One Sunday and Monday we tried 9 solid hours of the 100 or so stories that made news in 2017.  But there were no stories on the Senate's immigration probe - if those had been included, well, those 9 hours might have stretched to 20!

That's because for 13 months, we took you through each and every one of the sessions that the Senate held.

Simply by the virtue of the major time and resources expended these hearings became the story of the year, where the Senate had to listen to dozens of hours of testimony. And sure, while it was entertaining to see the witnesses squirm, those responsible will most likely not face any consequences - more than being named and shamed. 

So, we've put together a few choice cuts of some of the most explosive topics coming out of it. One of those was the 8 visas which went missing, triggering the Auditor General's scrutiny on the department.

Here's what was revealed over the yearlong hearings on that:

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39353&frmsrch=1

Teresita Castellanos - Former FO, Immigration Department

"I was in the belly of the Beastâ€Â¦ The Immigration Department has an entrenched culture of corruption and hustling, milking the cow, we say, from the very top, to the very bottom of the ladder. No politician can force a public officer to do illegal acts when performing our jobs, and if we do, we should face the same consequence, as the politicians, if necessary, if it comes to that."

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39513&frmsrch=1

Mark Tench - Former Supervisor, BWBS

"Well, Mr. Chang informed us that he was the one who was getting the visas for some people, and they had bought it through a person, and they had realized that the visas were not good, not valid, and that is why they had taken it to Belmopan Office. What they wanted, they wanted us to help them get back their money." 

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39617&frmsrch=1

Eric Chang - Former Deputy Mayor of Belize City

"No it's not up accurate at all. Let's start with Mr. Middleton. I don't know who is Mr. Middleton, at no time in my life.

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"The impression I got was that, he said that the indication coming from you and Mr. Tillett was that you had paid $5,000 per visa."

Eric Chang
"Mr. Chairman the only thing I can tell you is that that is not true. I was no part of the conversation and I don't know where that $5000 he spoke about came from. It's not my matter, so I didn't really listen or memorize anything, but I remember that day that Mr. Tillett called me and wanted to assist him so I went along and realized it was 3 immigration officers. Mr. Tillett was complaining to the immigration officer what transpired was whatever, I was not part of it,

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39614&frmsrch=1

Hon. Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator

"What did the agent do by way of follow up?"

Patrick Tillet - Former Financial Controller, Belize City Council

"It may be that..."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay

"Not maybe, we are speaking about these specific things."

Patrick Tillet

"He may have nothing to do except sending it to Belmopan and make his money."

Hon. Aldo Salazar

"You are giving away $3,000 dollars because you only paid him to take the documents to Belmopan which is where you lived. You would have taken 15 minutes to take it to immigration yourself because you live here. It doesn't make any sense to the reasonable mind."

Patrick Tillet

"It may be that I didn't want to..."

Hon. Aldo Salazar

"Not may I'm asking you what was it?"

Patrick Tillet

"I didn't want to be involved in immigration matters so I gave it to somebody else."

Hon. Aldo Salazar

"Okay now I understand that, you didn't want to be the face."

Patrick Tillet

"Correct."

Hon. Aldo Salazar

"Why is that, it's a legitimate business why don't you want to be the face of it?"

Patrick Tillet

"If you look at the history of immigration for the last 20 years I don't think nobody wants to be seen running in and out of immigration every day."

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39616&frmsrch=1

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Sir this statement we initiated an investigation and discovered that immigration officer L Wade had removed the 8 visa foils from the office."

Lindsay Wade
"There isn't any truth to that sir."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"The understanding that I got was that when they got to Tillett and found out that Mr. Middleton was involved. They got to Middleton pointed the finger at somebody in Corozal."

Lindsay Wade
"Mr. Middleton doesn't know me. If you bring him here today, he can't identify me. I don't know him either. When the allegations broke probably a month after December, I made it my business to find out who is Mr. Middleton and he told me on the phone that he didn't mention my name to Mr. Tench so I don't know why I'm here today. I guess you need to bring Mr. Middleton hereâ€Â¦ Yeah, but then you are saying Mr. Middleton say. You should have brought him here first. If he had come here and said I say or he saw me and you come and say Mr. Middleton say, what could I say? But he is not here and I don't know him."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"I understand you are upset, because your name is being call in this. But I'm not being adversarial with you. If you let me finish then you will understand the point."

Lindsay Wade
"Yeah, but I am not standing for any comment that say I stole any visa."

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=39847&frmsrch=1 

Hon. Aldo Salazar - Chairman, Senate Select Committee
"Your named was mentioned as being the person who was in possession of those 8 stolen visas. Were you ever in possession of visas?"

Barton Middleton - Implicated in Visa Theft
"No."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Do you know Mr. Patrick Tillett?"

Barton Middleton
"No."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Mr. Patrick said that he paid you 3,000 dollars to take visa applications - 8 visa applications into the immigration and nationality department in relation to 8 Chinese nationals and that he paid you 3,000 dollars each. Is that correct?"

Barton Middleton
"No."

Hon. Aldo Salazar
"Do you know any reason why Mr. Tillett would lie about you?"

