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Since November we’ve been faithfully reporting on the proceedings of the Senate Inquiry into Immigration Irregularities.  Today a senior immigration officer took Centre stage and outlined how political meddling influenced irregularities.  In the court of public opinion, which has a very low standard of proof for politicians, the spectre of political corruption can be clearly seen. But not so for Finnegan, who like his party leader Dean Barrow – is not yet convinced:…

Hon. Michael Finnegan- UDP Mesop Representative
“And listening to the senate hearing I am not convinced yet at this stage that any politicians, UDP minister, do anything that is clearly illegal and could convict them in a court of law or in the court of public opinion. I nuh see it but when I see I wah tell you.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But mista Finnegan maybe me and you nuh the watch the same thing or we have different standards of judgement.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“So weh you see that I nuh see?â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“What I have seen is that there are ministers, particularly from the Cayo caucus have been mentioned so far, who frequently went up there pursuing the interest of persons for whom they had written recommendations, etc.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Yes that is correct.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Sir, at a certain point, it is clear that da wah enterprise you deh inna. You deh inna this fu mek money.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“I don’t know about that. There is no evidence come up that it was an enterprise to make money.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But it was so irregular that the former director miss Marin actually wrote down their names.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“But I nuh care weh miss Marin do. There is no proof in there that it was no enterprise of making money. There is none. And you heard what miss Ruth Mane said. That the recommendations for Ministers for those people played no role.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“If there were, we agree, nobody can argue, one ton irregularities. The place was rife with irregularities, breaking of procedures and forms that were filled out in fraudulent manner.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“With that I have to agree. It’s shameful. The immigration department need to stream line; to come under process that you can make it a good department. I will agree with that.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“Yes, however they had a process. Obviously something came between the process and the paper.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“It is those who head the process to make sure that the process is followed.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“But we know how corruption works sir. People run red. You put thing on paper that shouldn’t be on paper. But I am saying that there is a clear suggestion, based on the circumstantial evidence, that somebody had to be inducing these public officers or had to be influencing the process.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Well we don’t know. Let’s wait until the senate select committee conclude their job and we a know if somebody mi dih induce public officers etc. let us wait and see. But let’s not draw conclusions.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
â€￾Would you say that the public has already drawn its own conclusion? Because you know they don’t have the standard of evidence.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“Don’t underestimate the Belizean public. In my view, the Belizean public is an intelligent public and the Belizean public is looking and the Belizean public is listening. And when the matter get finished, the Belizean public will draw its conclusion.â€￾

But they won’t draw any conclusion about him, because Finnegan says he never wrote letters pressing influence for foreigners seeking status:…

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“You weh never hear my name dah lands department cause I nuh want no land. You weh never hear my name. I cu talk for me, give me a break mek I talk fu me. You weh never hear my name da no immigration department cause I no write no letter for no cooli man, nor no chinny man, nor no white man.â€￾

Jules Vasquez
“And that is the point. But there’s a reason you write the letter.â€￾

Hon. Michael Finnegan
“I no write no letter for none a deh. You understand mi good weh I dih tell you. I have my name and my image to protect. And I am saying to you, I believe in the old fashioned way. I no even use computer if I no have to use it you know. Deh cu say I give way government money. Yes, I give way government money to people. But not to me nor no family members here. You’ll never hear that happen. Not to this world nor the other one. But the lumping poly tail we have out here, I take care of them.â€￾