On Monday, September 8, 2025, Belize’s Commissioner of Police, Dr. Richard Rosado, was placed on a 45-day leave amid the controversy surrounding the Joseph Budna kidnapping case. The move, unprecedented in Belize’s history, followed Prime Minister John Briceño’s review of an initial investigative report that he deemed “incomplete and unsatisfactory.” The decision has sparked a strong national reaction.
Budna was allegedly abducted on the night of August 22 in Orange Walk, near the police station, and handed over to Guatemalan authorities in Arenal. He is wanted in Guatemala for kidnapping and related charges, having been sentenced to 30 years. Budna previously escaped custody in Guatemala in 2014, was recaptured, then escaped again in 2019 before returning to Belize, where he has remained wanted by Guatemalan authorities.
In a September 8, 2025, statement, Prime Minister Briceño said: “Doctor Rosado’s leave, in the context of the high level of public interest in this matter, as well as the grave allegations made against the Police Department and the incomplete investigative report, is proper and proportionate at this time.” During Rosado’s absence, Deputy Commissioner Bart Jones has been appointed Acting Commissioner, while Deputy Commissioner Suzette Anderson will lead the investigation into the Budna abduction. A full report is expected by the end of September.
From his prison cell in Guatemala, Budna criticised the government’s response. “Sending him on 45 days leave is a joke not only for me but for the entire nation of Belize… how could someone be trusted as Commissioner of Police… lending for an international kidnapping of the citizen… This is a joke, Jules,” he said in a September 7, 2025, interview with Jules Vasquez.
Opposition Leader Tracy Panton also condemned the government’s actions, stating on September 8: “This case must be viewed as a serious national security threat… putting him on temporary 45-day leave does not go far enough.”
As part of disciplinary measures, police officer Barrington Flowers, identified in connection with Budna’s abduction, has been placed on interdiction. These steps reflect growing public demand for accountability as the case places unprecedented pressure on Belize’s law enforcement leadership.
The country now awaits Deputy Commissioner Anderson’s full investigative report, which is expected to be released at the end of the month. It is anticipated to reveal who else may have been involved and guide the government’s next steps.
