The Senate Hearings on Immigration continued today in Belmopan, and the most important witness was Assistant Superintendent of Police, Rochelle Chan. This is after Alvarine Burgess, the immigration agent turned whistleblower went before the Senate Select Committee 2 weeks ago and she named ASP Chan as the supposed immigration mastermind who she worked with.

According to Burgess, Chan recruited her as an agent to make contact with UDP Minister Edmond Castro. She claims they entered into an arrangement where Castro allegedly took bribes of $2,000 per recommendation for visas for Chinese Nationals. 

She claims that Chan acted as her handler, giving her $2,000 for each visa application that was to be paid to Castro, $2,000 for the application fee to be paid to the government, and all the applications from the Chinese nationals. Edmond Castro has consistently maintained that Burgess is lying.

But, according to Burgess, the process moved along after she picked up the recommendation letter. From there, she went to a specific officer in the Immigration Department, and handed over the Castro letter, along with the each application, and fees to be paid to the Government of Belize. 

After the visas were ready, she picked up the finished product, and she allegedly handed them over to Rochelle Chan, who then paid her $1,500 for each trip. That testimony was carried live on national TV and radio, and we reached out to Chan who said that she was lying.

Well, this morning, he went before the Senate to state for their record that Burgess's entire story against him is made up. Here's his testimony:

Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"How is that you knew Ms. Cosa?"

ASP Rochelle Chan - Denies All Allegations
"Socializing."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"What do you mean socializing officer?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"I was out drinking with some friends."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"And you met Ms. Cosa, okay. So you met here while socializing with some friends, that is the only way in which you interacted with her?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"Yes sir."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"This was once?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"Maybe once or twice; it was just socializing, she came around seeking arms."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Seeking arms you said?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's right."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"So she was asking for money?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is right."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"You said you met her on another occasion, in the same type of circumstances?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"Same type of circumstances."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"She described a process in which she participated to pay according her to pay Minister Edmond Castro 2,000 dollars per visa recommendation. She admitted that she did so and she took the money to Minister Castro and when she was asked when I asked her who she got the 2,000 dollars from, who she got the money from she said she got it from Rochelle Chan who is a police man and I believe that she was referring to you."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's a blatant lie, that's not so."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"So that is not true?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's not true."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"She also said that she would get the money from you as well as the documents which she would then take to Minister Castro."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"The only money she got from was 20 dollars that I gave her once."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"This was 20 dollars when?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"When I met her the first time."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"In the circumstance you described?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's right."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"She also said that when she would retrieve the final product that she was paying to get the visa approved and when she would retrieve the visas and the passport that she would then deliver them to you."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's a lie also."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Am I to understand that you are saying that entire process which she described, you were delivering money to her, she was retrieving passports and delivering it back to you is not true?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is not true."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"She said that you said Minister Penner had gotten greedy and he wanted to make more out of the money that you were supposed to make and that you asked her if she would then make a connection for you to continue with this scheme."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is not true senator."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Now I'm sure that the first thing that comes to mind and I'm sure the first thing that comes to most reasonable persons would be; could you think of any reason why someone, why Ms. Cosa, Ms. Burgess would come to the senate, take an oath and lie about you?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"You're asking my opinion."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Yes that's what I'm saying; it's not really a question because you don't know what operates in our minds."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"I wouldn't know why she would do such a thing, maybe she's been influenced by some entities. Her character is what's the word I want to use, ineptitude, working for sycophants."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Why would she pick you, out of all of the - if she wanted to choose a police man then, out of all the policemen, why would she pick on you after just a chance meeting?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"Maybe because I'm Mr. Penner's brother in law. Senator I use to work sycophants for reason that I don't know what favour or what she's getting out of this. I know that my character is being questioned."

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
"Are you saying that the entire testimony that Ms. Burgess gave regarding your involvement with her is a lie?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is right."

Hon. Elena Smith
"I find it difficult to believe Mr. Chan that we would get so much detail regarding a relationship with a person and when I say that I don't mean in any other way except - let's put a working relationship; I'll put it that way for now. According to Ms. Burgess you've met several times at different places, she's worked with you and you deny all of that."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is right."

Hon. Elena Smith
"I find that very difficult to believe."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That's your opinion senator, everybody has one. She is doing favours for sycophants."

Hon. Elena Smith
"For sycophants okay; that was your opinion correct?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"I said it clear, my opinion."

Hon. Elena Smith
"Is it possible that the cause of your relationship with Minister Penner, you are his brother in law you said."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"That is right."

Hon. Elena Smith
"That what Ms. Burgess mentioned here could be possible?"

ASP Rochelle Chan
"I said what Ms. Burgess said to the senate select is false, possibilities can go from here to there. It can be possible that maybe you were involved with Ms. Burgess Ms. Smith so to tell me or trying to throw a cast net upon me on my character shouldn't be so. I feel like I am a victim of certain circumstances, I'm here and I believe somewhere constitutionally my rights have been; what can I say, I leave it like that."

Hon. Elena Smith
"Can we make it quite clear Mr. Chan, there is a reason why you are where you are and a reason why I am where I am and so do not associate me with Ms. Burgess in any way."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"You said my opinion and you're putting it to me senator."

Hon. Elena Smith
"I am asking the questions, you do not associate me with anybody, you are here under oath Mr. Chan, you swore under oath and you're making it very difficult for us to believe what you are telling us today because you want to be casting aspersions on us but you are the one in the hot seat not me."

ASP Rochelle Chan
"You're asking the question, I'm answering it."