Opposition Leader Writes to Royal Caribbean, Again
Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow has written once again to the Royal Caribbean Group, this time in a letter addressed to the chairman of the audit committee. In the most recent communication, dated August 18th, 2023, Barrow informs William Kimsey of the United Democratic Party’s concern regarding the validity of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Government of Belize, Portico Enterprises Limited and Boskalis International. Optimistic that the U.D.P. will take office in 2025, the Leader of the Opposition warns that should the company proceed with the shady arrangement with Portico, his administration will be forced to, “review and, if necessary, cancel this project”. Elsewhere in the letter, Barrow goes on to say that, quote, RCG’s MOU with Portico and Boskalis had its genesis in corruption. RCG’s MOU with Portico is predicated on its fraudulent and unlawful Definitive Agreement signed between Portico’s David Gegg and a former minister of the then government, one month before the P.U.P. won the General Election in November 2020, end quote. Barrow continues to give details about the public controversy that raged in the wake of statements made by former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, former Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte and former Chair of Cabinet Investment Subcommittee Tracy Panton regarding, “the secret signing of the agreement”. The Opposition Leader also informs Kimsey of the upcoming senate inquiry where a committee has been established to inquire into the circumstances of how Portico got the Definitive Agreement signed by the former U.D.P. minister. He ends by calling on RCG to end its involvement in the Port of Magical Belize project which he describes as conceived in and sustained by corruption.