And separate from but concurrent with all this uproar over oil is the man called Allen Saum. Saum is a shareholder in Miles Tropical Energy. That company signed unto a production sharing agreement on October 12th. But in an interview with Wave Radio's Juliet Thimbriel, Saum said he had to pay functionaries of corrupt government officials $100,000 to get the PSA. Here's a portion of his rant.
Allen Saum,
"The entire government lied to us and the only reason we bought and paid for and paid off government officials was to get it on tape so we could prove to the United States government why it was that we didn't get 17. And I am not giving these corrupt, lying bastards any more money. If they want to take 10 away from me, take it away. I won't get my money back and somebody is going to prison. This is extortion and I am sorry but when you start extorting your people that's one thing, when you extort foreigners, that money was wired directly from the USA to Belize for the sole purpose to pay an extortion bid."
Two developments have occurred since that interview broke. First, Saum referred to Thomas Wise, the Commercial Affairs and Public Information Officer at the U.S. Embassy. Saum said he had complained to wise about being hustled. Wise today told us he did talk to Saum, but only on the phone and he basically the same thing that he did on the radio. Wise says he only advised him to talk to an attorney. As to what the U.S. Embassy is doing to follow up on the complaint, Wise said they are looking at it, but "are not taking any action as such".
The other consequential development is that media houses today received a copy of a letter purporting to be from Allen Saum's uncle, Oren Miles, the majority owner of Miles Tropical Energy. We say purportedly because the letter carries no letterhead and neither does it list any sort of phone or electronic contact. But in the letter, Oren Miles supposedly says that his nephew's statements are unjustified, unsanctioned and untrue. It confirms that Allen Saum is a 6% shareholder in Miles Tropical Energy but says he does not have the authority to speak on behalf of the company.
