Opposition, Chamber of Commerce condemn S.S.B. loan

The B.T.L. issue simmered today as members of the National Trade Union Congress met late this evening to decide what to do about their two representatives on the Social Security Board, Antonio Gonzales and Horris Patten, who failed to oppose a ten million dollar S.S.B. loan to Sunshine Holdings to buy shares in the telecommunications company. Sunshine, according to Utilities Minister Ralph Fonseca, is a corporate entity that will own the shares in trust for B.T.L.’s workers, when and if they decide to buy them. Until that time, the trustees will be appointed jointly by government and the Michael Ashcroft owned Belize Bank. Today a number of entities weighed in on the loan, including the Opposition U.D.P., which condemned it, as did the Chamber of Commerce. Michael Ashcroft issued a rare press release informing anyone who was interested that he has no economic interest in Sunshine, while Jeffrey Prosser, who has been described as “Michael Ashcroft without money” made a tongue in cheek offer to the Social Security Board to borrow money at terms more favourable to the S.S.B. than Sunshine was offering. As concerns the investigation into B.T.L.’s missing seven point four million dollars, dispersed by former C.E.O. Gaspar Aguilar, News Five understands that a number of people were roused from their beds and questioned by police, about both the B.T.L. cash and two hundred passports stolen from the Immigration Department.