But Alvarine Burgess was not so cautious in her testimony today. When she appeared before the Senate Inquiry, the immigration agent turned whistle-blower torched Edmond Castro’s reputation, and exposed many reasons why the US might have cancelled his visa.
Most of it, we’ve heard before in the lawsuit that Castro took out to try to shut her down for slander and defamation of character. But, that happened in closed court. Today, the Senate and the entire country got to hear her describe how this visa operation worked, and Castro’s alleged role in all of it. Here’s that part of her extended testimony to the Senate Select Committee:
Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"You state that you paid Minister Castro 2,000 dollars per visa, is that correct?"
Alvarine Burgess - Witness, Senate Hearing
"I paid Mr. Castro 2,000 dollars per visa on his request."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"How much money did you make?"
Alvarine Burgess
"I never calculated how much I make with the amount but I got paid like 1,500 for each trip I came up here."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"By who?"
Alvarine Burgess
"By Mr. Chan, he was the person that dealt with all of the finances."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Okay so for each trip you for 1,500 dollars. Simply to go to the minister's office, deliver a package to him and that's it?"
Alvarine Burgess
"No I went to the minister's office, paid him what he requested me to pay him first, he was the first one who collected. If I took 6 passports and the application form with the necessary requirements, I had to take 12,000 dollars to him. If I took 4, I had to take 8,000 dollars to him for that recommendation letter which his secretary would - they had it in their computer system. They only needed to change the name because the recommendation letter were already posted in that computer that I Minister Castro is recommending and the names go on that letter and he would take everything all the applications except the passports, the Chinese passports, give it to his secretary who they would then get it to the immigration office. In a day or two I would be called by the secretary to tell me that the applications were approved and I had to get back to Chan and tell him there were approved and he would get to me with the money, the 2,000 dollars per approved visa and I would take the books be it 4 or 6 with the money to the immigration department."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"You would take the package into the minister's office?"
Alvarine Burgess
"The passports and the money that you pay to the government because each-"
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Hold on wait, you said that - they stayed with the passport?"
Alvarine Burgess
"I kept the passports, I only gave Mr. Castro the papers, the application form that has the supporting letter, the stamps and whatever else was necessary."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"And the money?"
Alvarine Burgess
"His share."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"And your share?"
Alvarine Burgess
"I got that last, I was the last one to collect so I was taking a risk."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Okay so you were the last to collect and then when they call you and tell you the visa were ready; you would then get the 2,000 dollars for the legitimate fee to pay the visa?"
Alvarine Burgess
"Yes."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"And then what did they do with that?"
Alvarine Burgess
"I go into the immigration office and I leave the passports with the cash, the money that I have and they would tell me come back in an hour or so to pick up the books. When I come back in an hour or so it would already have the visa in the passport and then Mr. Chan would be right outside waiting for me as usual, I give it to him. I don't know who he goes to with the books, I would wait for him maybe by the market or by the bus terminal then he would come back and give me my share of the money."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Okay so you said you paid for the visa and you give Mr. Chan the receipt?"
Alvarine Burgess
"Yes."
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