revealed that while Cabinet discussions regarding an independent investigator for the Budna case began in December, the process remains with the Attorney General’s office. Briceño emphasized the complexity of establishing proper legal safeguards for such investigations, noting concerns about potential future political weaponization of special investigative powers. “We must ensure that when this is implemented, it can only be utilized for serious investigations that genuinely require independent oversight,” Briceño stated, specifically referencing the Budna case as potentially meeting that threshold.