A.C.P. Vidal Approved for Early Retirement
A.C.P. Marco Vidal is going on early retirement. On Friday, the Governor General of Belize approved his application for early retirement. The Department is now in talks with his attorney to settle on a retirement package. But, is this a simple slap on the wrist for A.C.P. Vidal who was also the subject of an investigation into a drug plane landing that saw four officers from his COST team arrested and charged? Is A.C.P. Vidal being let off the hook while being awarded a handsome retirement package? Well, Kareem Musa, the Minister of Home Affairs, says the investigation found that A.C.P. Vidal had no involvement in the landing of the drug plane. The investigation was conducted by members of the Anti-Narcotic Unit in collaboration with the D.E.A. When we caught up with the Minister on Saturday, this is what he told us.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industry
“As you know the investigation specifically into A.C.P. Vidal’s involvement or none involvement in the drug plane landing, there was nothing uncovered in that investigation, but I can confirm that we are in talks with his attorney at law to have him go into early retirement.”
Reporter
“But it is you all that had ninety days and failed to produce any investigation.”
Kareem Musa
“Produce it to you?”
A.C.P. Marco Vidal
Reporter
“Produce it to the Security Services Commission. You all made public allegations against this man, the Commissioner and yourself that there were administrative irregularities. You had ninety days to produce something to the Security Commission and you failed.”
Kareem Musa
“I don’t know that that is the case. What I am telling you is that there were no criminal wrong doing that was uncovered, and as such we are in talks like I said with his attorney to have that matter settled.”
Reporter
“But, we have a sovereign level failure, a sovereign level exposure of Belize as high levels agents of state facilitating the landing of drug planes that is the allegation. You mean out of the sovereign level embarrassment, unu can’t come up with anything concrete sir?”
Kareem Musa
“I don’t know if you were there, but you saw the police officers who were arrested and charged. I don’t see how you have arrived at the conclusion that we have not arrested and charged.”
Reporter
“These officers were allowed to operate with impunity by Mr. Vidal, empowered by Mr. Williams, with your acquiescence.”
Kareem Musa
“Absolutely not.”
Reporter
“They move at the country with will and at whim.”
Kareem Musa
“I would not agree with you at all on that. I know you have put that to the Commissioner of Police in the past and he has said he is not one that micro manages. I don’t think you expect me as Minister to be following around these officers to see what exactly they are doing in their course of duties. There were never any reports made. I know there were rumors of them acting with impunity. And, if those have materialized into formal allegations then formal actions could have been taken at a disciplinary level within the Police Department. But, there is nothing on file.”
