ACP Marco Vidal is Assigned to Investigate Former Minister John Saldivar

The new Minister of National Security Michael Peyrefitte told the media on Thursday that an investigation has been launched into the allegations of wrongdoing by embattled former minister John Saldivar. This is after text messages surfaced in a Utah court showing that Saldivar rejected a wire transfer and accepted to go to Miami to receive fifty thousand U.S. dollars. Saldivar has admitted that he took the money as campaign finances, but the unions as well as the private sector have been demanding an independent investigation.  Today, News Five attempted to get a comment from Minister of State for Police, Elodio Aragon Junior, but we were referred to Commissioner Chester Williams.  The ComPol responded that Assistant Commissioner of Police Marco Vidal has been assigned to take on the investigation of his former ministerial boss. And according to Williams, for that to happen, the police first needs the trial transcripts from the Utah court and any evidence presented in the case against accused fraudster Lev Dermen. That trial is ongoing and Williams says they are awaiting its conclusion.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“It is not a fly by night thing. There are things that we need to obtain in order to trigger the investigation. From what I have been made to understand, the matter is still ongoing in the Utah Court; a final determination has not been made on the matter. So once that has been done, we are going to request the transcript of the case, through the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty that we have with the U.S., along with other things that were exhibited in court as evidence. So whenever we get those, we will be able to further the investigate more. I have identified an officer who is going to lead that investigation and I have explained to him what the scope of that investigation is going to be.”

Duane Moody

“Will there be a hesitation on the part of that officer given the fact that it is his former boss that he is going to investigate, a former minister?”

Chester Williams

“Duane, if it is that I have to investigate my mother, the oath of office that I took compels me to investigate my mother. So if I could investigate my mother, why wouldn’t I be able to investigate my former boss? And for records that officer is going to be Assistant Commissioner Marco Vidal. So I have said to him that he will be the one to lead that investigation as soon as we have obtained the relevant documents that we need for the investigation.”