So, will Eric Chang and Patrick Tillett show up? That’s what the Senate is attempting to force them to do. In fact, they are being summoned to present themselves at next Week Wednesday’s hearing. This evening, the Senate Select Committee Chairman, Aldo Salazar, gave us an update on the actions that they have taken to make sure this happens:
Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"You would recall I said on the last occasion that we had invited them based on the actual convention for the senate inquiry was an invitation that was sent out. So we had invited them with anticipation they would attend at a prior date but when they declined our invitation then we actually took the decision to issue a summons. So when the summons was issued it was not with the intention they appear today but next week."
Daniel Ortiz
"Sir so is there any indication that this summons will be successful and these persons will present themselves given as to how the hearings have played out and what the audit? Report says they are major players according to the audit reports and according to the persons who have come to testify."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"I have no indication as to whether they would show up or not. If there's a refusal to show up then the committee will have to take a decision as to what to do next but I don't have any indication at this point whether they would show up or not next week."
Reporter
"The committee has not yet received a formal response from either?"
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"No and we don't expect- when if we get a response it would perhaps be giving us a reason for them not to show up but I can't speculate, I haven't heard anything and I haven't been anticipating receiving a response from them."
Reporter
"If the individuals refuse to appear after so many attempts of the committee to get them here would the committee take that as a sign of guilt?"
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"No I don't think we would take it as a sign of guilt, we will take it for what it's worth that they don't want to show up, they don't want to attend. What the committee would do is I think at the time when it's going to polish it's report if the person haven't come to make their representation or to give us their version of the events then the committee will take that they have agreed with what the auditor general said, they haven't chosen to challenge it so we can't take it for what it's worth at that point. Whatever the auditor general said what has been laid before the senate is unchallenged and therefore we will accept it that there is no challenge to it."
Today, we sent text messages to both Eric Chang and Patrick Tillett requesting comment on the allegations, and those went unanswered. We did get Patrick Tillett on the phone this afternoon, but as soon as we identified ourselves, he hung up the phone. Here’s how that went:
Daniel Ortiz
"Hello."
Patrick Tillett
"Hello."
Daniel Ortiz
"Hello, is this Mr. Patrick Tillett, sir?"
Patrick Tillett
"Yes, it is."
Daniel Ortiz
"Hi sir, this is Daniel Ortiz from Channel 7 News."
Patrick Tillett
"Hello, I'm too busy, sir."
(Hangs Up Phone)
So, while he is refusing to answer requests from the press and the Senate Committee on those 8 missing visas, we note that he did give a written response to the Public Service Commission. That’s around the time that the hearings on this case were ongoing.
In a letter dated, January 23, 2016, Tillett, wrote the Chairman of the Public Service Commission in which he said, quote, “I refer to an incident regarding 7 visas reported stolen from the Immigration Department.†End Quote. As you’ve heard he said that it’s 7 not 8.
His letter continues, quote, “We were seeking to acquire the said visas lawfully, and an immigration agent was introduced to us, who claimed he could acquire the visas for an agreed sum. The agent was partially paid, and the visas were delivered as agreed. Upon the inspection of the visas…it appeared that the visas were not issued in the right way. I showed the visas to an officer within the Immigration Office in Belmopan, who confirmed our views. We mentioned the issues to the agent, and we asked him to fix the problems.†End quote.
His letter continues, “The agent returned with the visa for a second time, and it was stamped with an immigration cashier stamp, and everything led us to conclude that a scam was being perpetrated, and we subsequently discarded the visas.â€
His letter concludes, quote, “I have never been involved in any immigration matter (including the circumstances surrounding the seven visas)… End quote.
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