On June 23, 2026, a Cabinet meeting held in Belmopan, Belize, centered on managing the political fallout of the ongoing Oscar Mira controversy, resulting in a temporary reshuffle of senior government portfolios. As Oscar Mira remains on administrative leave pending an investigation into irregular procurement practices, Prime Minister John Briceño confirmed the temporary reassignment of Mira’s duties: Minister Julius Espat will take over leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs, while Minister Henry Charles Usher will assume temporary oversight of the Enterprise and Freezones portfolios.
Beyond the portfolio reshuffle, the Prime Minister has faced growing public and press scrutiny over two additional controversial issues: a series of 11 payments totaling more than $130,000 from the Prime Minister’s own office to MP Farms for bulk grocery bag purchases, and a pending reset of the board for the RECONDEV development authority, currently chaired by Brian Mira, Oscar Mira’s relative.
During the press question-and-answer session following the closed-door Cabinet meeting, Briceño pushed back against allegations of improper procedure, dismissing concerns over the MP Farms payments as unfounded “grasping at straws.” He emphasized that all financial transactions from his office followed established government protocols, noting that day-to-day payment processing is handled by his office staff and finance department personnel rather than directly by him. When asked why his office required such a large volume of grocery bags, Briceño deferred questions to the Cabinet Secretary, who oversees the government’s payment administration.
The Prime Minister also addressed questions about irregular transaction patterns at the Ministry of Defense, where more than 1,000 individual transactions were processed for amounts just below the $10,000 threshold that triggers higher-level procurement review. Briceño confirmed that the pattern of split transactions had raised internal red flags, prompting him to order the Financial Secretary to commission an audit by the Auditor General’s office.
When explaining Mira’s decision to step aside, Briceño clarified that the outgoing minister requested administrative leave voluntarily to avoid creating any public perception of bias during the ongoing audit. Briceño told reporters that there was no internal disagreement among Cabinet members over the decision, adding that while the body was “saddened by what has happened,” governing in the public interest remains the top priority. He also reaffirmed his confidence in Mira’s political future, stating that Mira had performed strong work as Home Affairs Minister and remains politically viable in Belmopan, expecting Espat to continue the policy work Mira initiated.
Briceño also confirmed that the reconfigured RECONDEV Board will be sworn in within days, with full appointments finalized by early next week. The meeting marked a rare moment of public transparency for the Belizean Cabinet as it works to contain political damage from the unfolding scandal, even as opposition and press figures continue to press for more detailed answers about the controversial transactions.