Well, the Bank has denied it and, last week, the Central Bank put out a release saying, quote, "Scotiabank's management has not advised the Central Bank of any proposal to sell their Belize operations to another bank."

And, today, the Jamaica Gleaner quotes David Noel, the head of Scotia Group Jamaica, who oversees specific countries in Scotiabank International's regional operations.

The paper reports quote, "He says Belize remains within the Caribbean network. It was as close as he seemed prepared to get in addressing unconfirmed reports that Scotia Belize was being acquired by a Jamaican bank. Asked specifically whether Scotia Belize was being sold, Noel chose not to comment directly but instead cited company policy.

"As a matter of policy, we do not comment on market rumour and speculation," he said via email. "In Belize, our focus is on serving customers and providing products and solutions to meet their needs," he told the Financial Gleaner." End quote.