BELMOPAN. Mon. Jan. 18, 2021– Two government employees have been charged with 15 counts of theft following an audit by the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development, which revealed that the Government of Belize had been defrauded by the two persons of almost $40,000.
On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, Sheryl Solis, a Finance Officer for the Ministry of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development, reported that sometime between early March 2020 and July 13, 2020, it was discovered that a total of $35,787.56 had been misappropriated via the Smart Stream System by Emany Sanchez, 29, a first-class clerk from Roaring Creek Village, Cayo District, and Steve Ernest Murray, Jr., 29, an invoice clerk from Corozal Town.
The Finance Officer handed over certain documents to the police, and informed them that Murray, Jr., had repaid $13,643.78 of $17,893.78 which he had received from Emany Sanchez. This was half the amount he assisted in defrauding the Government of Belize. Once the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Police Department was notified, $4,250.00 was frozen from an account belonging to Steve Ernest Murray, Jr.
On Friday, January 15, 2021, Sanchez and Murray, Jr., were charged for fifteen counts of theft.