Among the list of applicants listed in Montero’s letter to former Director Meighan were two nationality applicants, Saad Harmouch, and and Wael Harmouche. Now, the Harmouch clan are actually residents of San Pedro, and the Senate certainly had a lot of questions for Manuel Heredia Jr. today about these Lebanese Belizeans with that same last name who got nationality with his assistance. 

We’ll get to that a little bit later, but first, here’s the Senate confronting Montero about why he recommended Saad Harmouch and Wael Harmouche for nationality when they certainly were not his constituents from Cayo Central. He told them that the Immigration Department, who called him about these nationality applications numbers, made a mistake, and that’s why he intervened on behalf two nationality applicants who aren’t in his electoral division:

Michel Chebat - PUP Senator
“In this particular letter that the auditor general refers to, there is request for 7 different individuals, is that correct?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero - UDP Minister
“Yes.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“And who are those persons minister?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Well at the time that list that I mentioned before, immigration had called my office and stated to my secretary that these bna numbers were ready.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“These were for people in your constituency?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Since it came from immigration I felt that it was genuine and that these bna numbers pertained to people in my constituency.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Was Wael Harmouche of your constituency minister?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“I don’t know him.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Why would the auditor general then include him as one of the individuals who had requested facilitation for?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“I think you have to refer that question to her. I maintain that I do not know the Harmouche, I never met them, never dealt with them, I have never done any dealing with them directly or indirectly, I have never received any considerations from them, I don’t know them period.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Did you see this report before coming here today?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Yes I did.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“Did you at anytime try to clarify with the auditor general that statements made by her in accurate?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“No.â€￾

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
“Was it a practice that they would call to let you know or let the ministers know we were having swearing in and we have these persons from your area…â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“As far as I know Senator, this was an isolated incident because my office in Santa Elena had inquire the status of these bna numbers.â€￾

Hon. Elena Smith
“So it was just a result of your query?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“My office in Santa Elena.â€￾

Ashley Rocke - Church Senator
“Did it not bother you that these numbers your asked to detail, did it not concern you who they were?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Senator as I stated before the list was given to my secretary and since it came from immigration I thought that it was genuine and it belonged to people from my constituency and because I was overzealous to assist them we made that request.â€￾

Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
“Just for absolute clarity minister are you saying that you did not request the file for this Wael Harmouche?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“I did not.â€￾

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
“Did you request the file for Sjhad Muhammad Harmouche?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“I did not, as I stated I don’t know this person, I have never dealt with them.â€￾

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
“You said earlier the letter for January 2012 was specifically for people in your constituency, am I correct?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Yes.â€￾

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
“Is Wael Harmouche and Sjhad Muhammad Harmouche in your constituency?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Maybe it was a mistake from immigration that they sent the 2 bna numbers from the Harmouche, who can tell? I don’t know it was only bna numbers we were dealing with, not dealing with names so it could have been a mistake from immigration.â€￾

Michel Chebat
“You see how it is a bit difficult for us to try and follow what is happening, you're denying that you know these people but in the letter you sent, you’re quoting their bna numbers. Would you care to explain to us?â€￾

Hon. Rene Montero
“Well, Senator I could have come here and tell you from the very beginning that I don’t know these people, that I did not write the letter. I’m trying to be truthful as I mentioned before and keep repeating that someone from immigration department and gave us the list of bna numbers and based on that I instructed my secretary to make a request.â€￾