Leaked SmartStream Ledger Exposes Quarter-Million-Dollar Payments to Prime Minister's Family

Tonight, the Prime Minister is the one under scrutiny after SmartStream leaks emerged showing his younger brother and girlfriend receiving a quarter-million dollars in payments from the Ministry of Defence.
It's the latest in a string of leaks that has rocked the Briceno Administration and forced two Ministers to take leave from Cabinet.

And tonight, it's the PM's turn to answer. We'll have that for you shortly, but first, Jules Vasquez looks at the SmartStream leaks:

Between Nov 13, 2023 to July 31, 2025, 225,454,90 - just about a quarter million dollars was paid to Addy Del Carmen Ku of 61a Victoria Ave.

She is connected to the Prime Minister through her partner, Javier Briceno.

They are only 30 invoices with her name in the Smart Stream system and 28 of them are below the $10,000 threshold

Her boyfriend Javier Briceno shares the same address in the Smart Stream files. He is the Prime Minister's younger brother. He also received three payments in his name in August of 2025.

The CEO in the Ministry of Defence told us he is not familiar with Addy Ku even though a third of the payments to her and the payments to Javier Briceno did happen during his tenure, which started in mid March 2025.

Prime Minister Says

We reached out to the Prime Minister this afternoon for clarity on what services his brother and his girlfriend provided. He called Jules Vasquez an hour ago to sayÃƒ¢Ã¢â€š¬"repeatedlyÃƒ¢Ã¢â€š¬"that "my brother has to answer." Here is the entire phone call:

Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Javier BriceÃƒÆ’±o is my brother, and I will repeat again that I have said and I have been very clear: when the Auditor General did any, we got the Auditor General to do an investigation, an audit, and anything that is found that is wrong, people will have to answer. I don't care who it isÃƒ¢Ã¢â€š¬"if it is my brother, he has to answer. Now, if you want to ask me if I know about the details of what you got or what you don't got, I really don't know. You need to speak with Javier."

Jules Vasquez, Reporter
"But were you... did you facilitate him, or had you indicated to Minister Mira or Minister Marin?"

Hon. John Briceno
"How much did he get? How much did he get? Do you have an idea?"

Jules Vasquez
"They have SmartStream entries for Javier BriceÃƒÆ’±o."

Hon. John Briceno
"For how much?"

Jules Vasquez
"For a total of about $18,000, $21,000."

Hon. John Briceno
"So you think if I facilitated, that is what you are going to get? No, I did not facilitate it."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but then Addy Ku of the same address, 61A..."

Hon. John Briceno
"Yeah, but I will repeat again: I don't know what they got, and the investigation will show if they did any wrong they will have to answer."

Jules Vasquez
"But... but..."

Hon. John Briceno
"What they got and they got, I really do not know. Not even my brother Jaime, none of us know. That is... I just want to make that clear."

Jules Vasquez
"Good. Are you aware of Addy Ku and her involvement of Javier? They have the same address."

Hon. John Briceno
"No, I was not aware."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but is this an address known to you? 61A Victoria Avenue in Orange Walk. It is in Orange Walk Central."

Hon. John Briceno
"Yes, I know that."

Jules Vasquez
"Alright, so are you aware of what is the link between Javier and Addy?"

Hon. John Briceno
"Javier and Addy are in a relation... a relationship."

Jules Vasquez
"So she got $255,000?"

Hon. John Briceno
"Jules, can we stop the speculations? Let us be real here, let us stop the speculations. I have told you that I don't know what it is that they got or what they a get to didn't get. I am telling you that they are doing an investigation, and I am repeating: if anybody did anything wrong, they will have to answer. Period. So let us stop the speculation, and we can stop at this moment. I really don't want to be in a back and forth to argue about this, if it was that or the other. That is what the extent I can tell you right now."

Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but then measures were taken against ministers. Measures were taken against ministers. Should measures...?"

Hon. John Briceno
"What measures can we take then? Who were the people responsible at that time? It was the ministers that were responsible, so obviously measures have to be taken against these ministers. They were the ones responsible."

