But "old times sake" didn't stop the former Prime Minister from laying into Portico and its principal David Gegg. He says Portico was going through the proper procedures - but seems to have diverted off course sharply when it struck a side deal with an unauthorized Minister Contreras.
Jules Vasquez
"It is signed by your former minister of economic development and investment. Did you know thet he signed it?"
Dean Barrow, Former Prime Minister
"No, I didn't and the Portico people, I have to say were aware that their representations, their application was being handled in a particular way. The first point of interface was the cabinet investments sub-committee. The Portico people knew that ultimately a final binding decision would only be made by cabinet. That agreement never came to cabinet. I never had sight of it, the attorney general has said he never had sight of it. It's not just that I never had sight, I had no knowledge of that. So, what the minister did was completely without even the knowledge of me or of the cabinet."
"They knew it wasn't approved by cabinet. They knew with respect to the terms that no minister, including as I said the minister of finance, had authority to sign a document like that. How could be hurried to argue now? no man you must honour that. Nonsense. The fact that it was signed under my administration is to some extent on me and I accept whatever responsibility I have for that, but please, the new lot should not be allowed to get out of this."
