UDP Ministers Edmond Castro and Anthony "Boots" Martinez appeared before the Senate Select Committee yesterday and we're all still trying to put it in context today. You saw some of that at the top of the newscast, but now we got back to yesterday's testimony for some more of the heated and haughty exchanges.
We've already showed you how Castro chose to attack the credibility of PUP Senator Michel Chebat and Business Senator Mark Lizarraga. He also dismissed the list from Former Immigration Director Maria Marin, which flagged the frequency of visa recommendations from ministers, as "garbage" and "hearsay".
The Committee even retrieved copies of recommendation letters for visa applicants which had his ministerial office's letterhead and his signature, and he refused to acknowledge them as his. He said that these were "forged" and even though they "looked like his", he wasn't "sure" that they were.
One specific piece of evidence that the Senate brought to his attention was a recommendation letter in the nationality section of the Auditor General's report. It's headed, "Hon Edmond Castro, 'Clear the Land' Castro, Minister of State in the Ministry of Works".
The letter has his signature, and says "I hereby recommend for the file….to be send to the Director of Immigration desk to be expedited. Thank you for your assistants." The wording makes it seem more like a command than a recommendation.
That's a complete departure from the normal recommendations which usually have a qualifying clause such as "if all is in order", or "if the applicant qualifies". So, the Senate Committee zoomed in on that inconsistency, and when he was challenged on it, Castro asserted that this was a forgery and a "fake".
So, at a later part of Castro's testimony, after he denied the authenticity of the recommendation letter, Business Senator Mark Lizarraga brought the case back up again. Here's their conversation on it:
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"You have documents in front of you that refer to the whole of paragraph 79 onwards in the nationality book?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"Senator I have in front of me a condense version of the 6 times my name was mentioned in the report. Nothing else I am interested in."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Minister, again I'll ask do you have documents or would you like us to provide with a copy?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir I am not interested."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Can I finish the question minister?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"Go ahead sir."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Would you like us to provide you with a copy of the nationality report so that you can follow us in reference?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"On paragraph 79 the auditor general discusses application by one Olena Muskalec and the child Bekola for citizenship through marriage which applications contains numerous grave errors, inconsistencies and deficiencies and could not have been granted legally. Do you recall this case, this person minister?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Do you recall anybody coming to you, asking you to be involved in helping from your constituents?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"People call me and check with me all the time about assistance, but for me to remember a particular or specific incident that happened 4-5 years ago - I can't remember that and according to that piece of document that you read, it stated that the person applying for residency or nationality based on marriage. So that person that you are referring to, I went over that one, that person can become Belizean by marriage. What is illegal about that? Whether the name was spelt correct or typographical error or whatever it is, what does that got to do with I gave a recommendation?"
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Apparently the person was not married and yet this person received nationality and I was wondering minister how far your intervention went into this."
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"Senator, a simple letter of recommendation. That's all. I don't follow up, I don't call, I don't go look, I don't do any of those. When this person goes through vetting, that's the reason why I believe there is a vetting before the paperwork can proceed further, I think it has to go to the police for proper vetting. I believe so."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Minister we were told that that process was stopped by this government."
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"I don't know Senator."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Minister we were told that recommendations from ministers usually meant approval, because persons were afraid of losing their jobs and that these recommendations carried a lot of weight. Are you familiar with that?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"We are also told that when ministers made recommendations, either ministers, their drivers, their secretaries - that even if the files were not complete that those files would be expedited nevertheless. Are you familiar with that?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."
Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Do you know of one Mrs. Olena Kurley who stated that she lives on 2 Miles on the Northern Highway?"
Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."
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