Aldo Salazar
"Okay Mr. Tench also said that he went to Corozal Town, spoke to Mr. Khaddaffy. Khaddaffy pointed the finger back at you to say that you were really the mastermind behind getting these stolen visas. You find that funny? You recollect that part?"

Barton Middleton

"No sir."

Aldo Salazar
"Was there something you found humorous?" 

Barton Middleton
"I just find it humorous that's all."

Aldo Salazar
"Okay is there a particular reason?"

Barton Middleton

"No."

We've also put together some of the testimonies of the UDP Ministers who were called to testify before the hearings. Here's the back and forth between them and the Senators who were challenging them, testing the credibility of their answers:

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=41379&frmsrch=1

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."

Hon. Elena Smith 
"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."

Hon. Aldo Salazar 
"What did you mean in the letter when you said please facilitate me with the following nationality? Since she seemed uncertain with what you meant, can you clarify for us please?"

Hon. Rene Montero 
"But before we move to the word facilitate, I think we should explore the meaning of please. Please means basically to ask someone to consider my request and it is essentially asking a question, it is not a command and it is not stated that they must consider my request and to facilitate means just asking for an assistance for these nationality documents. At no time did I infer that they shouldn't follow the vetting process or that they should proceed with incomplete applications, at no time did I infer that or alluded to that, it was simply a request to facilitate."

Michel Chebat - PUP Senator 
"How many times have you given a recommendation for a visa?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"About 3 or 4."

Michel Chebat 
"3 or 4 and would that include the 2 times that Alvarine Bugress came to you?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"No man, no, no, no, no, no include which 2 times? Alvarine Burgess no have nothing about immigration sir."

Michel Chebat 
"She never came to you?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"No sir, stick to the report."

Michel Chebat 
"No?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"Talk about the Zeng Lee or..."

Michel Chebat 
"I am asking the questions minister, I am asking the questions."

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"No sir, listen to me sir."

Michel Chebat 
"I am asking you the questions minister, it is a matter for you to answer or not. My question to you minister..."

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"Your question is out of order sir."

Michel Chebat 
"The recommendations that you made did those recommendations also include 2 for Alvarine Burgess?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"I explained to you sir that I did the recommendation on the request of Mr. Zeng Lee. I did not recommendation for no Alvarine Burgess."

Michel Chebat 
"Minister are you denying that she paid you 2,000 dollars?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"I'm not answering any questions in regards to Alvarine Burgess."

Michel Chebat 
"Should I take your silence to mean yes she paid you?"

Hon. Anthony "Boots" Martinez 
"Put it this way, maybe she paid you sir."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga

"Even though the person did not meet the five years so there is a series of cases like this minister where we see the same people, the same players, the same last names. Heredia, Armstrong, Harmouche, Heredia Armstrong, Harmouche."

Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr. 
"The way I'm understanding it now you are pretending to tell me that Ms. Armstrong and myself have something in common. I knew Ms. Armstrong but I will never influence or can never influence Ms. Armstrong. Ms. Armstrong for some reason sent that file or sent it for approval, question Ms. Armstrong, don't question me."

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=40972&frmsrch=1

Michel Chebat - PUP Senator
"Alright minister, there are at least 2 letters which you wrote on the 13th of May 2013 and in each of those letters in one you recommended 6 persons and in the other one you recommended 5 persons for visas. Do you recall that?"

Hon. Edmond Castro - UDP Minister
"No sir."

Michel Chebat
"And if you see it you would recognize your signature?"

Hon. Edmond Castro
"No sir."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"It's saying signed Honourable Edmond Castro Minister of State in the ministry..."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"I read that section, there is only 6 times my name appeared in this whole document and this one is a fake because when I write a letter, I would never, ever write Hon. Edmond Castro, clear the land Castro and then Castro at the end, never. This is a fake."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga
"May I make the recommendation then that we seek the originals for this and ask the minister to take a look at it to see in fact what was the source."

Hon. Edmond Castro
"Technology is such that you could get that right now and make we get it over with. This is botched, so with technology you could get that in 30 seconds, we don't have to wait to waste my time here again like this all morning."

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=40372&frmsrch=1

Hon. Eamon Courtenay - PUP Senator
"The evidence before this committee is that you took or you went along with whichever way it is, an Asian gentleman in a black suit to the immigration department, do you recall in September 2013 going to the immigration department with an Asian gentleman in a black suit?"

Elvin Penner - Former Immigration Minister
"At this point in time I will invoke my right under the laws of Belize to remain silent."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Mr. Penner why are you refusing to answer that question?"

Elvin Penner
"Because I believe I have the right to do so."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Do you recall Mr. Wade - you going to Mr. Wade's office at the immigration department and inquirying about the file relating to Wong Hong Kim?"

Elvin Penner
"Again I will invoke my rights under the laws of Belize to remain silent."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Mr. Wade indicated that he informed you that the application was incomplete of Wong Hong Kim and you asked for the file so that you would take it to director Maria Marin. Do you recall that?"

Elvin Penner
"I do not recall that."

Hon. Eamon Courtenay
"Do you recall a conversation with Mr. Wade at all about the Wong Hong Kim file?"

Elvin Penner
"I don't recall that."

7News for Wednesday, January 3rd, 2017 from 7News Belize on Vimeo.