34-year-old Bethsa Ramirez was arraigned at the San Pedro Magistrate Court on Monday, February 17, on a charge of Theft. Ramirez is accused of embezzling over half a million dollars while employed by the development company El Diamante Ltd and Diamante Beachfront Suites. Due to the significant amount of missing funds, Ramirez has been denied bail and is remanded to the Kolbe Foundation at the Belize Central Prison until April 23, 2025.
According to a police report, on January 21, island businesswoman Lisa Guerrero, the owner of El Diamante Ltd and Diamante Beachfront Suites, hired a business consultant in February 2023. The consultant was tasked with preparing a financial report for 2022, which Guerrero needed for a bank loan approval. After the report, the consultant informed Guerrero of several discrepancies.
The police report indicated discrepancies involving several checks issued and cashed in Ramirez’s name. According to the report, Guerrero confronted Ramirez, who admitted to stealing from the company. A consultant was then requested to review all accounting records from 2019 to 2023, during which Ramirez was employed as a bookkeeper.
As the investigation concluded, more discrepancies came to light, including instances of Ramirez paying her personal utility bills using the company’s account. The report also pointed out inconsistencies in the maintenance account, issues with payroll, and the detection of fraudulent checks. The total amount of misappropriated funds was calculated to be BZ$516,962.55. Following these findings, court action was initiated, and Ramirez was detained. Subsequently, she was formally arrested and charged with the crime of Theft.
In court, Ramirez was represented by Attorney Audrey Matura. Her lawyer informed the media that Ramirez is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Matura plans to apply for bail in the High Court to secure Ramirez’s release from prison. In Belize City, High Court bail applications are typically submitted on Fridays.
