13 hours ago
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While the Ministry of Defence and Border Security maintains that its review found no irregularities in contracts awarded to Mira’s Fruits and Vegetables, former Belmopan Area Representative John Saldivar has publicly questioned the relationship between the company and the government, describing it as an example of nepotism. Saldivar’s comments come amid continuing public debate over leaked SmartStream records showing hundreds of payments made to Jenny Shubra Mira’s business between 2020 and 2025. Although no official findings of misconduct have been made, Saldivar says the records indicate nepotism.
John Saldivar, Former Belmopan Area Representative: “It was prompted I guess by Oscar’s sister making a very distasteful post, contemptuous I would say, of the people of Belmopan and the voters of Belmopan when she suggested that she was screenshotting every comment by voters and that they should not come to her for help if they are bashing her brother. I posted that because I found that very distasteful and having posted that that’s when I started tog et the repose from, I would say, public officers who were also offended by that approach and by that disrespect and began, you know, telling me about all that has been happening and providing me with the information which I published and which I supplied to the media and that’s how it all started. Certainly it is nepotism, it certainly is because they are related to a minister, and especially to the minister that is in charge of the ministry where these contracts were awarded and of course there are others that are not within his purview but those certainly were issued from a ministry where he had control and that there has to be some conflict of interest there in my view. If the process was transparent and legal then he would have no difficulty in disclosing the details of that process. If there was a tender process and people were invited to give bids, then make it public and transparent. Even if that is not your modus, because it involves your family there has to be some greater level of care given to ensure that the process is followed. And so Mr. Mira could have easily and could still easily disclose the process and the details of that process to ensure that if his family members did receive these contracts legitimately and through a proper process that it was done on the up and up.”
Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Defence and Border Security, Major (Retired) Francis Usher, has rejected suggestions of favoritism and responded by outlining the history of the company’s relationship with the security forces. According to Usher, Mira’s Fruits and Vegetables was supplying produce to the Belize Defence Force and Belize Coast Guard before the current administration took office in November 2020. He says the contractual relationship predates the Briceño Administration and, in fact, originated during the period when Saldivar himself held responsibility for the ministry.
Francis Usher, CEO, Ministry of National Defense and Border Security: “The public perception is that there was, or there might have been some sort of nepotism in why Mira’s Fresh Fruits and Vegetables that is run by Jenny Armstrong, the sister of Minister Mira, why, how they were able to get the contract. Now, they were providing vegetables and fruits to the security services long before 2020. In fact, as early as 2010, they were supplying the security forces. Early on in the process right after the government change in 2020 they went through the open tendering process. Miras Fresh Fruits and Vegetables won the bid to provide fruits and vegetables.”
It is to be noted that up to news time the Public Service Union awaits several documents under the Freedom of Information Act relating the Mira procurement process and contract
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