Lord Neal Benjamin Gibson, his website says he's a businessman, humanitarian and philanthropist. He is an international businessman with an interest in Belizean politics, specifically the UDP's recently elected Cayo South standard bearer Ralph Huang. Huang has called Gibson a great friend and says they work together on many projects. But, one of Gibson's companies is blacklisted by the Central Bank, and other sources say that he's more of an imaginer - than a real investor. Today we asked the Prime Minister about his influence on the UDP and Huang. It's been all over facebook and in the media, but the PM was surprised to learn of it:..
Reporter
"Lord Neal Benjamin Gibson, since Mr. Ralph Huang won the convention, that name has come up as having put quite a bit of money into his campaign, he admitted it. Yes he did. He spoke to Love FM and he said he admitted."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I didn't know."
Reporter
"Do you have any sort of comment to that?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"On campaign financing?"
Jules Vasquez
"On as it relates to Ralph Huang and him being finance by someone who is then blacklisted by the central bank. His company has been blacklisted by the central bank."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Well, I would certainly want to find out from Ralph Huang the extent of the contribution. I don't know that this Lord Neal Gibson has even been convicted of anything is persona non grata anywhere. I know that the central bank (I think he has 2 outfits, one called a bank and trust and he has an outfit that does offshore as well) - there was some little contra taw with the central bank and they in fact refused to give him a license, but I would imagine that's something that happens fairly often and for various reasons."
Jules Vasquez
"Is it a concern to you that he is plying influence in your party? I know the minister of investment has also written a letter on his behalf saying that he try to exculpate him with the central bank."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"No, as I understand it the minister says that he wrote a letter drawing a distinction between the two entities that this Lord Neal Gibson is involved in. I think it was one entity that had a problem with the central bank in terms of trying to get a license which was refused, but the other as I understand it has a license as a sort of international service provider. If that's all the minister did, he didn't do anything wrong."
For more of Lord Gibson's enthusiastic embrace of Huang, you'd have to see his quite hilarious website. You can find a link to that at 7newsbelize.com
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