Photo: Frik de Meyere, Borja’s business partner
by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Aug. 31, 2023
The ongoing investigation into the murder of businessman Ricardo Borja has taken a new turn, as Frik de Meyere, a suspected business associate of Borja who has been accused of partnering with him in real estate fraud, was recently summoned for police questioning.
Borja, 28, was fatally shot on the night of August 19, after driving into the yard of his Coney Drive apartment with his girlfriend, who received only minor injuries.
A recording surfaced on social media a few days after the incident, in which Borja could be heard divulging extensive details about how the land scam was carried out, and the individuals who were involved. In particular, he identified Frik de Meyere, a Belgian national managing a real estate business in Placencia, as the mastermind of the elaborate scheme.
Borja had scheduled a meeting for August 22 with legal counsel, the real estate agency, and the Government’s special crime unit to present comprehensive evidence against de Meyere. This evidence included WhatsApp conversations, files, GoB corporate seal stamps, multimedia content, testimonials, and more. Tragically, Borja never made it to this meeting, having been fatally shot days prior.
The Belmopan police department took de Meyere into custody for interrogation this past Tuesday regarding any potential ties to Borja’s death. Currently, information on de Meyere’s involvement remains scarce. However, it is noteworthy that he was released a day after being taken in for questioning, with no charges being brought against him.
Interestingly, police have verified that between March 2021 and July 2022, Borja legally acquired a significant collection of firearms, all endorsed by Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams. Among those firearms were semi-automatics, bolt action rifles, and 9-millimeter pistols.
Commissioner Williams vouched for the authenticity of Borja’s gun licenses during a recent press briefing. “He did apply for gun licenses and I can tell you, I was the one who approved those licenses. Certainly, the young man did produce good credentials of being a legitimate businessman, engaged in different activities business-wise, and based on that, in my judgment, I issued the gun license. I have no remorse in issuing that; it’s not like he had used the licensed firearm to commit a crime,” he said,
When Amandala reached out to Williams, he stated, “Borja did not use any of his guns to commit a crime; he was a victim of a crime. Also, he did not have 10 gun licenses. There are multiple individuals with even more gun licenses under both the UDP and PUP, so I don’t see why this is such an issue now.”
He then made reference to the case of William Danny Mason, who owned multiple gun licenses and was involved in serious crimes.