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Tonight makes it one week since 7news broke the story of the definitive agreement and the paper that accompanied it to Cabinet on May 17th.
Since then we have heard from the two Minister's whose ministry's names appear on the documents. But, still, the Prime Minister's actions are puzzling. Jules Vasquez looks at what we know so far.
We know that in March, the Prime Minister's position was that the definitive agreement was binding:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The definitive agreement and I have bot seen it was signed by the minister responsible then obviously it is. going to be binding because it's the government of Belize that signed "
But 10 days before that senior ministers in the government had publicly renounced the agreement.
Tracy Tegar Panton, Area Rep, Albert
"I can share with you I chaired the Cabinet sub-committee on investments, um, and I am not aware of such a definitive agreement and so if indeed one exists it should be produced because it's certainly as far as I can recollect there was no such agreement signed by the United Democratic Party and this particular developer."
Mike Peyrefitte, Chairman, UDP
"When I heard about a definitive agreement, I've been told that there is one, but I've checked with several former cabinet colleagues who recall just like I that it was never brought to cabinet as normally is the case and so I just want to make it clear that if there is one, it didn't come to cabinet."
So, that was known before the Prime Minister said it was a UDP government sanctioned document.
But, still, his ministry sponsored the Cabinet Paper that went to the Cabinet on May 17th - and it was only then the PM says that he became aware of all that was wrong with it:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What I can assure you right now that whatever the UDP signed under the Definitive Agreement, that will not fly. "
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
"But the criticism is that the prime minister should have looked at that document. Why are you asking me that?"
Jules Vasquez:
Because the Ministry of Tourism's name was put on the Cabinet paper:
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
"The agreement that I saw the night before only said with my ministry or me."
So if the Prime Minister has disclaimed specific knowledge of what was inside the definitive agreement and so the Minister of Tourism has gone even further than that to, in his words, "destroy the document"…then who took it into the Cabinet, urging members, quote, "it is now critical that the tangible support of the government be provided through the requisite legislation which government committed to under the definitive agreement"?
That's the story we'll be following up on in tomorrow's newscast.
