It’s not just five…there is a long list of visas to Chinese nationals
Tonight, there is telling information that U.D.P. Minister of State Edmond Castro is involved in the mass procuring of visas for Chinese nationals. One month ago Castro was accused by a whistleblower of accepting money to facilitate visas. He denied those allegations via press release saying there were only five recommendations made by him. But the testimony against Castro was compelling and Prime Minister Dean Barrow reacted by stating that he, along with Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse, investigated those allegations and found nothing to substantiate them. News Five has since obtained copies of documents which implicates the Minister of State and his administration. Mike Rudon looks at some of those documents – the veritable tip of the iceberg – and has the story.
Mike Rudon, Reporting
In October, the words visa quota hustle made Prime Minister Dean Barrow very uncomfortable. In the midst of a nasty passport scandal involving Minister of State Elvin Penner, reports had surfaced that UDP Ministers were involved in somewhat of an institutionalized visa hustle – procuring Belizean visas for foreign nationals in consideration of a large fee. The PM had apparently heard those reports, but says he had no proof.
Dean Barrow, File: October 10, 2013
Dean Barrow
“But if there is one thing that can and would bring down this government it is hustling in Immigration. I have heard that ministers are procuring visas for people. I’ve said pretty much in every second Cabinet if you are doing so (I have no proof) for God sakes stop it! Stop it! That is what would cause the government to fall.”
Since the PM says he had no proof, we thought we’d get some – so we did. And here it is.
This is a letter dated May thirteenth, 2013 – from the desk of Edmond Castro. The letter is addressed to Director of the Immigration and Nationality Department Maria Marin, and asks her to assist with the provision of visas to five Chinese nationals – as you can see, Castro’s signature is right there in black and white.
On that same day, May thirteenth, Castro sends another letter to Director of Immigration Maria Marin. In this one he asks her assistance in providing visas to six Chinese nationals – their names seen here. That’s eleven visa recommendations in one day.
Dean Barrow, File: October 10, 2013
“I have also said that I understand that politicians have friends and I know that processes can be slow. If a minister says ‘I did ask the Immigration Department to bring some speed to the processing of an application for a visa for a friend,’ – it is entirely legitimate as minister. I satisfied myself that the application for the visa was in order. I can’t say that that is not to happen, but if I hear you intervene 10 times and I hear you intervene 20 times – what I am to think? Except that you’re involved in a hustle. If you hang out with Ali Baba you must be one of the 40 thieves.”
Apparently Castro is on exceptionally good terms with Ali Baba. The PM mentioned ten interventions and we showed you eleven – all on May thirteenth. And there’s more. On May twenty-second, one week after, Edmond Castro sent another letter to Director of Immigration Maria Marin, asking her to assist in providing visas to five more Chinese nationals. That’s sixteen in a week. And on May twenty-eighth, 2013, he asks Director of Immigration Maria Marin to provide visas to five more Chinese nationals. That’s a total of twenty-one visas for Chinese nationals between May thirteenth and May twenty-eighth.
Dean Barrow, File: October 10, 2013
“If I hear you intervene 10 times and I hear you intervene 20 times – what I am to think? Except that you’re involved in a hustle. If you hang out with Ali Baba you must be one of the 40 thieves.”
Just for context, in an interview on October twenty-fourth Edmond Castro stated, quote – “I don’t know anything about any processing of any damn visa. I don’t even know how this package goes.” If that’s his story and he’s sticking to it, Castro might want to tune in to Wednesday’s newscast. Mike Rudon reporting for News Five.
Tonight, we showed you visa recommendations for twenty-one visas. Then there is an additional five to which Castro admitted in a press release. News Five will have much more on this story in Wednesday’s newscast – including more documents and names of other ministers involved. So be sure to tune in.
Requesting help for 21 visas in 15 days? Castro done lie thru his teef!!!!
All clear, nothing happened since the shredding investigation cleaned up the non crimes.
The police sheep and BDF support the fix.
Go to sleep and stop asking questions about criminals running the GOB.
Ali Baba, a/k/a Dean O. Barrow, prime unindicted coconspirator, leader of the rats.
He needs to go to jail this whole udp gov is giving our country away enough is enough we the people need to make citizens arrest and throw this whole udp gov in jail it’s time to lock up all the traitors of our country .
21 Times 2,000 = 42,000; tax free…..counting….
We the citizens of Belize want to know how:
-Santimonious Hulse said, ‘Our investigation turned up nothing criminal to charge Penner on, and neither Castro.’
-PM said, no criminal evidence found on Penner or any minister.
-The CEO, was looking at Hulse for direction, because she knew better.
-FIU, Income tax and the police could find any evidence on these kids either.
-The police know better than to in dike themselves as well.
– Johnnie said, no even ask me that!
-Foreign minister no know nothing, either even though the vehicle under his watch made extensive trips to Cancun.
We know that under the public officer’s regulation, no one is to take bribes or use their office for monetary gain, and neither should minister. Even gifts they cannot take, so…Castro, who told us, he no know nottin bout no visa first and later admitted to..hmmmm…maybe five, had better clean brother. Where is the money, the people want to know? This cannot be swept under the rug.
PM open the investigation like Musa did, cause this thing stink to high heaven, and we don’t know how you don’t even a have a whiff of the sent. In fact the two sided machete got lost because some people love raking in the country’s resources. Them boys baad, they must have hidden the machete from the PM…lol
These are all people we should look up to, with respect and admiration. People who said, ‘Vote for us cause we will make your lives better, but instead we are betrayed, by white collar men walking around as Honorable and respectable CEO, DIRECTORS, AMBASSADORS …….. Maybe the men in Hattieville Ramada need to be given honorable titles too, cause some of them are only there for a few sticks of weed, but our honorable, cannot account for millions of dollars, and everybody is trying to cover up the stench.
