A 3-way Dispute Over Ownership of Belize Airports Concession Company

John Saldivar

When the NEWCO deal collapsed, the Belize Airport Concession group was granted an agreement to manage the P.G.I.A.  The Belmopan Area rep John Saldivar raised the issue of who was in that group, but the former Prime Minister and Fort George Area Rep Said Musa shut him up.  Caribbean Shores area rep Kareem drove home the point of who the majority shareholder is in the Belize Airport Concession and his political ties to the current administration.

John Saldivar, Area Representative, Belmopan

“Unlike the NEWCO settlement, Madame Speaker, which came out of a legitimate contract which was signed between the then People’s United Party administration and NEWCO for the management of the airport, the Philip Goldson International Airport.  These people came into the country with a bonafide business plan, sold that plan to the government of the day and they signed a contract with these people for the management of the airport.  But lo and behold, less than a year later, the People’s United Party government turned around and cancelled that contract to give it to the brother of the then prime minister of Belize and his friends…

John Briceno

John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition

“A correction, it was four years afterwards. If you look at your notes properly sir, it was cancelled four years afterwards becuse they were not performing. Look at your notes.”

John Saldivar

“Fact of the matter is, they cancelled the contract.”

Said Musa

Said Musa, Area Representative, Fort George

“Madame Speaker, on a point of order, the minister made a statement which is a total falsehood, untruth that the P.U.P. government gave this contract to the brother of the then prime minister.  That is false, untrue, a lie.”

Kareem Musa

Kareem Musa, Area Representative, Caribbean Shores

“I’m listening to the member for Belmopan get up and of course the same scratch record, trying to say that it was people close to the administration, even went as far as to say the brother of the then prime minister.  But I want him to tell this honorable house who the majority shareholders are in the Belize Airports Concession.  Tell this house, tell this house, member for Belmopan, that it is your opponent for leader of your party, the economic ambassador; his family holds majority shares in this company.  That is what you need to tell the Belizean people.”