Glenn Godfrey is one of the most discussed figures in Belize, known as the mastermind behind the spectacular failure that was Intelco, and widely perceived as the ultimate government insider who used his influence and connections to fleece tens of millions of dollars from Social Security in publicly guaranteed private debt. Through all the name calling, and finger pointing, Godfrey has been mostly silent, refusing at all times to speak with any journalist or any news outlet, about anything.
Last night, he broke the silence, but he didn't do it with any recognized journalist on any news platform, he instead deferred to a talk show commandeered by one of his former parliamentary colleagues, Michael Finnegan, the UDP party whip/talk show host on Mek Wave and Lik Road, here on Channel 7. Godfrey responded to the findings of the Senate Special Committee's Report and the subsequent remarks made by the Prime Minister. He had a lot to say and to show in two hours making direct allegations, and bringing a photo album, a charming recuerdo of times when PUP brass and him were in San Francisco signing agreements with a Korea electronics company. And tonight, we have it all here, or all the juicy bits compressed into a ten-minute sequence. Here it is.
The man, The Plan, The Pictures
Glenn Godfrey,
"The Prime Minister visited Data Pro one day, and he had gone up around there to open something, and he stopped in and I showed him what we were doing with telecommunications because we could provide our own telecommunication. And he said, 'well why don't you do that for the government and the schools.' And I said, 'well Prime Minister bring your proposal if you want.' It was his suggestion, his suggestion that we do that and we ended up signing an agreement."
Michael Finnegan, Show Host
"We have to look and see who all is here when they are signing it. I see a man here who I don't know. That is Fonseca, that is the Prime Minister, that is Cordel Hyde. That is Johnny Briceno and that is Glenn Godfrey and this a chiney man on the end."
Glenn Godfrey,
"A Korean."
Michael Finnegan,
"So this was done in the States."
Glenn Godfrey,
"The preliminary agreement was signed in the States."
They Didn't Help Me, They Helped Themselves:
Glenn Godfrey,
"The government, the whole Social Security Board, went into this with their eyes wide open. They knew exactly what was being offered. It is not like what came out initially, where I managed to fool them to believe that these projects were fully developed. The evidence shows that they knew the projects were not developed and they, against the advice of their investment committee, they decided they were going to go ahead with it. To help me, no. They did that because they needed the money from that securitization to keep the government going."
Michael Peyrefitte, Show Host
"Would it be fair to say that had they guaranteed the Intelco loan, they would not have been able to secure the North American Programme?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"That is what is said in the evidence."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"So you would agree with that? They had to."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Yes...well not that they had to but if they didn't, the whole thing would have collapsed and they stood to lose immediately, a lot of money."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"So you want the Belizean public to believe that they guaranteed your loans not because you were in some hustle together, it was because they had to..."
Glenn Godfrey,
"...They had no choice they way they saw it, because they needed the money at that point. I didn't go there and tell them, 'please guarantee this for me.' Nobody is saying that."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"So why did they do that? That is very generous to you though Mr. Godfrey. Why would they be so generous unless they are getting a cut?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"I didn't go there and ask them to do anything. You will find no evidence that I went there asking anybody to do anything."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"So they just helped you anyway?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"No they didn't help me, they helped themselves."
The Government Knew:
Michael Finnegan,
"Why has the government backed off and doesn't want the public to know that all of this went on, all the signing in the States with the Ministers? How many Ministers were there?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"I am not going to focus on the other Ministers. I want to focus on the man I dealt with. They clearly knew, they had to know. This pretense that, 'we're just innocent politicians, we were taken advantage of by an unscrupulous businessmen,' is total nonsense.
What I am saying is that the government of the day, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, knew about this project. It had their blessings. It was not unusual, it was something, and I'll have to explain the background of why they had to provide the guarantees from the government."
They Owe Me Money
Glenn Godfrey,
"The truth is, Mike, that most of these loans have been paid. The only thing outstanding is $4 million and they owe me far more than that."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"You said just now that we owe you money, when I say we I mean the taxpayers of Belize."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Yes the government of Belize owes me money."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"The government guaranteed so many loans and have been paying some of the loans that you have and we still owe your companies?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"Yes, they sold assets. And I can't get an accounting from them. I have been asking for months, 'please tell me how much.' I know that they sold one of them for $19.2 (million) but I don't know what they sold the others for."
Michael Finnegan,
"The only person the Prime Minister singled out to attack is Glenn Godfrey."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Well I am a popular target, a good way to divert attention."
Michael Finnegan,
"The only person they singled out is you, saying that his government will pursue civil actions against you and everyone of your companies."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Well give me an account and tell me how much I owe and then I will show you how much I say you owe me. They refuse to do that. Nobody elected me to protect the public interest. The Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, were elected to protect the public interest. I am a businessman..."
Michael Finnegan,
"...And you will shaft them if you can shaft them. That is what I am saying."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Let me finish. I am saying that I am entitled as a businessman to say, 'you take care of the public interest and I will care of my companies' business."
