The public hearing sessions of the Senate Special Select Committee on the Portico Definitive Agreement finally resumed today. The highlight was the appearance as second witness of David Gegg, the developer behind the Port of Magical Belize project that required the signing of the definitive agreement.
He appeared with attorney Andrew Bennett at his side.
Gegg reported to the Committee that he had a change of heart about appearing despite Senator Janelle Chanona chairing the committee. He said it is high time the facts be shared with the Belizean people. He affirmed he was attending the committee with clean hands.
Gegg narrated that the plan for Port Magical was developed with consultants in Miami. The communication with the Government, he says, started in June 2017. He says there were subsequent meetings, including with then Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who instructed that an MOU be prepared. Senator Stephen Duncan arranged the meeting. After that, Gegg shared he secured endorsements for the project from cruise executives and then made links with Boskalis which bought into the project with an agreement being signed in May 2019. He noted that in December 2019, he and Boskalis reps met with PM Barrow.
Fast forward to 2020, the year of the general elections. Gegg says the environmental clearance process was proceeding smoothly and they had no reason to believe it would be denied. They had submitted their ESIA in March of 2020. They were subsequently called to make supplemental information and he attended four meetings of the National Environmental Appraisal Committee. They finally learned the project had been approved in August 28, 2020. However, there were soon some hurdles.
While the environmental clearance project was ongoing, they retained Morales Peyrefitte LLP to draft the Definitive Agreement.
Gegg told the Committee that, regarding his knowledge of Minister Contreras being able to sign the DA, he did not know of any protocols or procedures the government may have had, but he knew that Contreras was an elected representative and the substantive minister. He stated, “he was an agent of the state.”
