Attorney General: Dunkeld et al. must prove expenses aren’t ‘ridiculous’

Michael Peyrefitte

Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte also weighed in on the matter from a legal perspective.  According to the AG, the case will go before the CCJ in October.  The crux of the matter, says Peyrefitte, is that government doesn’t see eye to eye with the Ashcroft Group as far as expenses go.

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“Arguments will be put to the CCJ in the Ashcroft matter, hopefully this will be the last matter of its kind from him and from anybody, actually.  But, as you know, what we’re having to go back to the court for is a decision on what was the cost to his companies for the acquisition of his companies.  As you know as well, he submitted a bill for almost two hundred million, some hundreds of millions of dollars which we thought and which we know, is absolutely ridiculous.  We, upon thinking it was ridiculous, requested of them, “well if you’re saying that your expenses are in the hundreds of millions of dollars and you have audited reports and supposedly you’re audited locally and abroad, whatever, provide us with the documentation to support that expense.”  Your receipts, your invoices, stuff like that to say okay, we can; they refused to provide that.  We had a certain figure in mind that we felt it could not have been more than a certain amount of money.  That money was deposited in an account and the Ashcroft Alliance was told that you can access that money at any time that you want, so that we don’t [or] cannot be accused of breaching a deadline and so we don’t have to accrue any interest.  That money was there.  At first they refused it and I think now, afterwards I’m informed that they have expressed an interest in getting that money.  But what we are about to go to court for now is exactly that.  How much did it cost you, in terms of legal fees, financing, whatever you have to for the Government of Belize to have acquired B.T.L., and I think we are miles apart on that and the court will have to decide on whether the expenses that are being put forward by the Ashcroft Alliance are legitimate expenses or which of them are just ridiculous.”