Barrow knocks retention of Max in Cabinet

Meanwhile, back on the passport beat, the public aspect of the controversy is turning from the criminal to the political. News 5’s Janelle Chanona reports.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting

Ever since this document was released on Monday morning by Prime Minister Said Musa, the PUP government has argued that it proves that then Minister of Immigration Dean Barrow help create the climate lax supervision which has led to the latest immigration scandal.

But today, Barrow says that when read properly, the letter clearly states that the removal of the security interviews and screening from the nationality application process is in regard to referees, not the applicants.

Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“The letter which was they used, if people will look at, says very clearly, we’re discontinuing the screening and vetting of referees, these are the persons would write letters of recommendation concerning applicants for Belizean citizenship by registration. First of all, we’re not talking about economic citizenship, we’re talking about primarily the Central Americans who come here and have been here for five years and who apply for citizenship by registration.”

“It made no sense for Special Branch to use its resources to screen letter writers when if in fact the branch did what it was supposed to do and vetted the applicants themselves thoroughly, whatever the letter writer said was of absolutely no consequence.”

To counter the paperwork, Barrow says he has his own set of documents to show that when Prime Minister Musa was Minister of Immigration ten years ago, he also made changes to the process as he saw fit.

Dean Barrow

“Those letters will show, as was documented by the NGO consortium that did an investigation into Mr. Musa, and by the auditor general who found that seven million dollars had not gone into government revenue as a consequence of what Mr. Musa did. But we have produced the actual letters which show that he routinely waived all documentation for applicants for citizenship…that is the security documentation, the medical documentation and in very many cases, the fees.”

But even within this game of political ping-pong where blame is being batted back and forth, Barrow believes that the stain of corruption that has affixed itself to the Immigration Department, under both governments, can be wiped away.

Dean Barrow

“A system is only as good as the persons that administer the system. I will say that upon asked that I think Assad Shoman is certainly going to do a good job. I know Assad Shoman to be honest and to be disciplined, straightforward and strict, so I think that his appointment as Minister of Immigration is a step in the right direction. But again, he is going to be supported by Colonel Parchue, whom I also have reason to believe is a good appointment, so it can be done and hopefully it will be done now. But it is not going to erase the stigma of all that has happened and certainly the Prime Minister is very much at fault for not firing Maxwell Samuels all together. And I think that people will want to insist that there be criminal prosecutions as a consequence of all that’s been happening.”

Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona.