P.U.P. Demands Removal of John Saldivar and GSU Commander from Respective Posts
The People’s United Party came out swinging today, strongly criticizing the Barrow administration, as well as the Belize Police Department in a press conference at Independence Hall. The P.U.P. has expressed serious concerns that the criminal investigation involving suspected murderer William Mason may not be handled properly since there is said to be a close relationship between himself and ranking members of law enforcement. This afternoon, Leader of the Opposition John Briceño demanded that an impartial investigation be conducted by international detectives. The P.U.P. is also calling for Minister of National Security John Saldivar to be removed from his post. Likewise, the party is demanding the removal of Commander Mark Flowers as head of the Gang Suppression Unit.
John Briceño
John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader
“Everything we know of this sordid affair between William Mason and members of Mr. Barrow’s Cabinet and by extension several police officers, lead us to believe that the police cannot be expected to properly and exhaustively investigate this case. We therefore demand that an international impartial investigator be immediately commissioned. We also demand that a fully qualified forensic expert be brought in to gather and analyze the forensic evidence. In light of this, I call on the Prime Minister to urgently remove the Minister of Police from his post. We believe he can no longer be expected to preside impartially and without fear or favor over the Ministry of National Security, plus his record with respect to keeping Belizeans safe is far from outstanding. While at it, the head of the GSU should be made to stand down, his character is now questionable and also the Minister of Education and Youth by his imprudent association to an international con artist should at the very least be publicly reprimanded. We call on the PM to immediately reinstate the Crime Control Commission to be chaired by the Chief Justice and include the participation of Civil Society, the Churches and other social partners.”
