On Friday night we told you about the blockbuster email that UDP Cayo northeast representative Elvin Penner sent to 7News. He told us that he'd been tricked by an impersonator to fast track a passport for Won Hong Kim. To quote, Penner, he says, quote, "having seen the picture who is said to be Wonhong Kim on the news…it has become clear to me that the person for whom I signed the application for could never have been Mr. Wonhong Kim. I can only assume that he was impersonating Mr. Wonhong Kim."
It's one heck of a claim and Penner says he knew the man he helped, quote, "through business trips, even before I entered politics," He entered politics in 2007, but on the application he signed Penner says he knew Won Hong Kim for three years - which would go back to 2010 - so that's a major inconsistency.
Penner says, quote, "The picture on the nationality document he presented to me, the Korean passport that he had with him and the passport size pictures that I also signed did not raise any suspicion since they were all of the same person. The person whom I knew as Mr. Kim."
Now, according to Interpol this is Won Hong Kim. And this is the person Penner signed the nationality document for. They don't look alike, and today Immigration Minister Godwin Hulse told the media that the Ministry is aware of the identity confusion and they asked the Taiwanese Government for clarification this morning. He told us that and more when we caught him in the margins of a local government meeting at the Radisson. We only got 5 minutes - time in which first Hulse defended the fact that the investigation so far has not focused on the nationality section of the Immigration Department:
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"It is improper to suggest that in fact there is no look at Nationality. There has been very intense look at Nationality. In fact the difference however is in the Nationality Section, it is the Minister who signs the nationality certificate and in this case he did sign the certificate."
"In the Passport Section, it is not the Minister. There is a 7 step process to getting a Belizean passport and that 7 step procedure was supposed to prevent anything from going array. This is why we focus how we manage to go array."
"In the Nationality Section, it is the Minister whose final review and approval of a nationality certificate is required not standing how the file is develop and this is why the Prime Minister felt it necessary to deal with Minister Penner on the outset."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, dos anyone knows where the file is now?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"Nope, unfortunately we have not been able to locate the file. As it stands the file went to the Minister for signing according to him on September 9th. Now, where it went from there is anybody's guess and he still has to say who he gave it back to. He simply said that he sent it back to the Department, but that doesn't name anybody, that just name the Department."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, isn't it inevitable that there had to be some complicity from someone is the Nationality Section to facilitate the movement of this files through the rounds at Immigration Department?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"Well, one could say that, but if one knows how it works in the Nationality Section....Minister Penner as an individual has always been personally involved in getting files and getting them signed and taking them to director for vetting etc. He's been aggressive on this front."
"Our indication so far is basically that was what has happened."
Rowland Parks, reporter
"Wouldn't you say that it is premature to rule out the possibility of criminal action being brought against persons that may be involved in this?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"I won't comment at all because criminal action is a matter for the DPP and it is a matter for the authorities charge. My responsibility as substantive Minister is administrative."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, are you aware of any discrepancies in the photographs."
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"To be frank with you Jules, I saw you picture on Channel 7, I heard what was floating around on Facebook. The picture that was shown looks slightly different from the ones that we have on the passport, but that is still underway. I can say to you that once again as late as Friday and again as late as this morning at 4;45am to be specific and exact - we have ask the Taiwanese authorities to be 100% accurate and certain of the photograph because this has emerge as an issue."
"Before we making an amount of noise we want to be dead certain this is the person. They have said so, they have re-confirmed at 4:45am this morning; I ask for a final re-confirmation that that is indeed the person."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, reliable reports say that there is a large sum of money involved in this entire transaction. Do you think the Minister facilitated this service for a fee?"
Hon. Godwin Hulse, Minister of Immigration
"I have no idea and I won't comment on what I don't know. The only fee I am aware of is that $250 was paid to expedite the passport on that day plus a $3 stamp."
As to what Hulse describes as "aggressive" follow up's on Penner's part - in his email, Penner says, quote, "Wanting to help a business person I made sure that everything was in order on the application form and personally went with him to the passport office to see to it that he would get proper attention and would get his passport the same day." We note that Penner's driver also went to pick up the passport and his close political UDP ally Alfonso Ponchis Cruz signed the application as a Justice of the Peace.
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