| Yesterday evening, the Ministry Of Immigration sent out a release making the case that there wasn't anything seriously irregular about three charter flights that landed in Belize from Haiti with 32 supposedly Japanese visitors. The release concludes casually that there were simply some procedural errors at the customs and immigration departments.
But information coming out today suggests that there were egregious breaches of procedure.
First off, the release does not address the fact that the plane flew in from Port Au Prince Haiti - it simply says that a private charter plane "out of the Dominican Republic" landed in Belize - which is misleading because the charter company is based in the Dominican Republic but the plane flew out of its neighboring country, Haiti. The fact that the point of origin is glossed over suggests, unfortunately, a cover-up.
Second, the release makes nothing of the absolute oddness of 32 Japanese tourists flying in on a private charter jet - from earthquake ravaged Haiti to Belize. We note that the number of Japanese visitors to Belize every year is so fractional it is not even recorded under an individual heading in Tourism Board statistics - so to have received 32 in a three week span is anomalous, to say the least. Those familiar with passenger movements at the airport told us it is downright suspect.
Third, one of the so called procedural irregularities is that no record was made of where the Japanese visitors got their visas. That is required documentation that should be made by the Immigration Department, but in all 32 cases it was not observed. With the known circulation of fake Belizean visas - this is more than a glaring oversight.
Fourth - and most telling is the fact that there are two general declarations. That's the document which tells authorities everything about the flight, its passengers, and crew. In this case one of the declarations says there were no passengers and the other says there were 13. Clearly, a fake "gen-deck" as they are called - is in circulation - which - those with knowledge of the system tell us - is a rather bold level of fraud.
Fifth, if - as the release suggests - there are only procedural errors - then why is it that five of the 9 immigration personnel at the airport were transferred today and two customs officers were called to the CIB office to be questioned this afternoon? We note that that is the criminal investigations office.
And while all those are notable curiosities in what we can only conclude is a sanitized release - for context we note that getting into Belize with a Japanese passport is infinitely simpler than doing it with a Chinese passport. First off, the cost of a single Belizean visa to a Chinese passport holder is twelve thousand dollars - deterrence fees which are not levied on Japanese travelers.
Just a half hour ago we got a chance to speak to CEO in the Ministry of Immigration Allen Whylie via telephone and Jules Vasquez put these difficult outstanding issues to him:…
Jules Vasquez
"Mr. Whylie I notice in the release the flight is out of the Dominican Republic but the company is out of the Dominican Republic. The flight is from Haiti."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"The flight is out of Haiti and the charter plane is operated out of the Dominican Republic yes."
Jules Vasquez
"But isn't that absolutely irregular, almost to the point of it being mildly ridiculous that 13 Japanese visitors, we already have so few, 13 Japanese will fly out of Haiti; earthquake ravage into Belize on a private charter plane? Doesn't about that stick in your throat?"
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Yes, it can stick in your throat. I only reported what the investigating team found and that was done I don't know."
Jules Vasquez
"But do you believe base on your experience, do you believe that 13 Japanese or 32 Japanese visitors came from earthquake ravage Haiti on a private charter plane. is that plausible to you? Does that make sense?"
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Well it's not a matter of belief or what I believe Mr. Vasquez it's what the investigation is showing base on the flight plan. The flight plan says the plane originated from Port-au-Prince, Haiti and the documentations that were presented to Belize Civil Aviation Authority be accepted so it's not a belief it's the documents proof."
Jules Vasquez
"First of all the number of Japanese visitor we get every year is fractional it is a super minority and for 32 to have arrive in 3 weeks suggest not suggest it screams that something is a mist that there is some level of fraud being perpetrated in the documents themselves."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"We are not ruling out anything. Part of the investigation will entail us seeking the assistance of Foreign Affairs and other international partners to try to get copies of whatever documents were presented at the port of departure. So we are not ruling out anything, I am just saying base on what we have right now, reported what we have. The investigation is ongoing."
Jules Vasquez
"But you did not in your official release report that the plane came from Haiti, it is a glaring omission sir and it suggest that it is a cover up at some sort of deliberate action to conceal this very anomalous fact; a flight out of Haiti."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"No, there were 3 flights from Haiti and there was no cover-up as far as I am concern because....."
Jules Vasquez
"Why wasn't it included in the release? why then was not that detail included in the 10 point 3 page press release?"
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Yes I acknowledge and that fault solely rest with myself. Omission not intentionally on my part, but it's no excuse but I was trying to get it out to meet the Medias. It was only then that I realize that I did not put in that flight originated from Port-au-Prince, Haiti."
Jules Vasquez
"How many flights we get from Port-au-Prince, Haiti? How many private charter flights do we get annually from Port-au-Prince? It is highly irregular that private charter flights coming from Port-au-Prince. Will you concede that?"
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Well I will concede that because base on the investigation we have done I ask that question and to my knowledge so far there's been only those 3."
Jules Vasquez
"Well then isn't there something entirely suspicious if; a) these are the only 3 flights; b) these are the only arrivals of Japanese recently. Doesn't all this suggest that there is some sort of overall overarching suspiciousness about this entire trip to Belize?"
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Well as I said the investigation is ongoing Mr. Vasquez, there is no doubt that it is suspicious but I don't want to express opinions I want to express facts and what the investigation disclose but I mean we haven't have any flights before so."
Jules Vasquez
"But the facts you've express Mr. Whylie have done everything to make it seem that this was a completely regular flight. There are 5 points out of the 10 pints which make it clear how regular it is that everybody got their notice that BAHA get their notice, that civil aviation got their notice, I am saying that so much of the release was dedicated to making the point that everything was procedurally intact that it suggests that it is a deliberate cover-up."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Well most definitely not Mr. Vasquez, as I said the release details what the investigation found out up to that point in time."
Jules Vasquez
"It does not detail that the flight came out of Haiti, it does not detail that no record was taken of where the visas were issues but [Allen Whylie - it's an inadvertent omission on my part] yes but there are 2 more inadvertent omissions or what you make seen to be inadvertent omissions second is that no record was taken of where the visas were issued, which is critical in processing anybody especially from an unusual a place to visit Belize as Japan. The third omission is that it does not mention there are two general declarations for the October 4th flight meaning that one of them is a fraudulent general declaration."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Again the press release indicated that procedural errors were found at Customs and immigration indeed. Procedural again were uncovered in terms that the fact that one of the gen-dec's (general declarations) that was at the customs initially had only the pilots name and when custom began inquiring then one appeared with the pilot's name and the passengers name and those are the facts."
Jules Vasquez
"Those are procedural errors Mr. Whylie. Just from an outsiders point of view appear that they are all indicative of a very deliberate cover-up."
Allen Whylie, CEO in the Ministry of Immigration
"Well I can't say; people have got to perform their opinion, I am expressing the facts and as I said it warrant further investigation."
And facts are stubborn things…we'll keep following them up next week.
The US embassy issued a statement today saying that, quote, "the USA believes that a professional cadre of immigration and customs officials, working with transparent and standardized procedures, facilitates legitimate travel and trade while combating corruption and the illegal entry of people and goods. The Embassy has provided training and material assistance to Belize in attaining these objectives. We encourage the Government of Belize to remain steadfast in their commitment to identifying and sanctioning corruption at all levels and implementing measures that eliminate the illegal entry of people and goods into Belize."
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