Kim File Documents Were Complete; ex-Minister Does Not Remember What He Did with File
Elvin Penner
The thrust and parry continued with the panel’s Chairman, Aldo Salazar, scoring a point when he questioned Penner about the remarks of Gordon Wade, former Chief of Nationality at the department. Wade had told the inquiry and the auditors that Penner had approached him concerning the Kim file at some point after his appearance with the phantom Kim. After not receiving assurances that the file was ready to his satisfaction, Wade said he would go to the Deputy Director, Maria Marin, with it. Penner said he could not recall that particular conversation.
Aldo Salazar, Chair, Senate Special Select Committee
“The Minister, Elvin Penner, brought in the original application without the documents – this is in relation to the nationality of Won Hong Kim; he says that you brought in that application, and that you promised to bring the native passport and birth certificate for Won Hong Kim. However, you later requested that the file be passed to the Director for her to deal with, and later it was approved – this is in relation to nationality. Was this the case?”
Elvin Penner, Former Minister of State, Immigration and Nationality
“All I will respond to that, is that if you would locate the nationality file of Kim Won-Hong – Won Hong Kim, sorry, Kim is the way I knew him by, but Won Hong Kim, if you would locate his original file, you would see that all proper documents were in that file that needed to be in that file before that file was signed.”
Aldo Salazar
“That is not the question; Mister Wade is saying that he held on to this file because it did not have the required documentation, but that later on, you – for example, they never had all the copies of the passport, the native passport, etcetera. And he’s saying that – this is in relation to the nationality file – he’s saying that you then asked for the file. I’m asking you if that is correct – is this a true…”
Elvin Penner
“I don’t recall asking him for the file.”
Aldo Salazar
“You don’t recall asking him for the file?”
Elvin Penner
“I don’t recall asking him for the file.”
