Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow told the Guardian Newspaper on Wednesday January 11th that the government of Belize does not have any assets in the U.S. for the Michael Ashcroft related companies, BCB holdings Limited and Belize Social Development Limited, to lean on to enforce a 0 million dollar judgment which was served on the government on Monday January 9.
The judgment comes after the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear government of Belize’s arguments that the Caribbean Court of Justice had deemed the BTL Accommodation Agreement illegal. In March of 2009 the London Court of International Arbitration had awarded BTL over 38 million dollars as a result of claims being made against government as a result of the Accommodation Agreement. That judgment was resisted by government having the former owners of BTL, Ashcroft related companies, take the matter for enforcement at a U.S. court where they were successful. The Government of Belize appealed the decision of the Supreme Court in the U.S. ending on Monday with that court refusing to hear GOB’s arguments.
In a statement by Global law firm, Sidley Austin LLP, and Benno Kimmelman, a partner with Sidley Austin LLP who argued the case on behalf of BCB Holdings and Belize Social Development Limited it states that BCB Holdings limited was due U.S. $27.5 million while Belize Social Development Limited was due U.S. $22.5 million. When we inquired how the figures were arrived at we were told that the law firm did not have the details stating only that they only had the final figures.
In a release from the office of the Prime Minister it states that it, “makes clear that while the US courts have upheld the awards, those courts have no authority to overrule the CCJ and certainly the Ashcroft companies can never collect on those awards in Belize. Accordingly, the Government of Belize under the current administration, refuses to subject the Belizean people to this monstrosity of the PUP’s making, and has no intention of paying a penny of these Ashcroft awards.” (See full text below)
Government of Belize will not Pay for PUP Corruption
Belmopan. January 11, 2017.
The Office of the Prime Minister is astounded by the statement made by the People’s United Party (PUP) on the denial by the United States Supreme Court of the Government of Belize’s petition for a review of lower court judgments in three cases.
The cases upheld arbitration awards against Belize procured by NEWCO, Belize Social Development Limited (BSDL) and BCB Holdings Limited. BSDL and BCB are Ashcroft companies, and the arbitration awards they received were for the PUP Accommodation Agreement given to BSDL, and the PUP Settlement Deed given to BCB. Those awards are unenforceable in Belize since its highest court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), has ruled that the PUP agreements on which they are based are scandalous, outrageous and utterly illegal. NEWCO is a company to which the PUP Government gave the contract to manage the Philip Goldson International Airport. The PUP then shafted NEWCO and took away the contract to give it instead to Musas, Courtenays and others of their friends and families.
Thus, all three awards which the UDP Administration on behalf of the people has tried to resist, are born of PUP cronyism, corruption and betrayal. Yet the PUP now gloats over the fact that US courts have upheld these awards that are the legacy of their unconstitutional and unbridled hustling and self-enrichment.
The Office of the Prime Minister makes clear that while the US courts have upheld the awards, those courts have no authority to overrule the CCJ and certainly the Ashcroft companies can never collect on those awards in Belize. Accordingly, the Government of Belize under the current administration, refuses to subject the Belizean people to this monstrosity of the PUP’s making, and has no intention of paying a penny of these Ashcroft awards.
Press Release
