58 year-old Raul Magana Sr., namesake of the popular brothel, Raul's Rose Garden, which burnt down in June of last year, is facing 23,000 dollars in fines after he was taken to court for employing illegal immigrant workers - all females.
According to the Immigration Department, yesterday at around 9 a.m., they conducted an operation on his new establishment, Temptation Bar, which is located at Mile 10 on the Western Highway.
Immigration Officers interviewed 12 of his female employees who admitted that they did not possess valid working permits.
As a result, Magana, who was identified as the employer by these persons, was charged with 12 counts of employing persons not in possession of valid employment permits.
He was arraigned today before Magistrate Adolph Lucas where he pleaded guilty to all 12 counts. As a result, he was sentenced to pay fines to a total amount of $23,000. Magana has from December 28, 2012 to November 30, 2013 to pay these fines.
Additionally, he was also ordered to pay the transportation cost for these women to return to their home countries because they also did not have any proper immigration status in Belize. We are told they were issued with orders to leave - but that must have meant to leave with Raul as we understand they left the Immigration Office with him this evening.
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