ComPol on Saldivar’s Denial: “I Am Beyond Contemplating”

John Saldivar

Last Thursday, we shared excerpts of comments made by former Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, following a press conference he held after being designated by the United States government. The U.S. State Department has charged that Saldivar accepted bribes in exchange for improperly facilitating the acquisition of Belizean immigration documents and misused a U.S.-donated Coast Guard boat for his personal gain. Saldivar has vehemently denied the allegation of immigration corruption. He did admit to using a boat that the US Government gifted to the Belize Coast Guard for personal trips, including taking Lev Dermin out on a trip. Dermin is the man who stands accused and incarcerated in a U.S. jail awaiting trial for a huge fraudulent scheme, and is also the man from whom Saldivar had received several hefty tranches of donations during his campaign in the last general elections. Saldivar said that while he could concede to making an error in judgment in using the boat for personal trips, that none of what he did amounted to criminality or corruption and that the police cannot even contemplate investigating him for any misuse of the boat since he gave the authority for its use as the authorized minister. But while he is of that view, today Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told reporters that police have already begun an investigation against Saldivar.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I am beyond contemplating already because the investigation has commenced. So to say that I can’t contemplate is already not true because I’m beyond that. Yes, he made mention that it might have been and at this time, in hindsight, an administrative oversight, but it is the same with Mr Montero. He was the minister and he gave the permission for the equipment to be used, and despite that, he was still charged. Like I said before, I’m not going to be the arbitrar of that. We’re just going to do the investigation and forward the file to the D.P.P. and if she believes that there is sufficient evidence then she’ll give the directive. If she believes that there is not sufficient, then the same.”