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But that won't stop the PUP from criticizing the performance of the former director of the FIU Joy Grant. FoUr days before she left the office in 2016, she was advised by the Governor of the Central Bank of the looming scam. The PUP says she shares the blame:...

Hon. John Briceno, PUP Leader
"From 2016, then Central Bank Governor Glen Ysaguirre put in writing to the director of FIU Joy Grant that "there was strong evidence of massive fraud and money laundering occurring through this project." The court document pointed out that neither the Central Bank nor any Belizean authority did anything about the massive fraud which continued unabated. Those are double facts. How could the prime minister failed to adequately address the serious allegations against his own law firm Barrow and Williams? as contained in the court documents."

Kareem Musa, Shadow Minister for Legal Affairs, P.U.P.
"He is well aware that there are criminal offences that fit this type of scam. What about the crime of obtaining property by deception? What about the crime of theft of some 100 million dollars. Your government Mr. Prime Minister knew it all and did nothing about it."

Today, bowing to enormous public pressure the FIU sent a very rare statement. It says, quote, "In September 2016, the Director of the FIU received a referral from the Governor of the Central Bank regarding complaints made by a purchaser in the real estate development known as Sanctuary Bay. The referred party was invited to several meetings with FIU staff. During that time, complaints were shared and available evidence provided. An assessment was undertaken of the available evidence to determine whether all the elements of certain criminal offences could be established, and a determination was made that the likelihood of a successful prosecution under the Criminal Code or the Money Laundering and Terrorism (Prevention) Act was negligible….The FIU continued to monitor various persons associated with the enterprise as is its standard operating procedure.

In conclusion, the FIU iterates that matters between the Sanctuary Bay group, AIBL and the FTC are ongoing and will be resolved in the United States. Furthermore, the vast majority of transactions which form the basis of this complaint were executed in the United States, and not in Belize. The FIU continues to be a fully supportive international partner in combating transnational financial crime." End quote.