7 News Belize

BDF Commander Cagey on Incriminating Audit
posted (November 24, 2017)
So, while the Acting BDF Commander was eager to talk about this training, he was not so forthcoming about last year's jungle training with the German Army.

That's the one where the Auditor General is trying to find out if BDF Lieutenant Colonel Charlton Roches used his inside connections to have his company benefit from a troop of German soldiers who trained in Belize.

Our information is that he was the BDF Assigned Liason Officer for the German jungle training in 2015, 2016, and 2017. He is also the majority shareholder in his company, called Belize Jungle Experience, which was contracted to provide logistical support for the German soldiers who came to train here.

In the leaked portion of the Auditor General's report says, quote, "Lt Col Roches should be questioned about his dealings with the German Army to ascertain how the Jungle Package being offered by the BDF ended up into private arms via a company that he directed."

The Auditor General also recommends that the Financial Intelligence Unit be consulted to find out if any civil or criminal offenses have been committed.

We tried to ask the Acting BDF Commander about that case today, and he said he was unable to comment:

Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"How well informed of this particular situation are you as acting commander?"

Col. Steven Ortega - Acting Commander, BDF
"As the ministry has spoken that this is still and ongoing investigation the audit and everything is still being investigated, so I will not comment farther on that matter."

Daniel Ortiz, reporter
"Is the gentleman Mr. Roches, is he still on active duty? Is he on any kind of interdiction - any kind of leave?"

Col. Steven Ortega
"He is presently on leave."

Reporter
"Any time in terms when the investigation might be completed?"

Col. Steven Ortega
"I am not sure. I am not the one conducting the investigation. I'll just have to find out when the proposed time."

Reporter
"Were you surprised that this happened, that there was what the auditor general said - some sort of collusion between a BDF he created a company - use monies of the BDF? Because it might have raise eyebrows when that negotiation was formed."

Col. Steven Ortega
"As I said I will not comment further, because this is still being investigated. So it's a very touchy topic to be discussing at this present time, because the investigation is still ongoing."

The audit reports focusses heavily on a transaction for one-hundred and fifty-two thousand dollars. It states, quote, "This is an invoice that was prepared by the BDF Headquarters…for Jungle Course. The questions that have arisen based on general observations are: Who requested this invoice for Jungle Training?; Who was this invoice…sent to?; Was it really the German Army or the Belize Jungle Experience Ltd. that requested this invoice?; Were there any follow up by the Headquarters after the deposit…was done?"

The Ministry of Defense says it requested the audit to see what was going on in this "related-parties" transaction.

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