CabSec ordered to review contracts shown to ministers

Amid the allegations of impropriety being hurled at the Government of Belize regarding the awarding of separate concessions to two local petroleum prospectors, tonight we understand that the government has launched an investigation into the matter. Sources tell News Five that Cabinet Secretary Bobby Leslie has been instructed to review the product sharing agreements presented by Minister of Natural Resources Florencio Marin at the June fifth Cabinet meeting. It is hoped that that examination will reveal whether the documents that were eventually signed were approved in their present form by the executive or altered after the meeting. Former Minister Johnny Briceño is claiming that when he resigned on June fourth the Petroleum Office had suggested a contract significantly different from those offered to local applicants—ZMT International and BCH International. Earlier this week, the opposition United Democratic Party presented those documents to the media, accusing G.O.B. of deliberately agreeing to a deal that was extraordinarily more favourable than those granted to other recent applicants. Principals of the companies are businessmen Zaid Flores, Michael Duncker, and Antonio Zabaneh. Attempts to contact both the Prime Minister and Minister Marin for comment regarding the contracts were unsuccessful today as they were on a tour of the Belize Rural North constituency.