V.I.P. says it’s heading to court to get to the bottom of the immigration scandal

Robert Lopez

While a number of procedural changes have been implemented by the Immigration Department in light of the recent passport and visa scandals, an update on subsequent investigations, led by the Financial Intelligence Unit, the police department and the Ministry of Immigration, has not been forthcoming.  In fact, there hasn’t been much said by government about the progress of the respective inquiries.  So, Vision Inspired by the People, in an effort to sort out the mess that has occurred in the wake of what is now being called Pennergate, is filing a writ of mandamus against Prime Minister Dean Barrow.  The judicial remedy is an order from the Supreme Court for government to do what it is obliged under law to do.  In this case, get to the bottom of the ministerial wrongdoings.  According to VIP’s public relations officer, Robert Lopez, they are in the process of taking legal action against the government.

Robert Lopez, Public Relations Officer, VIP

“We’ve seen all efforts fail, perhaps we can say.  The two motions filed by Senator Shoman to try to get a senate inquiry fell through.  We haven’t heard from the FIU, come on three months of ongoing investigation and nothing.  We haven’t heard from the police.  We haven’t heard from the immigration minister and that department as to what took place.  So here we are closing the year with all this cloud of suspense, not knowing really what took place.  So we sought the advice of an attorney.  What else can we possibly do in fighting this corruption?  And we were told a writ of mandamus, file it in in the Supreme Court and it would immediately mandate or obligate the prime minister to first of all put the Integrity Commission in place because we need to have that.  Once that is done then we can go after each elected person who has failed to disclose.  We want to know how come the FIU, whose job it is to financially investigate persons finances, cannot tell us if Penner unlawfully enriched himself in the issuing of a fraudulent passport and immigration [status] to fugitive Kim, you know.  So, this morning we launched what we’re calling the Belize Anti-Corruption Fund.  This first initiative will take about ten thousand [dollars] and it’s sad that the Belizean people will have to go into their pockets to get the prime minister to do what he is obligated by law to do.  The Prevention of Corruption Act says the prime minister shall appoint an Integrity Commission, members to that commission.  He hasn’t done that, it seems that he’s not even worried about doing it.  Two years have gone by in his second administration and he still can’t get around to doing it.  The last administration under his tenure didn’t have it in place so what else can we do.  We’re calling on the Belizean people if you seriously want to get to the bottom of this we’re  gonna have to take a little roundabout way but it can be done.  We in the VIP have put the first thousand dollars because it will take approximately ten thousand unless we can get a benevolent attorney to assist us.  That’s what they do for a living, we can expect them to do it for free and so we’re saying here is another recourse.  We’re hoping that the prime minister will not make us have to do this because it really should not be necessary.  It is totally unacceptable and I am telling you Mr. Prime Minister we are seriously disappointed in how you have handled all of this.”