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In every situation that someone goes out on a limb to provide a glowing appraisal of anyone, it will almost be certainly true that both persons owe a shared history.  In Sasako's eloquent defense of Kelvyn Alp and Pheonix International, one piece is missing - that history.  Lifhaus has sighted a report on the Sunday Star in New Zealand that provides an alternate look at Kelvyn Alp and Pheonix International.  Interestingly, the report highlights that Solomon Islands journalist Alfred Sasako was paid a retainer to write positive stories about Alp and his dream of an alluvial mining operations on Mbalasuna.

The paper claimed, "Pheonix has fought back with its own PR offensive, paying a journalist and former Solomon Islands government minister a retainer to write a series of glowing articles on Alp."  This allegation corroborates suspicions that Sasako was indeed paid in his relentless pursuit to defend Kelvyn Alps at all costs.

A series of claims are also made in this report, some of which are worrying signs of a fall out between investors and Alps.  An investor who remained anonymous was quoted as saying "He [Alp] wants total control. We're all idiots in his eyes."  Furthermore, the difficulty of finally getting an alluvial operations underway is what is starting to trouble investors in New Zealand.  Investors are now claiming that they may have never invested into the operations if they had prior knowledge of the difficulties of starting operations in the Solomon Islands.

The Pheonix saga is still set to continue as opposition to Kelvyn Alps operations is not only limited investor troubles.  Landowners and former employees are agitated and all of them want answers.

In that melting pot of trouble, one winner has so far emerged.  Sasako and his retainer.  It is interesting to note that everyone involved in this debacle stand to gain something out of this.  Money and lots of it.  The landowners are promised 50/50 share of the loot.  Alp has promised investors and the media that the deposit is among the "largest in the world" while the learned journalist has had his fill from money now changing hands.  Simply put, there is a strong drive by almost everyone in the story to make as much money as possible from this operation.  However, lest we forget, we should be reminded of these wise words - "All that glitters is not gold".

The full story can be read here:  "Mercenary" behind gold bid in Solomons"