We've already shown you huge chunks of yesterday's Senate Hearings on Immigration where Alvarine Burgess took the stand and alleged that she did immigration business with UDP Ministers Edmond Castro, Boots Martinez and Erwin Contreras. All three ministers have denied her claims.
She also named Police Officer Rochelle Chan as the supposed mastermind, who recruited her, and he told us she's lying. But there was one other person she accused in her testimony from yesterday. He is immigration officer George Reynolds.
Yesterday, Burgess told the Senate Select Committee that he was the contact person in the Department to get the visa applications approved. She claims that Rochelle Chan instructed her to go to him with the applications after getting the recommendation letter she allegedly paid Castro for.
Here's that part of yesterday's hearing:
Senator Elena Smith
"Why did you have to go to Mr. Reynolds?"
Alvarine Burgess - Witness, Senate Hearing
"Because he was the person that Mr. Chan told me that I have to take the passports to."
Senator Elena Smith
"So in your business that you all were doing, there were specific persons that you had to deal with?"
Alvarine Burgess
"Yes."
Senator Elena Smith
"And so if you went to the department and he wasn't there...?"
Alvarine Burgess
"Whenever I went there he would always be there, because he had probably had already gotten a call that I was coming."
"The person to call me to get the recommending would be Mr. Chan. He is the one who would had the jobs and when Mr. Chan would call me, then I would call Minister Castro and mention to him well I am coming tomorrow or today and then he would mention to me where he'd be."
Senator Elena Smith
"Okay, so it starts from the call to Mr. Chan to say I have these, I need so many and then you would contact Minister Castro to find out if he would be available. If he was, then he would say I am coming up and that how it works."
Alvarine Burgess
"Yes."
Senator Elena Smith
"So this Mr. Reynolds was the only person you dealt with these matters?"
Alvarine Burgess
"Yes."
Senator Elena Smith
"Are you sure, nobody else?"
Alvarine Burgess
"About maybe one or two occasions I had to go and see Mr. Guy."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"If the application form was complete and had everything that was required, and it was taken directly to the immigration department without calling you, without going to the minister - immigration department would have found everything in place and would issue the visa?"
Alvarine Burgess
"The $2,000 for Minister Castro are for two things; 1) for him writing the recommendation letter and guaranteed approval for the visas. Having that recommendation letter from the minister's desk ensures that the procedure is hastened, because they would only take 3 days the most."
Today, we spoke with officer George Reynolds and asked him for comment on the allegation against him. He declined saying that if and when the Senate Select Committee calls him back to answer to her claims, the public will hear his response then.
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