Email

Print

On Monday we told you about the Mediterranean Shipping Company's cruise line, which - according to the PM - has expressed interest in Stake Bank.

On a morning show earlier this week, the Prime Minister explained that MSC did not want to enter into a deal with Stake Bank in limbo, and GOB had to step in, which led to the compulsory acquisition. But what is the extent of negotiations between GOB and MSC? None - that's because, as the PM put it, it's a private sector negotiation, between MSC and the Honduran company OPSA.

But this move has the Feinstein Group accusing the government of stealing Stake Bank so that OPSA can sell it to an international company. Here's what the PM said in response to that today:

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I need to be very careful. We are not negotiating with MSC, MSC will negotiate with the Honduran company. We have met with them and they are excited about coming to Belize, it is an opportunity, the high level team that came a few weeks ago, they took a flyover of Belize and they were just blown away with how beautiful Belize is and feel excited about maybe coming to do something. But again that's a private sector negotiation that's taking place between them."

Reporter:
"Are you aware of the allegations from the Feinstein Group that OPSA had planned to sell Stake Bank even before it went into receivership and that now the government is facilitating in their words what they call, in his words, stealing his project and selling it someone else?"

John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't tend to read what the Feinstein Group puts out, I have enough to do and I say that respectfully, not dismissively and so it is obvious that they would try to do anything to try to either, A) derail it or try to get public sympathy. The truth of the matter is that that project has gone bankrupted, the truth of the matter is that Mr Feinstein and his group have not been getting along, the truth of the matter is that they don't have the funding to be able to finish it. And now that the back took over, because they have been unable to pay the loan, now another group has paid off the loan, now they need to see how to get that going, they just can't stop. But again, that's a matter for them to deal with, it's in court, and I try to be very careful with what I say."