Brother of Ministry’s Secretary detained with Chinese Passports
Alexis Rosado
A Belizean was detained in Cuba when he landed at the Jose Marti Airport in Havana with what we have been told are as many as five Chinese passports with Belizean visas. The man, Carlos Murga, has been held for a week giving some semblance of credibility to long circulating rumors that there is an ongoing operation in which visas for Chinese nationals are illegally secured here at the Ministry of Immigration and then flown to Cuba by persons working at or connected to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The passports are allegedly then handed over to the Chinese nationals and agents who are paid thousands of dollars in the get-rich scheme which can fetch as much as twenty thousand dollars per visa. In the case of Murga, it is known that he has given a statement to Cuban authorities calling names of persons involved saying that he was to hand over the passports to a Cuban taxi-driver who would have met him at the airport. Today, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alexis Rosado, flatly refuted that there is any corrupt connection at the ministry.
Alexis Rosado, C.E.O., Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“I am concerned that people would be making any kind of connection, you know. At the end of the day what a person does, or is believed to have done or is alleged to be involved in has nothing to do with anyone else. It’s very unfortunate but sometimes that’s what people do. As far as we are concerned the staff in this ministry has been very upright and have always behaved themselves very well both professionally and also in their moral and ethical standing. So in that respect we are not aware and we do not know of any reason that we should be too concerned about any involvement of our staff members.”
Reporter
“So just to clarify, at this time there is no thinking that there is a connection between that action by that certain individual and any aspect of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?”
Alexis Rosado
“Well the thing is when it comes to visas and passports, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is only involved in so far as our embassies and consulates are our front line when it comes to the application for visas. But in respect of the Embassy in Cuba for example, for some years now they no longer process any Chinese visa. So in this case that is what we understand was the matter here that the individual was detained with some passports carrying visas. But I don’t know or we don’t know the reasons behind whatever stories you may have heard. In fact I am not aware of the stories you have heard.”
Reporter
“So as of now this matter, as far as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is concerned, it’s an immigration matter…this matter is closed with your ministry?”
Alexis Rosado
“Well it’s not that it’s closed. It hasn’t been opened in the sense that we don’t know what the Cuban authorities are thinking in this case and we don’t know that any of our ministry personnel or as an institution there is any connection that I’m aware of. Of course people will talk, but that’s the unfortunate part.”
There are two items of note. One – News Five has been very reliably informed that Murga has been talking to authorities and one of the first things he told them is that he was given the passports by a driver from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to hand over to a Cuban taxi-driver. Two – we have also been reliably informed that a plane arrived in Belize over the weekend and two nationals were turned back because they did not meet all the visa requirements. News Five also spoke to Minister of Immigration, Godwin Hulse, but he told us that the investigation is not complete and would make comment until it is.
>illegally secured here at the Ministry of Immigration
They would not be illegal if they were secretly approved by cabinet.
Any UDP barrister that is not a member of the Belize Bar Association can tell you that.
A what if it is a side deal by a lowly corruption officer offering the Hezbollah-Mello special?
It is not like they sold them to McAfee, they have more class and smarts for that.
Just five passports? Don’t criminals want to come to Belize anymore?
time to slash bribe prices or have cabinet come up with a better marketing plan.
Have some pride in the Jewel, this is embarrassing. Five???
At least a plane load after 7pm. How the mighty have fallen.
>>As far as we are concerned the staff in this ministry has been very upright and have always behaved themselves very well both professionally and also in their moral and ethical standing.
L-A-B-B-O-U-N
Now spell it with a straight face and make the audience laugh.
Alexis, do that and your lifetime job as a comedian is set.
:)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :)) :))
Take Deano on the road with you.
your hilarious, never dull.
They never suffer a memory lapse, always on time with the punch lines.
Where does Belize come up with these clowns?
must have passed a law and its a gas.
well paid com artists I am sure.
=D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D> =D>
>>In fact I am not aware of the stories you have heard.”
😐
😐
😐
smooth answer,
Allah Akbar, give me the Hezbollah high five.
^5
did you #-) ?
are you still %-) ??
you can go, now. back to the party!!!
>>Of course people will talk, but that’s the unfortunate part.”
|=O
ಠ_ಠ
the unfortunate part is that citizens of Belize, what’s left of them, are going to ask SILLY questions about their joke of a government.
ta-ta
now back to Godwin Hulse….
<:-|
Belize is the land of “hustle” from the common person to top politicians. Every government official hustles. Most people do it out of necessity, “daily meal”, but there are many who do it out of pure greed. Visas are a small part of the hustle. Consider the millions of dollars involved with the safe passage of millions of dollars worth of cocaine to the US. SUVs and million dollar houses are abundant in some areas, and every one is trying to get some of the action. That’s the way it is in Belize. The clerk who files your papers for whatever, land, taxes, licenses, expect and demand “wahn lee sumting” if you do not grease their palm, you will be relegated to the Sisyphean task of “come back later”.
Time to clean house. Our own Belizeans are selling their own country piece by piece. Don’t forget Chinese are like ants…there is the queen in the middle then the worker ants swarm and when they get in it is hard to get them out. That is the reason why they are band in the Cayman Islands.
Pleez Alexis?! Your explanation and rationalization of this new passport scandal stinks from Belmopan to Moscow. Even wee lee Fool know there HAS to be a connection and there IS a connection. Everyday is a new Corruption Opportunity day for this Government….Frigs!!
I expected more form Mr. Godwin Hulse I was happy when he was given responsibility for Immigration i taught change would come but guess i was wrong. Indian smuggling ring now Chinese and no one is arrested n place in prison for these this always investigation is under way and nothing come out of the investigation. Darn SHAME
Is Belize ever going to convict these criminals? Such a small country with big corruption.
“the staff in this ministry has been very upright and have always behaved themselves very well both professionally and also in their moral and ethical standing” . . . and I am the virgin Mary!
Alexis, when you use the concept of morality and ethics in the same sentence, you are putting your hand in the fire for the folks who are doing the dirty works at your ministry. Wake up Kiddo! Time to cut your puppet strings.
The man arrest sister works in the Ministry of Home Affairs do the math. She knows that she sent her brother to do the job…
when is someone going to start a recall petition?
At least the Turks are taking to the streets.
You are all missing the point, there are no standards by which these people are expected to adhere. Where there are no standards there is no way to measure when someone is not at standard. So Rosado is right, they are functioning just as expected, get what you want from the highest bidder, that is the standard.
Come on Alexis, you know better, you know there is a passport ring and visa ring. don’t go down with them. you have your entire career ahead of you. don’t go down with them.