As everyone expected, today’s  Senate Hearings on Immigration was filled with fireworks, and it even escalated to open hostility, the hurtling of insults, and finger pointing. That’s because, for the first time, 2 sitting UDP ministers, Edmond Castro and Anthony “Bootsâ€￾ Martinez, were called to testify before the Senate Select Committee. They are the 2 elected politicians who have been most imputed upon in the most in the Senate Hearings so far.

Added to that was Castro’s public embarrassment for his sons who got into a confrontation with police, and were then busted with 89 cases of contraband beers, and so it’s easy to see why he was on edge.

Now, in the past when we’ve encountered Castro, he is usually easy-going, But this afternoon, he certainly lost it when he publicly mauled the Senators who were questioning him about the allegations they’ve heard in these hearings and in the Auditor General’s Report on Immigration.

Throughout his testimony, he was confrontational, but things came to a head when the Senators challenged him on a list that they’ve been provided by Former Immigration Director Maria Marin. It’s that minister’s list that she secretly compiled after she became concerned about the number of visa applicants that were being approved, usually accompanied by letters of recommendation from UDP Ministers. 

Here’s that ugly moment in the hearings when Castro chose to hurl an accusation right back at the Business Senator for questioning him on it:

Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Director Marin provided us with lists that she began compiling and she's provided them to us for certain periods. I'm going to share with you and the first list I have, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 on the 17th of the fourth month 2013. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 Honourable Castro visa approvals minister list, you're there. On the 17th of May, 2 Honourable Castro, approved by the way; all of them there was a notation beside them, the date, the name, the nationality and whether they were approved and which minister made the request to have these approved; on the 21st of May, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Honourable Castro again; on the 25th of May, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 again;  on the 7th of June, Honourable Castro, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Are these many minister?"

Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"Senator, what part of the report you are reading from?"

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Honourable minister we have..."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I asked a question, which part of the report, I don't see that at all in the report. What part of the report are you getting that information from? It's not in this report. I can't answer to anything that is not in this report that I know nothing about."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Is it your position that if something is not in a report that only covers a fraction of the period of time - let me finish minister?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Go ahead senator."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Is it your position minister that because the report only covers a fraction of the time period that certain matters that came to us before testimony, we cannot question you on? Is that doing to be your position?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I would like for you to stick to the report and question me about what I can or cannot remember that is in the report. The hearsay business, this senate hearing will never finish if you are on hearsay and this one leaked you this and this one leaked you this and this one gossip that and that one gossip that. I no think that was the purpose of this hearing, so if you continue to bring in and somebody give you that and somebody say that then you are wasting the government and tax payers money man."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Minister it’s not somebody and somebody, this was a former director of the very ministry - let me finish minister please. This is a director, a former director which worked under your time as a minister who made reports on you and other ministers that were securing approvals for ministers. It said visa approvals, plural, minister list. Apparently this list was prepared so that it could be sent to Cabinet but I can continue. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 again on the 17th of the seventh. 1, 2, 3, 4 on the 8th of the second. Then there is another list visa approvals minister request for period June 3rd to June 10th, this was for 7 days in which 47 were prepared and most of them really fell within 2 days, the 6th and the 7th so they were only 2 days not even the 3rd just the 6th and the 7th; 47 which you feature prominently again. Chinese nationals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 for your name and then again on the second page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in your name so minister you feature quite prominently on a list made by the former director. Were you privy to this list, have you seen this list minister?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Senator is that list in the report that I could have taken a look at it?"

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"It has come to us through testimony of a former director minister, so we have every reason to believe that it's credible and I think that we have every right to ask you about it. So minister again, did you know of this list?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"(Laugh) Senator when your maid accused you of sexually assaulting her, the police report, was that true? Was that true?"

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"Minister...."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Was that true?"

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"No sir."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Well then behave yourself and stop asking me thing."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"But I answered to it in court and it was proved to be false. So minister. He's not interested in listening, he's saying..."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Just like you're not interested that your maid make the police report."

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
"Minister we are not here for that purpose, we are here to respond to these."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"I dealt with it. Minister there is no need to be personal but that's fine you've had your say, you've done what you've accomplished, I've answered you but back to this minister, did you know of this list?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"No sir."

Hon. Elena Smith
"We are not here for that so I would ask minister and senator that we keep to the questions based on the documentation that we have. Should you require minister to see what we are asking you about, we can show you that."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I have no interest."

Hon. Elena Smith
"But we have the right to ask."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I went over what was in the auditor general's report, so all the other garbage I have no interest in, I don't want to pack up my brain with that."

Hon. Elena Smith
"Those are your descriptions I am saying to you that we have…"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"U have no interest. Ma'am I have no interest."