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Twice in recent days, thousands of dollars kept as evidence at the Belize Police Department have gone missing. A report has been made by the Exhibit Keeper, Noel Muschamp. According to Muschamp, six thousand dollars impounded from a Chinese businessman as forged dollars have disappeared. The other case involves three thousand US dollars from six thousand seized from Diego Witz. Witz is the businessman busted with suspected cocaine that turned out to be fake. He walked from the charge but the money had not been returned and is now missing. A number of persons are suspects but charges have not been levied. This is not the first such report of theft within the Department. In 2001 a well known police officer was accused of stealing money from the department after money was left in a locker. No one was ever charge criminally. The money was the proceeds of an alleged drug bust at a local hotel in which the police had seized some eight thousand dollars.

Channel 5

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And we should be shocked? SNAFU!


Reality..What a concept!
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Just shocked that it was reported....

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Police Exhibit Room Pulls Another Disappearing Act

If you had something precious - that you didn't want to lose - chances are you wouldn't want it kept in the police exhibit room. Over the years, we've seen money and guns disappear into thin air, cocaine transformed into flour, serial numbers on guns change�all manner of irregularity.

And, it's happened again�.

$12,000.00 dollars which was kept in a safe inside the exhibit room, is missing, presumed stolen. Half of it is counterfeit and the other half was seized in an alleged drug bust.

One police constable who had been sporting a new ride and a new pistol recently is under investigation. Police minister Douglas Singh discussed the embarrassing case today:�

Hon. Doug Singh, Minister of Police
"Essentially some funds were missing from the exhibit, from the safe in the exhibit room. There is a full audit being done and the exhibit keeper has been remove from there pending the outcome of the audit. The exhibit room essentially has an exhibit keeper and an assistant, the investigation involves not just the exhibit keeper but also his assistant. So until the complete audit and the review and the investigation is completed we can't essentially say exactly who is responsible but it has to be one of the two individuals because they are the only two people who have access to the room."

Monica Bodden
"Now, how much money has been unaccounted for?"

Hon. Doug Singh, Minister of Police
"At this point in time there are two amounts, I don't know exactly what the totals are off the top of my head but the investigation continues to determine if there is any more. The initial from funds should have been refunded to an individual after fines were taken out and it was in the process of refunding to the individual when the monies were discovered missing."

Monica Bodden
"At this time has the exhibit keeper been moved from his post?"

Hon. Doug Singh, Minister of Police
"Yes a new person is in that post at this time. No one else has access to the room, its only the keeper and the assistant. There is a window that individuals can go to and request what it is that they need and sign it out, there are appropriate measures in place and protocols for custody with respect to any material that is inside the evidence room. In addition to the room being lock and anyone receiving any exhibit, they have to get it from the window and sign out for it. Funds, cash is also in a lock safe within that room. There is no access to the general public, so there are protocols in place, so this would not be a situation where anybody could access. It has to be in my opinion one of the two individuals under investigation. "

The minister confirms that one of the amounts of money, three thousand US dollars, belonged to Diego Witz - who was fined by the income tax department. The other set of money was from a case that involved a Chinese individual.

Channel 7


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Police officer is suspected in missing monies from police exhibit room

On Wednesday's newscast, we reported that thousands of dollars had gone missing from the Police Department's exhibit room. It has since been confirmed that one of the suspects in custody is a police officer and the other works closely with the department. Information is that the cop is still being questioned but has not yet given a written statement. But investigators are hoping that when he does, he will give evidence against the second suspect. The officer, whose name is being withheld, is asking for immunity, but that has not been agreed to. The detained cop, we are told, is the same officer that initially reported the monies missing and that was followed by an official report to the Department which was made by the Exhibit Keeper, Noel Muschamp. A total of twelve thousand dollars have disappeared; three thousand US which was the remainder of cash confiscated from businessman Diego Witz and another six thousand Belize dollars, believed to be counterfeit, that was confiscated from a Chinese businessman.

Channel 5

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Police exhibit room missing $12,000

The Police Department is investigating the possible theft of more than $12,000 which has gone missing from their Exhibit Room, with police officers as the main suspects.

The Exhibit Room Keeper, Noel Muschamp, reported that there have been two thefts of money from the exhibit room. He said he had recently found that $6,000.00, alleged to be "fake" money taken from a Chinese businessman, had gone missing from the exhibit room. He also reported that $3,000 in U.S. currency had gone missing from the exhibit room last Wednesday December 3.
The money is the balance left after Income Tax had taken its portion of US$6,000.00, which police had impounded from Diego Witz, who was busted for cocaine earlier this year. The cocaine proved to be "fake" and Wiz won his drug trafficking case.

When he walked way from the charge, police were to have returned his money, but before that could happen, the remaining US$3,000 went missing.

The Police are interviewing a number of suspects, but no charges have been brought.

This is not the first time such thefts have been reported within the Department. In 2001 a well known police officer was accused of stealing money from the department after money was left in a locker over weekend p was discovered missing the following the Monday

No one was ever been charged criminally. The money was the proceeds of an alleged drug bust at a local hotel in which the police had seized about $8,000.00 from an alleged drug dealer.

The Reporter


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