Lino taken off case, denies wrongdoing
The case of corruption in the Immigration Department keeps getting more complex. Earlier this week Senior Superintendent Bernard Lino, appointed to head the investigation into the scandal, was removed from the case by the Police Commissioner and replaced by Senior Superintendent Gerald Westby. Rumours flew as to why the veteran cop was canned, focussing primarily on allegations that his name appeared on some police forms that involved the vetting of criminal records of those people applying for Belizean citizenship. Tonight Lino has offered to tell the public his side of the story and explained to News 5’s Stewart Krohn why he’s no longer the lead investigator.
Sr. Supt. Bernard Lino, Fmr. Head of Immig. Investigation
“Last week Tuesday, the sixth of August to be precise, having received some documents from the C.E.O. in the Ministry, Assistant Superintendent Justo Augustine and myself came to Belize City and had an interview, or a meeting with the Director of Public Prosecutions concerning the investigation. During that meeting, while going through the documents, I discovered that on some police records, my signature is forged in those documents. Immediately, I brought it to the attention of the Director of Public Prosecutions, who called the Commissioner in my presence and advised the Commissioner that for the interest of fair play, that somebody else heads the investigation. Because at that point I was making a complaint that my signature had been forged. At that time, as head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch, my name appeared on all police records. The physical search of the information is done by personnel assigned to the Criminal Records Office. After that search has been made, the searching officer signs the police record and takes that record to one of three persons: Superintendent Gerald Bernard, Assistant Superintendent Justo Augustine or myself for signature.”
Stewart Krohn
“So the officer has a choice of taking it to either of the three of you?”
Bernard Lino
“When we’re available.”
Stewart Krohn
“Presumably, you sign a document for a reason, what would be the reason to get that second signature? Would that person making the second signature vet the document or just…in other words, what was the significance? Cause you’ve already said that one of the three of you who would be asked to sign doesn’t do the actual investigation of the person. So what is the purpose of that second signature?”
Bernard Lino
“We sign for and on behalf of the Commissioner of Police. After the search would have been made by one of the persons assigned to the Criminal Records Office.”
Stewart Krohn
“So it’s really a perfunctory signature?”
Bernard Lino
“Exactly.”
Stewart Krohn
“Why then would someone want to forge your or anybody’s signature in that particular space?”
Bernard Lino
“I wish I knew the answer. I have made a complaint to the Director of Public Prosecutions. I have given samples of my signature for analysis and or comparison, and I trust that a thorough and complete investigation of this matter be carried out to clear my name and exonerate me from this allegation being made. I have been a police officer for a considerable period of time. I have distinguished myself, both within the department and outside, as a professional police officer and will not tolerate this thing. Somebody is trying to rope me in as it were.”
Stewart Krohn
“Mr. Lino, given the fact that the former Minister of Immigration was also the Minister of Home Affairs in charge of police, and given the fact that part of the process of applying for nationality involves a police vetting, do you think that the Police Department is capable essentially of investigating its own people fairly and fully?”
Bernard Lino
“I am confident that at the completion of that investigation the related police investigation file will be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions as directed.”
Stewart Krohn
“Will that investigation be full and fair?”
Bernard Lino
“There is no reason in my mind to say that the investigation will not be a thorough and fair one.”
According to Lino, the documents in question, which should have been originals, were in fact photocopies, with an original signature forged on top. This raises the possibility that the police documentation never went through the Police Department, but was falsified in total–along with the entire nationality application. The people who could clear up these mysteries are those same ones who submitted the applications to the Immigration Department in the first place.