The PM, Me, and SSB
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Why would he say on national television that the mention of your name brought him rage and disappointment?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"I can only guess. But try to think of the circumstances in which this Select Committee was selected. The government was against the ropes. The government was about to collapse; they had beat up on them and they were in a corner. What they did is they threw a bone. They said, 'oh go and investigate so and so,' and they set up a committee that they knew had no real constitutional power. They threw that and everybody went after the bone."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Why would he feel rage against you and say you are an unscrupulous businessman?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"Because that then shifts the blame from him. All I am here to do is not to accuse anybody of criminal wrongdoing or corruption. I am merely saying that I want the government to stand up as a man and say, 'we knew about this project, we plot this project, the Intelco project, we knew about the guarantees, and we thought it was good for the country. It had failed; we accept the responsibility along with Mr. Godfrey. We are not saying that Mr. Godfrey fooled all of us.'"
Michael Peyrefitte,
"What happened to the project?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"The project failed because they did not give interconnection."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Why would they not want that project, why would they not give interconnection?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"That is a question that keeps me awake at night, long. And I can only say that they must have been intimidated somewhere or I don't know why they would not but the fact is they did not. And they did not at the time knowing, because by that time I am sure they knew that Social Security funds were at risk. Even with that they did not give interconnection."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"So you are saying they did not give interconnection knowing full well that without interconnection Intelco would..."
Glenn Godfrey,
"...it would collapse. Everybody knew that."
Michael Finnegan,
"They did not care, they were reckless."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Maybe they thought they had a better solution. Except when the Prime Minister comes up and tries to point a finger with no justification. Then I feel I have no alternative but to get up and say what really happened, which is that this was a government project, a government fully backed, that it was, to my view, a good project that would have benefited the schools, that would have benefited the country, that would have benefited government. But then when the thing collapses, because of their actions, then they back up off it and want to take no political responsibility.
I am not saying that they did anything criminally wrong. I am not saying that they did anything that was corrupt. I am saying that what they are doing is trying to dodge and if that means sending people to the wall, affecting their business, affecting their...they mind sacrificing people."
Michael Finnegan,
"But they are saying what you did was corrupt, what you did was criminal and you deceived and you misappropriated facts."
Glenn Godfrey,
"Let the facts speak for themselves. The reason why those loans turned bad is because government sabotaged Intelco. It is as simple as that."
Michael Finnegan,
"Which one of the Ministers sabotaged Intelco?
Glenn Godfrey,
"I don't want to use the word sabotage. But let me tell you exactly what happened. Let me give the facts. What happened is that the PUC came up with regulations to compel interconnection. The only way they could publish the rates is if the Minister signed on and the Minister refused to sign."
Michael Finnegan,
"Who was the Minister?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"Minister Fonseca."
Michael Finnegan,
"So you feel he is the man who set out to sabotage you?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"Anybody can draw their own calculation. Those are the facts that occurred."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Mr. Godfrey, if you would go through the trouble of, an SI would be compiled, the PUC has compelled for interconnection..."
Glenn Godfrey,
"After waiting for a year."
Michael Peyrefitte,
"Why would the Minister not sign the SI?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"I'll tell you what he told me. He said, 'you can never compete with Michael Ashcroft."
Michael Finnegan,
"That's what the Minister told you?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"And he said, 'we have a plan to do it. We will buy out Michael Ashcroft and then sell to Prosser.' I said, 'please man.'"
Michael Finnegan,
"Your companies were able to do all these transactions with government, SSB etc., because you are closely associated with Minister Fonseca as friends and that you were a former PUP Minister and advisor to the Prime Minister and it was all a big plan, as said by Michael Ashcroft, 'retirement for the boys.'"
Glenn Godfrey,
"Well Michael Ashcroft ended up with the real retirement for the boys. Mike you have to look at the evidence. Look at the original agreement that was signed. Yes, these people were my friends, we served in government today. So I had a..."
Michael Finnegan,
"They are you friends or were your friends?"
Glenn Godfrey,
"They were my friends."
Michael Finnegan,
"Because they have your name out there like 'dutty meat' and are saying you are corrupt, you're devious, you're pernicious."
Glenn Godfrey,
"They are saying that you know."
Michael Finnegan,
"But that is what they are saying Mr. Godfrey. Mr. Godfrey your name out there is like stinkin' meat. I am telling you as my guest here and I am doing it respectfully to you. That is why I would imagine you came here to clear the air Mr. Godfrey. That is the impression they gave."
Glenn Godfrey,
"When you say they you mean?"
Michael Finnegan,
"Musa, Fonseca, the Cabinet etc."
Glenn Godfrey,
"I fooled the entire Cabinet and the entire government and I got them to do...I am a bright boy; very bright."
Today the UDP seized on Godfrey's very direct claim that government leaders knew what was happening every step of the way. The party issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister has been trying to deflect blame, but Godfrey's interview, "provides proof positive of the culpability of Said Musa and Ralph Fonseca." It continues. "they engaged in a particular, willful and woeful breach of their public trust....both the Prime Minister and Minister Fonseca must now account for the entire SSB securitization saga."