Jules Vasquez
"Right, but you are the Prime Minister. Did you...?"

Hon. John Briceno
"I have always taken responsibility for the entire government. If something goes wrong, at the end of the day, the buck stops with me. And that is why I said, when that came to my attention, that we are going to do a full investigation. I am the one that instructed the Financial Secretary to get the Auditor General to go and do an investigation."

Jules Vasquez
"Did you ask Mr. Mira to help your brother? To help out Javi?"

Hon. John Briceno
"No."

Jules Vasquez
"Have you spoken to Javier since?"

Hon. John Briceno
"No."

Jules Vasquez
"So you haven't called your brother to ask him what you were providing?"

Hon. John Briceno
"To what?"

Jules Vasquez
"It is a matter of burning interest, PM."

Hon. John Briceno
"Because I will probably call him later because I just found out when Channel 5 called me. So I said I might as well call you one time, so after this I will call him and tell him, 'If you did anything you have to respond, and when the media calls you, you have to answer, period.' Thank you very much, sir."

According to leaks received a short while ago from the Companies Register, "Hugo Engineering and Construction Services Limited" was registered April 4, 2023, to Addy Del Carmen Ku of 61 Victoria Avenue in Orange Walk Town along with Javier BriceÃƒÆ’±o of the same address.

The company is currently struck off the records and listed as not active.

PM Rubbishes Allegations of Property Ties to MOD Vendor Meat Master

And that's not the only battle the PM had to fight today. The Guardian newspaper also accused him of being linked to Ministry of Defence vendor Meat Master. The UDP news outlet alleged that the business is located on a property belonging to another Briceno relative"supposedly an elder brother. However, this morning in Orange Walk "speaking to CTV-3, the Prime Minister made it clear that he has no older brother, and he's passed the case unto his lawyers:

Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I think the Guardian said, my older brother and that. That is something, that we will I'm passing, you know, over to my lawyers and they they're going to be writing the Guardian because I know that they know better that, I'm the oldest child for my father and my mother. And so I don't know where they're coming with that story."

"I think they're trying to link the last name, but, we the two different families and they are of no relations with us. We certainly I don't have any interest with, Meat Masters. I didn't even realize Meat Masters was selling meat to the BDF. So, I think that the the UDP is trying to grab onto something, you know, they've been, I mean, so inept."

"I mean, they've been so divided and, you know, and they're trying to find, they're grabbing a straws trying to create a, a scandal when there's none and trying to drag me into this. I've been very clear. We've given this to the Auditor general. The auditor general is was in cabinet on on Tuesday and with, everybody and the CEOs and the ministry and the ministers, and they explained to me what the process is when they do audit, not this one in particular, because she said, I cannot speak on this one, because if I have sworn I, I an oath of secrecy."

"So she didn't speak on that, but she just spoke on the process. And, and I've been clear, if this young man or this gentleman Briceno is and I don't think he did anything wrong, but if you did anything. Well, he will have to answer and to answer. And I repeat one more time. We're not, related in any which way."

"It's a different Briceno. They have been Bricenios in PG. They have Bricenios in San Ignacio. They have been Bricenios in Corozal and Orange Walk and Bricenios in Trial Farm. And most of them we are not related. So I think the Guardian will you know, weilll definitely have to apologize and quite likely we might decide to, depending what my attorneys advise, we may be taking legal action against them."

Meat Master Restates Open Tender Compliance as High-Velocity Invoicing Log Draws Scrutiny

And Meat Master made it clearer today when it issued a release stressing, quote, "At no point has there been ties to the BriceÃƒ±o family; not as part owners of the business nor as owners of the property."
The release adds, quote, "In April 2026, our company was selected to supply various meat products to the Belize Defence Force and the Coast Guard. The selection was obtained through the established government tender process. We submitted all required bidding documents, satisfied the procurement requirements applicable to the tender, and were selected through that process. We also wish to state clearly that all invoices issued by our company accurately reflect the goods delivered." End quote.
Our 7News review of Meat Master's invoices continues and we note the high-velocity, sub-ten-thousand-dollar payouts. In the 42 working days in April and May, 2026, the Ministry of Defence paid 54 paid invoices for Meat Master.

