Allen Saum, oil investor, alleges US$100,000 bribe to “emissary” of GOB
Posted: 19/10/2007 - 11:50 AM
Author:
This morning a media organ of the Opposition UDP, WAVE Radio, aired a sensational interview with a foreign, angry oil investor, Allen Saum, who alleged that he had paid bribe money of $100,000 US, in cash, to an emissary of the government so that they would sign a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for Parcel 10 for his company. Part of Parcel 10 is on shore, and part is in the water, said Saum, and his company did not deal with exploration in the water.
The radio show’s hostess, Juliette Thimbriel, asked Saum if he was giving her permission to record his statement for air play. He told her that: “she could write something, and he would sign it.”
Saum said that he had approached the United States Embassy to complain about the way business was being done by the Belize Government, whose top officials, he said, lied to him.
He referred to the government as “these corrupt, lying, thieving bastards,” and said that he would not be “giving them any more money.”
“Somebody is going to prison …this is extortion …we didn’t want [Parcel 10]; the only reason we bought and paid for (Parcel) 10 was to get it on tape so that we could prove to the United States government why we did not get (Parcel) 17 …the money was wired directly from the United States to Belize solely for the purpose to pay an extortion bid …this government told us we pay the money, or we don’t get the license.”
Saum told Juliette that: “[do you think] we are the only ones? Ask the US embassy!” He ended by saying that: “If this was a democracy, this government would be in prison!”
The audio clip of the WAVE Radio interview is available on the web site freebelize.org.
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