The country’s top auditor said CK Hutchison owes the government $300 million, posing a hurdle to a plan touted by Trump to bring the ports under U.S. control.

Panama Ports Co., the entity run by Hutchison Port Holdings, didn’t receive required approvals from the comptroller’s office for a contract extension in 2021 and also used a series of tax-exempt subcontractors to lower the amount it pays to the government, Comptroller General Anel Flores told reporters April 7 following an audit.

The transaction has drawn fierce criticism from influential Chinese political offices, including the mainland’s Liaison Office.