Before all of that unfolded, the Senators began the afternoon asking Castro questions about Alvarine Burgess.

She’s the former immigration agent who claims that she paid him bribes of $2,000 to write recommendation letters for Chinese nationals which guaranteed approval for their visas. 

He was a little more calm at the beginning of the hearing, but he made it clear that any questions about her are not welcomed. Here’s the back and forth:

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
"Ms. Burgess was here and you know that she has made certain accusations with regards to her involvement with yourself and applications for visa. Are you aware of her testimony?"

Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"I know that she's a lying woman and she's been telling lies for a very long time now yes."

Hon. Elena Smith
"Yes but are you aware of her testimony?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I heard some of what she said yes."

Hon. Elena Smith
"She has said that sometime 2013 that she approached you and has asked you to provide recommendations in support of visas for Asian nationals. Is that so?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Ms. Burgess approached me twice and I said this from the beginning, I helped her with one letter and she asked for a letter to be signed because somebody will help her with some money to carry her husband that was sick to Guatemala for medical treatment. About couple weeks after, 2, 3 weeks I can't remember exactly, she came back, the treatment was not well, she needed to go to Merida, I signed another letter for her."

Hon. Elena Smith
"Any of those times did she pay you got those recommendations?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"No ma'am."

Hon. Elena Smith
"She also said that you that her interaction with you resulted in about 200 applications being processed."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"No such thing, is that in the report"

Hon. Elena Smith
"As I said to you earlier minister, I am asking you questions firstly based on her testimony."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"So we will continue with hearsay? I don't want to sound rude but you will continue to ask me questions that deal with somebody from hearsay that made accusations about somebody else."

Hon. Elena Smith
"I don't want to be rude either but she is saying about 200 applications were done, you're denying those?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"That's a lie"

Michel Chebat - PUP Senator
"You said you signed twice for Ms. Burgess is that correct?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I said that earlier sir."

Michel Chebat
"When you signed what exactly where you signing?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Senator a letter of recommendation sir."

Michel Chebat
"So on both occasions you signed a letter of..."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Letter of recommendation yes."

Michel Chebat
"And that letter of recommendation you signed, was it for one visa applicant or multiple?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I can't remember but I remember signing 2 letters."

Michel Chebat
"You were actually involved in a court case with her weren't you?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"That is part of this senate inquiry? What does the court case have to do with this?"

Michel Chebat
"It has to do with the fact that Ms. Burgess has come to this inquiry and has made certain statements and I am trying to determine if what she said was true or not and so the case that you brought against her is directly relevant."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"You're sure?"

Michel Chebat
"I'm absolutely sure."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Well I don't see anything about the case that I took her to court in the book, nobody informed me of that so I cannot answer that and I won't answer that."

Michel Chebat
"So you don't know if you took her to court?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"That's public knowledge, why will you ask me foolishness my brother."

Michel Chebat
"So you took her or you didn't take her?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Yes I took her to court."

Michel Chebat
"And you took her because she had made allegations?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
“Yes sir.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“How did that go for you minister?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“Sir I’m not here to discuss that case, if that is where you want to do, I will not discuss that case, that’s done.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Did that case end in your favour?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“If you want that information I believe you need to do to the court where that hearing was done.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“So you don’t know if it ended in your favour?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“I refuse to answer that.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Were you made to pay cost in that court case?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“You still are going there? People make accusations about people all the time. They made accusations that you hooked up to BEL illegally, was that true when you hooked up at your political office in your constituency, stealing water from BWS, was that true?â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Well unfortunately for you I get to ask the questions today minister and so my question to you is did you have to pay Alvarine Burgess in the case you instituted against her at the Supreme Court?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“I will now answer that because I don’t need to answer that.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Isn’t true that you had the court order you to pay her 30 thousand dollars in cost?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“I refuse to answer that thank you.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“So when Alvarine said that she paid you 2,000 dollars per recommendation, she’s lying?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“I think that is PUP smoke.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Wasn’t that part of your case with her?â€￾

Hon. Edmond Castro
“That is PUP smoke; you guys are so desperate to get into power you are trying to create fire when there is no fire.â€￾