DPM Faber Says There is No Evidence of Wrongdoing Against Castro
Patrick Faber
The matter of the visa cancellation was discussed in the Cabinet on Tuesday, but Government has not received any notification from the U.S. about what has transpired and why. Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber says that while the look of it is not a good one, the circumstances are still unknown. In that same light, Faber was asked whether there are concerns that other ministers will be hit with visa cancellations. Here’s what he had to say on the matter:
Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister
“Well, you know what our position is on this. What we have said time and time again is the case. There are people who come to us as representatives for recommendations for all sorts of things, in fact if you don’t remind people they might want you to recommend them to get a visa from the US Government that is the kind of thing that happens; every little thing. It is the way our society is set up and especially when there is a process connected to the Government directly people want your assistance. So, people come and they ask and colleague have said they have made recommendations where they saw it fit. It is not a practice that I have done or have sent any recommendations but that is just my choice. That is just how I operate.”
Reporter
“If you have filled out ten applications, it is alright. But when you are going to twenty and thirty or forty, it is suggestive there is an enterprise?”
Patrick Faber
“And if that is the case then an investigation needs to happen in that regard and that is found to be the case, then that is what needs to happen. I have no difficulty with that.”
Reporter
“Is this not an indictment by the U.S.A. that there have been corrupt activity within the government in which you are in so far the deputy prime minister of; so that when it happened to max Samuels way back in the early 2000’s the U.D.P. was the first to jump on it and say ‘see it deh uncle Sam has said that the P.U.P. is corrupt and they pulled max Samuels visa sake ah that?”
Patrick Faber
“It is very crafty of you and you have asked me and I have said I cannot determine, I have no evidence to say what you are purporting to be the case is the case. The US Government has sent no documentation or ask for any kind of sit down with anybody in our Government to say this is why we canceled the visas for Minister Castro.”
Reporter
“But isn’t it obvious, sir?”
Patrick Faber
“No. It cannot be. There might be a number of reasons why.”
Reporter
“He took a lady to trial and she testified under oath in court and he lost the case; she testified that he took money?”
Patrick Faber
“And that may well be the case but it is not documented. It is not written in stone that is what the US Government is accusing him of.”
