Portico Developer Says Contreras Signed Agreement with Conditions

As we have reported, the Portico Definitive Agreement was signed in 2020 by Erwin Contreras, the former U.D.P. Minister of Economic Development. During today’s session Gegg noted that he met with Contreras after receiving word that the project’s environmental clearance would not be approved because the National Environmental Appraisal Committee did not have a quorum when the matter was deliberated. Gegg says the former minister informed him that he would sign the agreement if certain conditions were included in the document.

 

David Gegg, Developer, Portico Enterprises Limited

“That we certainly felt was necessary to get the Definitive Agreement and when I was told after the August twenty-eight meeting, I felt really good about that, and then a few days later we were told no quorum, so we don’t have it. It was after that in sheer frustration and disgust that I went to meet with Mr. Contreras to share with him what had happened, and he said clearly that we don’t have an environment clearance so he doesn’t think he can accommodate the signing of a definitive agreement. I pointed out that the Harvest Caye agreement had been signed without them first getting environmental clearance. The long and short of it is that Minister Contreras got back to us and said if we are prepared to implement certain conditions precedent, including that in the absence of environmental clearance, documents is not enforceable then he would sign it and that is what he signed, the document he signed really was of no value to us because without environment clearance we had nothing to stand on.”