7 News Belize

“Clear The Land” Signed Visa Recommendations, But Says He Didn’t Take A Bribe
posted (October 24, 2013)
Minister of State Edmund Castro is in Miami tonight where he is attending a Conference on Transport. But while he's away, his name is making the worst kind of headlines here in Belize. Last night Channel 5 presented an interview from an anonymous female whistleblower who claims that she bribed Castro to facilitate 200 visas for Chinese passports at two thousand per visa. That's four hundred thousand dollars in bribes - and he allegedly did it all in just five months from October 2012 to March 2013.

It is a damning accusation, and while no documentary proof was offered in last night's report, the firsthand account is compelling, if not completely convincing. This afternoon, we tracked down Castro in Miami via cell phone. He gave an emphatic denial:..

Jules Vasquez
"Minister, would you say you've heard these allegations about you that you have accepted $2,000 per visa application? You have expedited applications through your office using, using your office and that you have taken a bribe. How do you respond to these allegations?"

Hon. Edmund Castro
"I don't know any such thing. Nobody gave me any money for any paper work. I don't know anything about any processing of any damn visa. I don't even know how this package goes. All these foolishness that I am hearing, I don't know anything about it and I intend to sue. When I get back I will be meeting with my attorney and draft up whatever letter we need to draft up so that we can send Channel 5 a letter because this slandering makes absolutely no sense."

Jules Vasquez
"You are saying you did not transact any business with any female bringing Chinese passports for which you would give recommendations for visas. Is that what you are saying?"

Hon. Edmund Castro
"Jules, I don't know anything about any Chinese visa. People come to us as area representative and as minister from time to time requesting and asking to sign documents but I don't know anything about what they are talking about - about they paid me so much money. If those people brought me 100 or 200 paper works for me to sign, I definitely would have seen that a red flag is there and I wouldn't mess with that any at all. I don't even know how a package looks and what it contains to get a visa."

"Let them bring their proof that they gave me money and whatever they paid me because I don't have any money."

Jules Vasquez
"Minister, from time to time we know that everybody has Chinese constituents or know somebody with a Chinese relative. Have you had to expedite visa and have you done this for a fee?"

Hon. Edmund Castro
"No sir. I collect no money for no paper work. I don't ask for any, nobody offered me any. Jules, I would have been so bloody broke if people come knocking my door to bring money for me. I collect no money from nobody at no time."

And while he denies all and any wrongdoing, this evening, the situation changed quite suddenly. About 4 5minutes ago, 7News obtained the name of the whistleblower, and while we respect her desire for anonymity, if her claims are true that she gave Castro four hundred thousand dollars in bribes over five months, then she must be very well known to the Belize Rural North Representative. So we called back Castro - who told us he himself had just gotten her name from someone within his camp. Now, while we will not release her name, Castro did admit that he has signed a recommendation for her:

Jules Vasquez
"You have had a meeting with someone and you recommend her for some visas."

Hon. Edmund Castro
"Yes."

Jules Vasquez
"Do you recall how many it was?"

Hon. Edmund Castro
"There is no way in the neighborhood of 20, 30 or 40 nor 200 - no way."

Jules Vasquez
"Only on one occasion?"

Hon. Edmund Castro
"Only one I could remember. She visited my office more than once, always came crying hard time, but you know what, I don't bring her or carry her. Like what I had told you I didn't get a damn thing from that woman. I can admit that the lady came there with whatever and I sign something for her, but never a day she gave me a damn dollar - not even lunch. Never a day she offer and give us anything - not me or nobody because I had never dealt with her by myself individually."

Castro maintains that he will sue the whistleblower individually for alleging that she paid him a bribe. But the recent series of denials issued by Castro, first, on the Taiwan protocol officer incident and, second, on this allegation of corruption do certainly take their political toll on him individually and his party, which, depending on what happens with Elvin Penner, could be looking at a razor thin one seat majority in the House.

This is the situation Prime Minister Dean Barrow returns to face tomorrow after 9 days away. He is expected back tomorrow afternoon when, we are told, he will encounter a protest which is being organized by Rufus X to be staged right at the airport junction.

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