I’ve said pretty much in every second Cabinet if you are doing so (I have no proof) for God sakes stop it! Stop it!
That’s a lot of STOP IT! The boys needed pam pam, as well!
If you hang out with Ali Baba you must be one of the 40 thieves.”
Who the hell is Ali Baba that these ministers are hanging out with? ; )
Well in fairness to everybody – the same way them string out the Mennonite and the chiney boy to dry them should string out the rasta brethren too. These here people really out of order and it not fair how the PM cover fi the one rasta man him. Look how them give we country such a bad image. For shame man!!
This is looking like Prince Castro has been caught “red-handed”, certainly looks like enough info to begin the trials……time for King Dean to follow up on his previous words – arrest and charge time.
How can you send the man under whose watch this whole cesspool existed to investigate the stinking smell. This man is covering up the source of the smell or he has told the PM the truth and it is too ugly for the PM to make public. If the true story is told about Belize, there would be a great world outcry against Barrow and his cabinet. It boggles my mind an entire cabinet elected or appointed to watch over a country is robbing it for personal gain. They live in the country also and, the poor conditions they create will sooner or later extend right up to their doors.
All people of Belize should be pretty upset and outraged with this government’s cover-up. How can you send the man whose lack of management ability has allowed the issuance of these documents to do an honest investigation and return with a proper report. He is covering his party and himself.
Barrow wants you to believe that the many planes that landed in the country with all the orientals on board did not happen. Where are those people now, remember they said they just disappeared.
Castro sold those documents and now the PM cannot tell the world that his ministers are like the forty thieves, but heaven knows they are.
@ Rod you said there should make citizens arrests, where are you going to lock them up, certainly not at the police station, remember the police say they have no reason to investigate or in Hattieville, woods would just let them out again. There is another hot bed. The country is between the devil and deep blue sea.
mein dis really di get nastyyyyyyyyyyy,UDP/DEAN BARROW ARE rotten with corruption,hmm see wen dean barrow use fi say thing to MUSA? looks like dean barrow splited up and just dropped back a eh face! HE should resignnnnnnn,the people deserve better,and that goes to the PUP also,make dem learn from their mistakes,because if we are going tru these hard times is because of the MUSA-PUP/dean barrow/UDP governments that have destroyed our country and have made our country to be rotten with corruptionnnnnnnnnnnnn.THE PEOPLE DESERVE BETTER!
Arrest the UDP ministers asap for high treason and multiple crimes against humanity.
The sentences handed out should be as per law, the written and more importantly Natural Law with Jurisprudence, where found.
Still watching and waiting very patiently.
The punishment for treason and crimes against humanity, da-peepel,is life imprisonment or death.
Barrow is a zionist agent whom answers to israel and the central bank of belize, certainly Not the people, no?
NO.
Hey I am UDP, when my mouth is moving is when I am lying, except when I am thinking or dreaming how to lie.
I do not have to lie anymore, everyone knows we are the corruption party.
We say we will stop corruption, but we lied, we just made it bigger.
We do not have to lie anymore, but it is really a lot of fun lying to pick the bigger fools from the rest.
It is a game to screw over the most people to get the most money.
In the end everyone knows we deserve what we stole.
It is for people like Citizen Kim that we really appreciate, we get their gold first, and just keep lying until we get caught, then Deano cools us off until we are ready to start at it again.
He is prime minister and a prince.
Prince Ali Baba to his team to ream.
If the pOlice won’t do it, call interpol with Delta Force when/where necessary.
The multiple crimes committed by this human scum are too leeengthy to mention ‘here’.
It should not have to be explained that the passport/visa hustle has put the world’s people at risk.
I often have to pInch myself with the question, “What planet am I on”.
This is truely OUTrAgeous people.
Next,,,,,>/
This is so sad to hear about this.
I thought Hulse was destroying the evidence.
All this lying and cover up is real UDP work.
For Ch5 to get these documents means HULSE failed!
We need a scape goat. Penner is dead meat, and a junior cabinet member in waiting.
Let’s elect Hulse to be the UDP scape goat.
Somebody needs to fall on their sword to protect Deano from indictment.
There has to be one man on cabinet. Lisel, if Hulse can’t handle scape goat, how about you or Faber? Gappy the man, well maybe not. Contrerass, he is slick, scape goat and the next prime minister after turning the tables on Deano. Let’s take a cabinet vote as to who is going to prison.
KEEP THE HEAT TURNED ALL THE WAY UP and for the love of country, after they get removed from office I also wnat you to keep this same kind of heat on every other GOB!
At the end of the day what will the people of Belize do? Get up off your rare ends and do something. You all just sit around talkin talkin. This is why problems never get solved. Do something people or are you all just a bunch of COWARDS????
In Corozal Town the son of Lans brought his wife from china and she had a Belize passport already even though she had never been to Belize before. Right Tao? Same ting with Lano wife.
WATCH THE U.S ARREST FROM THE PRIME MINISTER GO DOWN…..
Did a poster above quote $2,000 per expedited Visas?
Well, it appears our Govt ministers are not only corrupt but stupid as well. Given that Belize is jumping point to US, Chinese scabs are selling Belize Visas for well over $US20,000.