A year after scandal…still no charges

It was an anniversary of dubious distinction…but it still rates a mention: Last week marked a full year since the exposure of a major scandal in the Immigration Department in which it was discovered that Belizean passports were being illegally sold on a large scale to buyers around the world. An ongoing News 5 investigation confirmed that unscrupulous self styled “immigration consultants” colluded with employees of the department and crooked Justices of the Peace to falsify applications for Belizean citizenship and passports which were sold for thousands of dollars each to people primarily in Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The passport sales not only defrauded the treasury and devalued the documents held dear by most Belizeans, but more importantly opened up the possibility that the passports could be used by criminals and terrorists, as there was absolutely no vetting procedure attached to the sales. To date, the only repercussions from the scandal have been the forced retirement of Immigration Director Paulino Castellanos and the demotion of then Minister of Immigration, Max Samuels, first to a lesser portfolio and eventually out of Cabinet altogether following the March elections. For several months now government officials have signalled that, following an exhaustive police investigation, criminal indictments are imminent. That last promise was made in late March…and while sources in law enforcement have assured News 5 that several big fish will be slapped with major charges in the coming weeks…don’t bet your paycheque on it.