Retired BDF Officer Says Bureaucracy Has Long Forced Split Invoices for Supplies

A retired Belize Defence Force (BDF) warrant officer is calling on the Government to remove some of the bureaucratic hurdles affecting payments for essential BDF supplies, particularly food and rations.  The former soldier called into the morning show today as public scrutiny continues over hundreds of SmartStream payments linked to several relatives of former Minister of State Oscar Mira. Questions have been raised about the number and structure of the transactions, including invoices reportedly valued just below the ten-thousand-dollar threshold.  According to the caller, delays in securing approval for urgent supplies have long forced BDF personnel and suppliers to find ways of keeping operations moving. He claimed that splitting invoices is not a recent practice and was taking place from as far back as 2010.

The controversy came to light after records reportedly showed hundreds of payments made between 2020 and 2025 to the supplier. Among the issues flagged were repeated invoices, several payments processed on the same day and the large number of transactions falling below ten thousand dollars.  The retired warrant officer maintained, however, that any review of the matter should also examine the broader system used to procure food and other necessities for the BDF.