Immigration Officer Investigated for Questionable Conduct

Earlier this week, a video that was leaked, showing an immigration officer cutting up what appears to be a white powdery substance, went viral. The video shows a disheveled-looking officer in a bedroom setting, apparently commenting on the drug she appeared to be mincing with a card. Late this evening, attorney Nazira Myles, acting on behalf of the immigration officer, Sheree Flores, issued a press release chastising the media for what she described as an attack on Flores’ good name and reputation as a Woman Immigration Officer and Public Servant. The release states that the people who initially spread the information about Flores were those from her own workplace who “with ill motive and malice have disseminated a video which is not recent and fails to expose the true circumstances of the event on the date of the video”. The release goes on to state that Flores categorically denies any of the allegations made by these persons and the media that she is seen using an immigration card to cut a line of cocaine and any repeat of publication of extortion which she has also been accused of committing. Flores, the release continues, demands that a proper investigation be conducted by the Minister and the Director of Immigration on those persons who have attempted to tarnish her reputation. Flores accuses her co-workers of ill actions which started when she helped the Department to uncover dishonest acts among officers of the Department. Finally, it states that Flores has filed police reports against these persons and is in the process of commencing court actions against people who continue to defame her name. Meanwhile, the second video of a man claiming that the same immigration officer extorted money from him also went viral. The videos certainly put a bad image on the immigration officer and the Minister of Immigration, Eamon Courtenay is not pleased with what the video portrays. He says that an investigation is already underway but that the Public Service Commission has to lead the way since she is a public officer.

Eamon Courtenay

Eamon Courtenay, Minister of Immigration

“That officer is under the proper procedure for there to be an investigation as to what has happened. The videos speak quite a lot, so I don’t expect it’s going to be a very long investigation, but the Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over that type of thing. The Chief Executive Officer updated me yesterday on the steps that they have taken in relation to that officer. I will be a bit frank. What I saw is not acceptable as far as I’m concerned.”