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Pacheco And The Role She Played in Nanes - Schnitzer
posted (June 21, 2017)

So, while Pacheco claims that she felt pressured in that case, her former superior, Maria Marin, investigated her for the David Nanes-Schitzer scandal, concluding that she played a key role the production of fraudulent immigration documents.

He’s the Mexican-American fugitive who fled to Belize and lived here under an alibi for 3 years after he was named in a multi-million dollar Ponzi scheme. But, he didn’t have to hide because either he or his associates managed to get around the corrupt Immigration Department to get Nationality and  passport, becoming the imaginary Belizean, “David Banes.â€￾

That case didn’t make up a part of the Audit Report, but former Immigration Director Maria Marin did her own internal investigation, and she tracked the weaknesses within the department which were exploited to get him those fraudulent documents. 

Some of her inquiries kept leading her back to Ady Pacheco, and when we asked the Senate Committee Chairman, Aldo Salazar, about the possibility of questioning her on those allegations, he said that it was outside the jurisdiction of the Senate Select Committee to go probing that case.

Well, the PUP’s Substitute Senator, Michel Chebat, couldn’t be bothered about the appropriateness of such questions. When he got the opportunity, he launched into that line of inquiry against Ady Pacheco, and here’s how that back and forth went:

Michel Chebat - PUP Senator
"You were asked if you were aware that an illegitimate Belizean citizenship and passport scheme was operating in violation of the laws and you said you were not aware."

Ady Pacheco - Named in Auditor General's Report
"Yes sir I was not aware."

Michel Chebat
"You were not aware, and you were never involved?"

Ady Pacheco
"No sir."

Michel Chebat
"You were never involved?"

Ady Pacheco
"No sir."

Michel Chebat
"You were not involved in the David Nanes case Ms. Pacheco?"

David Morales - Attorney for Ady Pacheco
"Can you clarify that statement by what you mean by involved?"

Michel Chebat
"Yes, were you involved in the processing of any fraudulent nationalities?"

Ady Pacheco
"Not that I can recall."

Michel Chebat
"Not that you can recall, can you recall being involved in the David Nanes case?"

Ady Pacheco
"Involved as?"

Michel Chebat
"As in processing the entire application for David Nanes and receiving his passport Ms. Pacheco? You’re under oath Ms. Pacheco."

David Morales
"Can we stick to the parameters of the audit sir."

Michel Chebat
"This is directly relevant to whether or not she knew there was an illegal scheme operating at the immigration department."

David Morales
"But if I'm not mistaken the Nanes case was after 2013, so how would that relate to previous?"

Michel Chebat
"I'm asking her if she knew that there was a scheme operating."

Ady Pacheco
"I did not know there was a scheme operating."

Michel Chebat
"And you were not involved in any scheme?"

Ady Pacheco
"I accepted the application and I processed some of his application but I did was not aware it was anything fraudulent."

Michel Chebat
"You were not aware?"

Ady Pacheco
"No sir."

Michel Chebat
"Did you investigate?"

Ady Pacheco
"No."

Michel Chebat
"You processed everything in one day Ms. Pacheco."

Ady Pacheco
"No sir, no."

Michel Chebat
"No, were you not investigated for David Nanes?"

Ady Pacheco
"I was questioned as to certain actions."

Michel Chebat
"You did not only prepare the application form, you also conducted the interview Ms. Pacheco and that was in 2012 and that was the period under which this investigation occurred."

David Morales
"Can we point to a section in the audit report that deals with that please?"

Michel Chebat
"It is in Maria Marin's investigation. I am referring to the memorandum which contains the investigation that was done by the acting director of immigration Maria Marin into the David Nanes case."

Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"See the issue is that she would not have had any of those materials. We provided her with the report so her counsel would not have had any of the materials."

Michel Chebat
"Right but she would know her involvement wouldn't she chairman?"

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Right so it's up to you to explain your involvement, I don't know if you understood the question, whether or not you were..."

David Morales
"Mr. Chairman, my client stipulated that she accepted the documentation. Senator Chebat indicated that she processed everything and she is saying that as far as she can recall, she accepted it. So if we can be provided those documents then we can actually revise them and then we can come back and can answer that at a later date but it's unfair to ask those questions now because we have not seen that documentation which Senator Chebat is referring to."

Senate Chairman Aldo Salazar decided that it was more appropriate to give her and her attorney an opportunity to review former Director Marin’s report before that type of question can be fairly put to her.

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