And, as part of the long delayed PUP counter-offensive to deflect blame and muddy the waters around the Definitive Agreement, the Prime Minister today shared land transfers for properties around the proposed Portico project - which he implied were last minute land hustles carried out under the UDP:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The records are there and I think we'll be getting the documents very shortly, you're going to be seeing the titles that were signed on the fourth of November of 2020 who was the Minister of Natural Resources, it was Hugo Patt. And then afterwards you can trace it, you can find after that most of not all of those lands were sold to Portico."
Reporter:
"PM will you reveal to whom the 800+ acres land was sold to by the former minister?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well if you all have been doing as investigative journalists, you could have found that out a long time ago because once land is paid, it's public document, so you could have gone to the land registry and you could have found it long time."
Reporter:
"Sir but you know the red tape."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It has nothing to do with red tape, it's public knowledge and by the way I am told that that will be made available."
