Last week Thursday, Toledo watchdog Greg Choq told 7NEWS that works for a Guatemalan oil company were in Belize working illegally and entering without using any of the recognized transit points. He says they were here to install geophone cables and were cutting trails in the forest. Well Petroleum Inspector Andre Cho says that Choq may have seen those men and the trails, but they don't work for any Guatemalan oil company. He told us as much in an interview yesterday.
Greg Choq, Petroleum Inspector
"I don't know who these people are who Mr. Greg Choq been referring to but like I said, the government hasn't issued the permit. The company is not interested in doing what they wanted to do again so they have abandoned that. Whoever these people are, I don't know who they are. My guess is if they are affiliated with any oil company, it may be the seismic contractors that U.S. Capital has requested bid from to shoot the seismic whenever they complete the EIA. We will have to check with the BDF who they are, who they identified themselves as but like I said, it is not is Petrolera De Atlantico, it may be people working for U.S. Capital but we will have to confirm who they are."
Greg Choq says he finds Cho's claim preposterous, particularly the part about having to check with the BDF, because Choq says that's who told them about the encroachment in the first place. For the time being, Choq says they have stopped working in the area and are nowhere to be seen.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
