Burgess was the second witness for the day; the first was Cherie Nisbet, the Former Belize Ambassador to Taiwan. She basically broke the whole story when she sent and email to her bosses at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which she alerted them that Former Deputy Mayor Eric Chang attempted to visit Won Hong Kim, who was in a Taiwanese detention center.
In that email, she told her bosses that Chang called her "in a panic" asking her to urgently issue a visa to 2 South Korean nationals who "NEED" to go to Belize. She said that she inquired about the emergency, because she needed to be satisfied of the specifics to justify issuing the emergency visas. She said that Chang told her that he would have to call a "minister" in Belize to issue the visas upon arrival.
She wrote further that she received another call from Eric Chang saying that he was at a detention center in Taiwan visiting a South Korean.
So, the Senate Committee wanted to hear first-hand from her about these phone calls with Eric Chang, and the fraudulent documents that eventually was handed over to her. Here's her testimony from yesterday:
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"I received a phone call from Taiwan immigration informing that they have been aware that one Eric Chang, deputy Mayor of Belize City wants to visit this Belizean national in detention and they just wanted the embassy to know that they don't believe it is advisable for Eric to visit this person in detention. The Taiwanese authorities ever tell you why was it inadvisable for Mr. Chan to visit with the person in detention?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"No."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Did the Taiwanese authorities have something upon on which to form the basis that he had Belizean nationality? What was it, that they had?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I was given his passport and Nationalization certificate."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Who did you receive the passport and nationality certificate from?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"From the Charge d' affairs of the Embassy of Honduras in Taiwan."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"This is his name?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Alejandro Young."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Do you know how he came into possession of the passport and certificate?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"No."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Did he ask that a letter be written to validate the passport and nationality certificate to the Taiwanese authorities?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Yes."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"What was your response?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I need the reason for that question."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Didn't you find it strange that Mr. Alejandro Young in charge d'affaires for another country was involved in a matter involving a Belizean national who had gotten into trouble with the South Korean officials in Taiwan?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Yes."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Did you do anything as a result of that hunch or that idea that something was wrong with that situation?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"No."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"You told Young that he should give you the reasons for the letter, for you to write the letter, what was his response?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I don't remember, but he never gave me a reason."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"He left the passport and national certificate in your possession."
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Yes."
Hon. Aldo Salazar
"What did you do with it?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I held on to it at the Embassy of Taiwan until it was requested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be sent to Belize."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"With respect to the first call from Mr. Chang, you referred to him as panicking, what does that mean?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Just his voice sounded a bit urgent."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"And you also in this email have in all caps, the word NEED. You said that in a call me in a panic asking me if I can urgently issue a visa to 2 South Korean Nationals who are "NEED" to go to Belize the next day. Why all caps?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"It might have been the word he used."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"So, you were quoting him there?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"Perhaps."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"Did Mr. Chang ever give you an explanation as to why his people needed to go to Belize?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"No."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"Can you tell us about Mr. Alejandro Young, charge d'affaires of Honduras, could you tell me what is your impression of this gentleman?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"He was just a diplomat but not in my opinion trust worthy person."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"He was?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"He was not."
Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"Mr. Chan, did he actually come to the embassy?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I don't remember."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"When he called you, did you ask him at any time what he was doing at a detention center and why he wanted this sort of confirmation from you?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I don't remember."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Why did you not ask Mr. Alejandro Young how he came about having a Belizean passport in his possession?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I just didn't ask, I'm not sure why?"
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"You weren't curious?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"No."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"To the best of your knowledge, nobody from your mission sought that answer?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I don't remember but that I can recall no."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"In hind sight, would you agree, it was something that perhaps should have been looked in?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"I don't know if it would have made a difference."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Do you care to explain?"
Cherie Nisbit - Former Ambassador to Taiwan
"In hind sight, I don't really know if asking Mr. Young if why he had a passport would have made...my job was just really to receive this request and what I should do about this request."
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