The CEO told us that invoices are "paid how they are submitted, and the BDF/BCG submits them for payment in batches," but that frequency would seem to suggest that Meat Master sometimes made more than one delivery a day during those months.

PM Stands By CEO Usher

But we do know that Meat Master is owned by the Ministry of Defense's CEO's relative by marriage. So does that mean the CEO should also be put on leave while the ministry is being audited? Here's what the PM and Minister of Defence said.

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I have not spoken directly with him on this matter. As you know there's a bidding committee and I think that this present CEO has been doing a pretty good job in trying to hold the ministry together and I think it would be a disservice to the ministry, a disservice to the men and women in the coast guard and the BDF if we were to remove him. I think he genuinely cares for these soldiers and for the people of the coast guard and really wants to do better, how we can do better, we've been talking on ideas because the whole process, there's a problem all over, there's a problem with the bidding, there's a problem where it seems that officers, politicians, whosoever it is - the auditor general will determine that - trying to circumvent going through the contract process by keeping it at that $10,000 so there's a problem at the BDF in controlling the supplies because, listen when the UDP was there they used to buy I think about 4 million dollars a year for food, we increased it to 8 million dollars and you could ask any soldier, they are eating better than before and it angers me that all the good that we've been doing for the soldiers is shrouded with this that has happened where they're trying to circumvent the issuing of contracts so that they can pay easier."

Bartender Jaheem Dougal Fined Following Violent Aggravated Assault with Pint Bottle

A 22-year-old Belize City bartender and part-time wash-man has been fined after admitting to an aggravated assault that a Senior Magistrate said would have been considered a hate crime in the United States.
Jaheem Denmark Dougal, who was employed at Shisha's Club, pleaded guilty in Belize City Magistrate's Court to assaulting 37-year-old taxi driver Alexander Mejia with a pint bottle during an incident on July 3.
Mejia reported that while shopping at T&W Store at the corner of East Collet Canal and Vernon Street, he was confronted by three men he had known for about five years. One of them called him a homophobic slur and threatened him. The trio then followed him to Lindo's Alley, where one of the men attempted to strike him with pint bottles.

After Mejia reported the incident, police reviewed surveillance footage, and police identified Dougal as the individual who raised the bottle. The court imposed a non-custodial sentence, fining Dougal $805, payable by September 30, 2026, or three months' imprisonment in default.

Convicted Rapist Facing Another Trial For Intent To Rape Rejects Sentencing Indication and Elects New Trial

He was first charged in 2022 for raping a 30-year-old woman inside her home and was sentenced to 21 years in prison for the crime. But now Leon Lamb is back in court on a charge of burglary with intent to rape an 11-year-old minor. He appeared before a Chief Magistrate yesterday for a sentencing indication and was told that if found guilty he would face 10 more years added to his sentence which would run consecutively and not concurrently with the term he is currently serving.

Lamb rejected the indication and says he will go to trial. Lamb's trial for burglary with intent to rape will begin on September 16th and is expected to run for 2 days.

Terminated Prison CEO George Gomez Condemns Sudden Unexplained Dismissal in Statement

CEO of the Kolbe Central Prison George Gomez was abruptly dismissed and unceremoniously escorted out of the prison earlier this weekÃ¢â‚¬"after less than 60 days on the job.
Today, Gomez issued a release.
He revealed in his statement that he was dismissed without cause and was given no explanation for his firing.
Gomez says that during his brief tenure under the Kolbe Foundation management, he rolled out major modernization reforms and adds, quote, "During my tenure I was consistently commended for my vision, my aptitude and my leadership." He adds, "The reason for my dismissal was not shared with me." He said that he hopes his successor will continue his efforts to modernize prison operations with professionalism and transparency.

Kolbe Chairman Francis Woods is currently the acting CEO.

