Prime Minister John Briceño is refuting allegations linking him to Meat Master, a company now caught up in questions surrounding Ministry of Defense spending. Briceño says he has no connection to the business, despite reports that the property where Meat Master operates is owned by his eldest brother. The company has emerged as one of several ministry suppliers that received more than four hundred thousand dollars through invoices reportedly kept below the ten-thousand-dollar threshold. As the Auditor General continues a review of the ministry’s finances, the Prime Minister is making it clear that he wants no association with the company or its dealings with the government.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I am the oldest child from my father and mother, so I don’t know where they are coming with that story. I think they are trying to link the last name. But there are two different families, they have no relation with us. I didn’t even realize Meat Master was selling meat to the BDF. I think that the UDP is trying to grab on to something. They have been so inept, and they have been so divided. I think they are trying to find, they are grabbing at straws, trying to create a scandal when there is none, trying to drag me into this. I have been very clear. We have given this to the auditor general. The Auditor General was in Cabinet on Tuesday with everybody, the CEOs and the Ministry and she explained the process of doing audit, not this one, because she has sworn an oath of secrecy. She did not speak on that. She just spoke on the process and I have been clear, if this young man Briceno, and I don’t think he did anything wrong, but if he did, we will have to answer. And I repeat one more time, we are not related in any way. It is a different Briceno. There are Bricenos in PG, Corozal, Orange Walk and Trial Farm. We are not related.”
No Briceño Link, No Procurement Breach, Says Meat Master
As questions continue to circulate about government suppliers and military contracts, Meat Master is stepping forward to defend its record. The company says recent reports have painted an inaccurate picture of its operations and is now setting out its version of the facts. In a public statement, Meat Master says it was officially registered in 2022 and built its business around producing and supplying fresh, smoked and processed meat products. The company is also firmly rejecting claims of any connection to the Briceño family, insisting that family members neither own the business nor the property where it operates. According to Meat Master, it earned its contracts with the Belize Defense Force and Coast Guard through the government’s established tender process, meeting all procurement requirements and submitting the necessary bid documents. The company also maintains that every invoice it submitted accurately reflects the products delivered.
PM Briceño Backs CEO Usher as Meat Master Questions Persist
The Prime Minister has tried to put distance between himself and Meat Master, but CEO Francis Usher’s family connection to the company is keeping the issue alive. Usher admits that his wife is related to the proprietor but says he was not part of the procurement process and only learned Meat Master was a supplier when payments came across his desk. Still, the question remains: is that connection enough for Briceño to remove him while auditors dig into the matter? The PM says no, at least not for now, describing Usher as someone who has been working diligently to hold the ministry together.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I have not spoken directly with him on this matter. There is a bidding committee, and the present CEO has done a good job in trying to hold the ministry together and I think it would be a disservice to the ministry and the men and women in coast guard and BDF if we remove him. I think he genuinely cares for these soldiers and for the people for the coast guard and really wants to do better and how we can do better. We have been talking about ideas.”
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