Minister Hulse speaks on 11 abrupt transfers from immigration department
Godwin Hulse
It has now been forty days since the Wonhong Kim passport scandal highlighted the corruption in the Immigration Department. The matter is of national and even international importance, but while there has been no scarcity of rhetoric, there has been a scarcity of concrete, factual information. It is not even clear if the investigation is concluded, or if it is still ongoing. Director of Immigration Maria Marin said weeks ago at a press conference that the administrative investigation was finished. But Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse has stated that the investigation is ongoing. About the only thing we know for sure is that three public officers from the passport section were suspended just days after the scandal broke. And on Tuesday, a total of eleven public officers were abruptly transferred out of the Immigration Department. It doesn’t take an excess of genius to realize that the transfer of the clerical staff has to be related to the immigration scandal. But today Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse told our colleagues at Love FM that it is a completely normal transfer operation, part of a restructuring of the Ministry.
Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
“That is in the normal process of transferring people within the public service. There is nothing abnormal about that. We have simply decided with Cabinet’s approval that we are going to restructure the ministry and the department significantly. There will be a significant restructuring for greater efficiency, for smoother operations and to ensure that we don’t have the difficulties that accumulated over the past thirty years. That’s why we’re doing it.”
Reporter
“Did this come as a result of the scandal that came out of the Ministry with Kim Wonhong?”
Godwin Hulse
“No…well yes and no in a way. We have, and I want the media to be clear on this…that we, from the time I took the ministry, have embarked on trying to enhance the services. As you know we put in an elaborate system to improve passports. People said it fell down because, you know, this one got through. It didn’t fall down. In fact, it is because of the systems we put in that we were able to put some people on suspension pending hearings before the Public Service Commission. It is a result of the system that Minister Penner could have been dismissed. It is a result of the system. We are continuing to enhance our systems with respect to nationality and the issuance of nationality certificates, passports, etc. so this is all part of a comprehensive revamping.”
Of note is that the revamping has very carefully skirted senior officers and those considered well politically connected in the Immigration Department…like Immigration Officer Ady Pacheco from the Nationality Section. Pacheco’s signature has appeared on all the nationality documents signed by former Minister of State Elvin Penner, at least all those that we have seen.
shred, shred, shred 24/7
sorry no evidence, investigation done, no problem, go back to sleep, criminals are busy with your country.
This is the first time we hear that removing trained staff, who know to do their job, will make the work staff in Immigration more productive. Passport and visa were selling by the hundreds since the new system Hulsie boast about was put in place, and we the public are treated like shit when we go there, but thank God for the new system, we caught some culprits! Honwong Kim was the only one that slipped through, and guess what? Hulsie system caught it! The other thousands it didn’t caught was not a failure, because in his own words, Penner was aggressive taking these files around!
Who in their right mind would revamp an entire department in the middle of an ongoing Investigation? Greater efficiency? smoother operation? That requires a plan son, and one does not formulate a plan in a department as large and important as immigration off the top of your head in the MIDDLE OF AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION. You really expect us to believe you Sir?
i hve been a public officer for over 10 years and who godwin think he d fool..eself…transfers withing public service officers are done during the summer july and august to facilitate those who hve kids in school r who mite hve to migrate to another district…transfers are not done during october i know someone as i speak who requested a transfer over one year now n still has not gotten her transfer as yet..so hello…yeah they transfer these officers as they probably suspect they had smething to do with the leakage of information in immigration dept…deh let the cat out of the bag so to speak…why dean barrow no transfer and charge the ministers ..castro n penner…if it was a regular public officer trust me they would have been charged already…the postal clerk got charge the customs officers got charge so what are they waiting for to charge castro n penner…come on…
Belizeanheat – That’s right, this is what the they want us believe…. Ridiculous..
And the PUP sucks for not mobilizing people against this… Not that I’m pro PUP, both are the same
Ha ha transfer people cause visa handouts not a problem. Maybe they were the ones who refuse to participate in di circus. Hulse the king and addy the queen penner di chief flunky and cadtro di over paid go between. If they goin sell di country at least share di money noh.
But ady pacheco is connected to the PuP so how is this explained