Judge Reserves Judgment in Stake Bank Cruise Project Real Estate Title Litigation

Yesterday we told you about the courtroom battle between Mike Feinstein and Atlantic Bank. The bank is suing Feinstein because they alleged that Feinstein secretly titled the 23-acre island extension on Stake Bank in his personal name, leaving the bank with only the 16-acre center.
Today, Troy Gabb, the project manager for Stake Bank, was cross-examined. He was asked about the project's prospectus in 2019, which would have shown the original placement of the docks as well as structures on the 23-acre extension.
The cross-examination did not last long and was followed by a reexamination by Feinstein's attorney Rumen Cholakov.

The trial judge Rajiv Goonetilleke has reserved judgment.

Judicial Training Workshop Targets Anti-Trafficking Initiatives and Restorative Justice

The Ministry of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs, in collaboration with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Council, the Child Justice Committee, and the Judicial Education Institute of the Senior Courts of Belize, today launched a two-day training under the theme, "Promoting Child-Centered Justice: A Judicial Training on Trafficking in Persons, Restorative Justice, and Diversion." The initiative brings together members of the judiciary and justice sector stakeholders to enhance judicial knowledge and promote child-centered decision-making that prioritizes the rights, safety, and well-being of children. Consultant Dr. Cherisse Francis explained how Belize has improved in addressing this:

Dr. Cherisse Francis, Consultant
"There's a lot of issues, a lot of conflicts and tensions with young people in Belize and across the Caribbean, and it's important for judicial officers to have the knowledge to be able to understand that it's not just about applying the law strictly, but to understand how it impacts people, especially young people. What are the ramifications of that and the impacts that this could have on long-lasting lives for children, communities, and families."

Dr. Cherisse Francis
"I think that oftentimes judicial officers, they have a limited remit. Their remit is to apply the law as it is set out within the legislation. Oftentimes that does not allow a lot of space for judicial officers to bring their more human side or their compassionate side to the courtroom. So whereas a judicial officer might understand or see, as my presentation would have highlighted, that something is unfair, that does not mean that it is against the law, and they might not be able to make those changes that they would like, as humans, to make. So that becomes a challenge."

Reporter
"Belize, comparatively to other countries in the Caribbean, how are we doing in terms of addressing human trafficking?"

Dr. Cherisse Francis
"I would say that that is an interesting question. It depends on how you measure how you're doing. I think that Belize is doing really well in terms of the prevention aspect. There's been a lot of training done by the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIP) Unit, by the ATIP Council, in terms of persons with liquor licenses, training transport officials, training media. There's been a vast amount of training which increases the knowledge on anti-trafficking."

Prime Minister Defends Former Miss Universe Belize after Blowback On 10k Threshold Comments

And going back to the Prime Minister's interview today, he also spoke about former Miss Universe Belize Isabella Zabaneh.
Social media reaction to her recent comments at a PUP National Party Council meeting has been harsh. That's after she suggested increasing the threshold for payments from government ministries to above $10,000. This after the recent scandal has been about thousands of sub-ten-thousand-dollar payments to avoid scrutiny of the Ministry of Finance.

The PM called the criticism unfortunate and added that they will be implementing her suggestion. He explained how the new system would work.

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It's unfortunate, we should encourage women to participate more in events like this and I want to commend her for her courage to be able to say something that everybody knows but because of the present circumstances, everyone is afraid of saying it. Actually under the central procurement unit, that is one of the things we are going to address. 20 years ago the budget was less than 1 billion dollars, right now it's 1.8 billion dollars. There's so much things, the government is buying 400, 500 million dollars of services every year, when you include roads and so it goes up even more. And so it becomes almost impossible at $10,000 or below $10,000 so what we'll be doing under the centralized procurement unit is we're going to increase that number. But unlike now, everything will have to go through one portal, or one window, every ministry has to put what they're doing in there so everybody will see, okay let's use the BDF, the BDF needs a million dollars worth of food supplies for 6 months for instance and these are the things we want. So let's say they increase the threshold for $20,000 or $30,000. If the ministry decides to give a company under that threshold, they'll be able to give it but they would also have to report it to the public and say this company got $20,000 and did not have to go to a contract. So what has happened where you see one company having hundreds and hundreds of payments under $10,000, it would be impossible for it to happen because in this case, all of that will be reported and people will immediately be able to see, hold on, something is not going correct here."

