Due diligence checks not foolproof

Bridgetown.

Prime Minister Freundel Stuart  told the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) luncheon  yesterday, it is difficult to protect the country from large foreign investors who may not have  capital to complete muti million dollar projects in Barbados.

Stuart told the luncheon the Four Seasons project was a challenge for his administration.

"It is very difficult to determine  when people come here to invest, how credible they are and whether we have covered all of the bases in terms of the information which is given to us. We do due diligence, which mean that we  have checked out the people and certified that they are trustworthy and certified that they are trustworthy and that you can allow them to have their way in terms of investing in the country, sometime one or two persons will slip through your net and you will find yourself in the situation in which we find ourselves now", Stuart said.

The Prime Minister said he was not aware of any legislative mechanism that could be introduced to prevent incidents like what took place at Four Seasons from occurring.