Of course, after all that bragging, the PM didn't face the press today, but the casual nature in which new elections are glibly discussed in public is certainly something to take note of. And that's because the UDP has put Cayo Northeast into play by abandoning Elvin Penner - and now, Belize Rural North's Edmund Castro is under intense scrutiny because a whistleblower who hustled visas has emerged to claim she paid Castro hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in just a few months. We stress Castro has emphatically denied taking any bribe, but he hasn't denied signing a letter recommending visas for the woman. He is still in Miami, but yesterday via telephone he told us, yes he signed, but no he didn't take any money.
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 says he will sue Channel 5 and the whistleblower for libel. But it's a tricky position that the UDP is now facing because Castro's admission suggests what we've been suggesting for weeks: that there is a system where representatives can recommend persons for visas at the Immigration Department. Today his colleague Mark King spoke about it and he seemed to take a wait and see approach:
Hon. Mark King
"If they are true then they are true and so be it. They will have to battle that in court. If the allegations are not true then so be it. The lady will face court action along with PUP Channel 5 who has Ashcroft in their pocket. What more than that you all need to know?"
"In terms of he had given recommendation and signatures, anybody can recommend; a teacher, a Justice of the Peace and a Minister could recommend. However, that has to go through the process of the Immigration Department. This is unlike the Penner case where Penner signed on those. The Minister has clearly said that he gave a couple recommendations. I don't know if it will come to light that; 1) He collect any monies from these because no proof is there and 2) The lady is even real and legit and is not a PUP person set there to cause mischief."
Castro is expected to return tomorrow.
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