Government Prioritizes Energy Towards Central Procurement Unit Infrastructure

And about those plans to change the system through which the ministries make their payments, as you have been hearing, government is putting big energy into developing a central procurement unit with a transparency feature built into it:

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Next week Tuesday in Cabinet the people that are working to set up the central procurement unit will come and make a presentation and explain to Cabinet how exactly this is going to work and it's going to be more open, it's going to be transparent, and we are going to make sure that we get value for money. More importantly they're going to be stiff penalties and I think probably even jail time they told me if people deliberately try to circumvent the system. So that is one issue but also the law and the policies, the policies have to be in line with the law, the solicitor general was there and she pointed out in one instance where one of the official ways we do it, and she said listen but this is what the law says. In one instance they're saying the minister supposed to approve, the law, and the policy is saying they don't do that, something to that effect but there's a conflict and she said we have to fix the law. So we've agreed, all of them are going to come together to look at wherever there may be a conflict, wherever there may be something that's not fully ventilated or explained in the law and policy, we're going to fix it and I hope within the next few weeks, or a month or two, they can come back to Cabinet and say this is what we discussed with you all and this is how we can fix it."

BIMS Swims Summer Camp Promotes Coastal Safety and Marine Biology in Placencia

For children growing up on the coast, learning to swim is a critical survival skillÃ¢â‚¬"but it can also be the first stroke toward a future in the blue economy. The Black in Marine Science Institute is looking to spark that exact passion in Belizean youths, turning a fear of the water into a love for marine biology. Their fourth annual BIMS Swims Summer Camp is being held under the theme "Building Skills, Empowering Swimmers: Cultivating Confidence and Community in the Water." Jomarie Lanza went south to Placencia to find out how 'BIMS Swims' is changing lives. Here is her report.

They were born and raised on the coast, but for many children in this seaside community, the ocean has always been a source of fear rather than a playground, and most never learned how to swim. But a new initiative by the Black in Marine Science InstituteÃ¢â‚¬"or BIMSÃ¢â‚¬"is changing that narrative, helping these youth conquer their fears and transform into avid swimmers.

Speaking with us today at a training session in Placencia, the founder of BIMS emphasized that water proficiency is about much more than just recreationÃ¢â‚¬"it is the first step, or the first stroke, to accessing many other opportunities in developing a career in Marine Science.

Dr. Tiara Moore, Founder & CEO, Black in Marine Science
"So Black in Marine Science, the mission of the non-profit is to celebrate the current Black marine scientists like, but also spread environmental awareness and inspire the next generation of scientific thought leaders. So you are right in the middle of our third mission point. We have one of our core programs called BIMS Swims where we literally teach kids how to swim, get them more comfortable in the ocean, but then also introduce them to jobs and careers in the Marine Science and blue economy."

Dr. Tiara Moore
"So we have been doing this once a year since 2023, so this is the fourth year doing it, and this is our largest class. We have 27 students this year, and when we first started in 2023 I think we had 5, so it has definitely grown."

The youth range in age from 8 to 15, and while some can perform basic maneuvers to stay afloat, Moore notes they still lack the critical water skills required for anyone hoping to later pursue a career as a diver.

Dr. Tiara Moore, Founder & CEO, Black in Marine Science
"So what we do is do some of the skills that are required to become a scuba diver. Some folks don't know that for you to get your scuba diving certification you have to do a swim test, so like treading the water, floating, doing laps. So we practice a lot of those things during our swim program so they put context to it. They are not just out here at the beach, they are really putting, gaining a skill that they can utilize for the rest of their lives."

