GOB Moves to Recover $1M Missing from Solid Waste Management Authority

Government has been advised to commence efforts to recover the over one million dollars misappropriated from the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority. Last year, the Briceno Administration learned that the monies had been taken by one of the organization’s former director. We understand that the director had been placed on administrative leave during the investigation and has since been dismissed from the Public Service. Since her dismissal, there has not been much information divulged on the matter. Today, Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, provided additional details on the matter and how the government may look to recover the missing monies. 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “There was allegations made against the Director of the Solid Waste Management Department. The matter did go through the proper disciplinary procedures in the Public Service Commission and that individual was dismissed from the public service. I believe that she’s now appealing that dismissal to the Belize Advisory Council but from what I understand the commission listened, gave her an opportunity to explain and the decision was made by the commission to dismiss her.”

Reporter: Is the government looking to recover any of the funds that may have gone missing or any of the funds that may have allegedly been misappropriated? 

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service: “So that’s a good question and the commission has recommended to the ministry to initiate a civil claim for these funds so I think that is important. I don’t know the status if a claim has been made as yet but I think that is important because as I explained on The Morning Show this morning the government does have the opportunity to proceed in two ways; one to bring a civil claim or through the regulations to do what is called a surcharge against that individual to try to recover some of the funds that may have been misappropriated. So would certainly encourage the Ministry of Sustainable Development to look into that and we would then be following it up.” 

Notably, in August 2024, the government issued a press release stating that the Ministry of Public Service would have been provided with the relevant information.