Yesterday the Citrus Growers association mounted a sizeable protest
principally against the Chief Executive Officer of Citrus Products of Belize
Limited, Dr. Henry Canton. And in the middle of it all, Sir Allan Fields and
Richard Cozier also got roughed up. They are the Barbadian executives from Banks
Holdings which owns 46% of Citrus Products. They are not so much the focus of
the fury but they are in the center of the controversy, in fact the protest
was staged to coincide with their visit. They came for a board meeting and for
a meeting with the Prime Minister. They finished with those this morning and
invited a select group from the media to an informal press briefing. First off,
they said that they were not at all moved by yesterday’s protest.
Adele Ramos, Amandala
“Were you in anyway moved by yesterday’s protest?”
Richard Cozier
“We weren’t in that area.”
Sir Allan Fields,
“I got the impression that it was largely people that were not connected
with the industry that were bussed in and it seems strange that a protest that
was supposed to last two days last three hours and it was officially abandoned.”
And that’s the stormy, no nonsense approach that Sir Allan Fields and
Richard Cozier – executives of Banks Holding brought to today’s
discussion about the dispute between the CGA and the CPBL. They were staunch
in their support of embattled CEO Dr. Henry Canton.
Sir Allan Fields,
“Dr. Henry Canton is there as a director as per his contract which
was signed by Mr. Jenkins back in 2002. So for us to side with the CGA in removing 
Dr. Canton meant that we are participating in breaking a legally binding agreement.
We cannot and will not do that.”
Richard Cozier,
“Dr. Canton has a right, by virtue of his employment contract that
he sits on the Board. You just cannot break his employment contract in exercising
your rights or you will be trampling on the rights to exercise yours and that’s
not what is done.”
Sir Allan Fields,
“Now if you put that aside and you say to yourself that if they want
to get rid of people why it isn’t their right to do so and why they can’t
do so. if they were satisfied with removing Frank Redmond and Mike Duncker,
both of those gentlemen are ready to step down and they can fill those slots,
they can do it tomorrow morning. The fact of the matter is that that will not
satisfy them, they want to move the three directors.
But when you take into account the fact that both Frank Redmond and Mike
Duncker had offered to resign and be replaced by two others persons and we have
accepted that, it is no problem, they are adamant that all three go or it is
none.”
And while that is the first we have heard of Duncker and Redmond’s willingness
to step down – Fields and Cozier made another tactical move; they pushed
for the CGA to distribute its shareholdings to small farmers.
Sir Allan Fields,
“At their AGM in December they said categorically that they would
love to distribute the shares in trust to the small farmers but Banks Holdings
would block them. There is no truth in that and we reiterate again here today
to you journalists that Banks Holdings would welcome and encourage that CGA
should distribute those trust shares to the small growers who they belong to.”
Adele Ramos,
“How do you reconcile that you are pro-growers but yet you have not aligned 
yourself with a decision by growers to have their three directors replaced?”
Sir Allan Fields,
“We do not have any intention of breaking a legally binding agreement
which we are signatories to.”
Richard Cozier,
“You are asking us to get up and join the rank and agree with you
that we’ll agree to break the law. We can’t agree with you to break
the law.”
And while they are asking for peace on their terms – they are preparing
for war – or at least arbitration on all other fronts.
Sir Allan Fields,
“They’ve refused to meet with us.”
Adele Ramos,
“So you’re saying that arbitration is the way forward in your point
of view?”
Sir Allan Fields,
“Legally speaking we believe that arbitration should be the next phase,
the next phase of the process. We’ve reached a stalemate, it is not in
the best interest of Belize as a country, it is not in the best interest of
CPBL as a company and it is not in the interest of us as shareholders.”
And while that’s where its inevitable headed – the executives asked
– what’s it all about really? After all the directors will have
to change at an AGM top be held at the end of April:
Sir Allan Fields,
“Come April 29th they can put on whatever five members they want to
put on, they do not have to return Dr. Canton, they just have to accept the
consequences. Why are they spending all this time and money and aggravation
and distracting management when in two months there will be an AGM. Why are
they doing it now? Why the protest? Why hurting Belize the country they live?
Why hurting the company they’ve invested in? All for the sake of two months?”
Of their meeting with the Prime Minister, Cozier and Fields said that
it was “interesting and enlightening that the Prime Minister understands
the situation and his hands are tied.” Speaking with us today the PM confirmed
that as it relates to the impasse between who controls the board of the Citrus
Growers Association, indeed his hands are tied. But as it related to the matter
of the sustained viability of the Citrus Growers Association the government
is determined to ensure that the Growers Association does not fail and the government
will also uphold the principle of one man/one-vote as regards voting rights
within the association.
As for Cozier and Fields they left the country this afternoon but will
be back for the Annual General Meeting at the end of April – which is
sure to be contentious.
Email
Print