Dr. Tiara Moore
"So the program is one week and it is a very intense week. We jump right in and we start right here on the ocean. You know, we have a very shallow area here right on the point, and the first day is really called 'One with the Ocean' and we just let them be in the water. And that is really an assessment for our team to see who is comfortable, who is struggling, who is asking for a life vest, and who is who, and who is that, just so we can make sure they have comfort. Because what we don't want to do is throw a kid into the water that is here, you have those traumatic events and they never want to come back. So we start off being playful and then we start to implement those skills that I mentioned. Tread water for a minute, float on your back for a minute, do a couple of laps, and then also make it competitive because they are kids who can hold their breath under the water for the longest, so really implementing those marine science skills and activities that I use on the daily as a scientist but also making it very fun for the kids to stay interested."

Lead swim instructor, Andria Villanueva told us that many children develop a fear of the water due to early traumatic experiences, such as being unexpectedly pushed into the sea.

Andria Villanueva, Lead swim instructor
"Many of usÃ¢â‚¬"the answers I would get is that they have been pushed into the water, and that is something I want everyone to know, that is not the right way to do it. You just have to be patient and with time, because all of us are swimmers. So what I do, I teach them what their weakness is, and on the last day I take them and give them a guided tour with a licensed tour guide so they can have an idea, so that gives them a perspective about the restoration of the corals, what the sea cucumber doesÃ¢â‚¬"like a broom sweeps the house, the sea cucumber filters the water, it keeps it clear, it is important for us to keep it there. So as we go along we tell them about different sea creatures, the parrotfishes."

And some of these kids keep coming back each year to overcome their fear of swimming. One parent told us that her child learned to swim thanks to the program.

Beata Guzman, Guide, BIMS
"I like to say plays a very great role in my life and in my son's life."

Beata Guzman
"We live by the ocean and he was even scared to get in the water, and with the program here at BIMS now he is not scared. He was even afraid to get inside a boat and I said, 'Oh, we can't work with that because here is where the water, we make a lot of money and it is a great enjoyment for the kids as well.' Now he can swim, he could dive, he was scared of a diving glass as well and now he is not, and he is a team leader at this program this year, and I would like to say thanks to BIMS for reaching out to kids around to give them lessons about swimming and not to be afraid, and also to be safe and to teach others around."

Arvin Rivas, Learned to swim with BIMS
"BIMS helped me overcome my fear of the sea because when I came last year I was scared to go way down, but the people who were here helped me to overcome it."

Jomarie Lanza, Reporter
"What's your favorite thing about the water?"

Arvin Rivas
"They have lots of things to find and see."

While undersea treasures await, some of these young swimmers may also find their professional futures in these dazzling depths.

The camp was scheduled to end today. You can find a link to BIMS Swims on our website.

https://www.blackinmarinescience.org/bims-swims.html

Orange Walk Central Hosts Prime Minister's Annual Constituency Summer Camp

And from Placencia we go way inland to Orange Walk Central where the Prime Minister was in his constituency for his annual summer camp.
For the 7-term representativeÃ¢â‚¬"it's an annual event that's been well honed over his 30-plus years in the constituency.

He spoke about it today with our colleagues at CTV3. 071026brfhcm3

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I'm very excited that the kids are coming out and they're coming out in large numbers and I guess World Cup is on so a lot of kids are out here playing football. A number of them have their Messi and Argentina t-shirt, of course over the one we give them for the summer camp and it really warms my heart, as I told them or what I said this morning that we're trying to have activities for the children because although they're home, they're bored. I asked him what happened when you're at home all day? One kid said I'm bored, and what happens when you're bored? He said, I get in trouble. So we're hoping they come out here, they play football, they learn the techniques of football, and then they get tired so when they go home they eat and then they rest and they don't give their parents a lot of problems. And just now we saw the art where they're teaching them and showing them which is quite exciting, I'm so happy that the committee also the San Estevan village council helped us to organize this for us to be out here making this a success."

"We have the movie night, so San Estevan come join us for the movie night on Saturday and the one that we have on Sunday then we're also going to be having volleyball training and sessions to train our young boys and girls, crochet, we have so many activities so there could be something for everybody and that's what we're trying to do."

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