Why Senate Cannot Investigate David Nanes Schnitzer

David Nanes Schnitzer

David Nanes Schnitzer – his name is back in the news in a big way after his recent re-capture by international authorities and return to Mexico to face fraud charges. He was in Belize and caught with various fraudulent documents, including Belizean nationality and a passport which have since been revoked, according to Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse. But information has surfaced of an internal memo of the Ministry of Immigration and the file of his nationality application and passport application showing where the department fell down. Nanes’ name is featured tangentially in the Auditor General’s Report, but according to Senate Special Select Committee chairman Aldo Salazar, his case is not directly tied to the allegations being made and as such should not be investigated by the Senate – though that does not mean, he said, they should not be investigated at all.

Aldo Salazar

Aldo Salazar, Chair, Senate Special Select Committee

“I think our terms of reference are very clear: we can only examine that which are in the Report, which are produced in the Report for the period 2011-2013; in my view, we can’t go beyond that. If something touches only tangentially on that, then I believe we can; but if it’s something that’s totally outside of the period or outside of the Report itself, then I don’t believe we have any remit in relation to that.”

Reporter

“So, specifically in the case of Nanes Schnitzer, which does fall within the time frame but is not highlighted in the Report, what would happen in relation to that? It even calls into question Ady Pacheco – who, while it wasn’t irregular or even illegal for her to pick up the Nanes passport – it’s questionable that she, who has been called out in the Audit, was the one to pick up his specific passport.”

Aldo Salazar

“I’m not familiar with any details of the Nanes Schnitzer matter; I don’t know about any allegations against Miss Pacheco in that regard and as far as I am concerned, I myself am not concerned with that; that’s a matter for the Police or other authorities; not for me. I don’t know that – I haven’t studied any of the things you are saying; I don’t know that there wasn’t an investigation. If what you are saying is true, that there was illegality, there’s wrongdoing; then I believe that any illegality should be investigated; but I don’t know. I don’t really know, I haven’t seen anything that you are speaking about on PLUS TV, and really it’s not my responsibility to do that; when the matter comes before the Senate then we’ll consider that at that point.”