Bre-X geologist's brother pledges to clear up problems

Bre-X geologist's brother pledges to clear up problems

MANILA (Agencies): The brother of the late chief Filipino
geologist for a Canadian firm that reported a gold strike in
Indonesia said yesterday "everything will be cleared up" after
the funeral.

The family of Michael de Guzman flew his body to Manila from
Jakarta 11 days after he fell from a helicopter while returning
to the Busang gold find he helped to discover in Indonesia's East
Kalimantan province for Calgary-headquartered Bre-X Minerals Ltd.

The body was taken from Gatot Subroto Army Hospital in Central
Jakarta early in the morning and was put on a Philippines
Airlines flight PR-536.

De Guzman, 43, an executive of the Bre-X Minerals, Inc., which
has obtained a greater stake in the development of Busang gold
mine in East Kalimantan, reportedly committed suicide when he
fell out of a helicopter in mid-flight over the Kalimantan jungle
on March 19. His body was found in a marsh Sunday and taken to
Jakarta Wednesday. Officials said the helicopter was in good
condition and one of the letters they said de Guzman left behind
said he was suffering from acute hepatitis.

"We would like to bury my brother first," Simplicio (Jojo) de
Guzman, who accompanied Michael de Guzman's body from Jakarta,
told reporters at the airport. "After that, we will probably have
a press conference."

"I wouldn't like to comment on anything at the moment," he
said, when asked about reports that his brother killed himself.
Queried on letters reported to have been left behind by the
geologist, Simplicio said: "Everything will be cleared up after
my brother is buried."

"If there is anything in this world, one thing I can tell you
is that my brother is not a liar," Simplicio said when asked if
his brother left any note that said something about the Busang
gold find.

"If he is living right now, he can tell you the gold is
there."

The penny-stock Bre-X company became a darling of the Toronto
Stock Exchange after it reported the Busang gold strike, which
was initially touted as the biggest single find since gold was
discovered on South Africa's Witwatersrand late in the 19th
century.

Bre-X said early this year the Busang deposit held at least 71
million ounces of gold, worth about $20 billion at current gold
prices.

But Bre-X shares were hit after news that de Guzman had fallen
out of a helicopter on his way to the Busang property and after a
company official said the deposit might not be nearly as big as
projected.

"My brother is a very methodical person," Simplicio de Guzman
said. "He is very analytical... All these speculations of the
gold not being there, it's unthinkable."

Michael De Guzman's wife, Teresa, who was among the family
members who accompanied her husband's body on the flight to
Manila, was unavailable for comment.