this smells dirty, how could fred mitchell of all people get himself involved in this fiasco. something does sound wrong about 102 issued in 2002, and 2200 in 2004.
I would like to ask the parties involved is their credibility and reputation worth it?
Is the good name of the Bahamas and its people worth it?
They all need to go straight to jail and lose everything they own, blame it on Christie for keeping a loose house. The new PLP is worse than the old PLP because they should know better by now.

this smells dirty, how could fred mitchell of all people get himself involved in this fiasco. something does sound wrong about 102 issued in 2002, and 2200 in 2004.
I would like to ask the parties involved is their credibility and reputation worth it?
Is the good name of the Bahamas and its people worth it?
They all need to go straight to jail and lose everything they own, blame it on Christie for keeping a loose house. The new PLP is worse than the old PLP because they should know better by now.


Despite Mitchell's call for a 'visa corruption probe' one of the most interesting things is that he wants this probe to figure out how Carl Bether got ahold of these documents.

This probe isn't about who signed what and where, it's about how the power players control the information of their own actions. I'd bet you a cookie that the Ministry will come out squeaky clean, but someone's gonna lose their head for leaking info to the oppostion!

Despite Mitchell's call for a 'visa corruption probe' one of the most interesting things is that he wants this probe to figure out how Carl Bether got ahold of these documents.
This probe isn't about who signed what and where, it's about how the power players control the information of their own actions. I'd bet you a cookie that the Ministry will come out squeaky clean, but someone's gonna lose their head for leaking info to the oppostion!

you know his own actions will be the brunt of his downfall. he better catch heself admit he wron and move on. im sure by now the people that work inhis ministry work together and realise that carl bethel(not that I want him too) will have more say in govt in 2007 than fred mitchell ever will. they better stick together because they were doing a service to the Bahamian public by outing the fraud. they better follow the paper trail...

All this Visa scenario proves is that it is the politicians who are trafficing the Illegal Immigrant!
All this time we thought the Haitians were coming into our country undetected on their own accord. NOW we know better! Dese people should be guilty of treason. They selling out our country with us looking at them...and what will happen to this all boys club? Absolutely nothing. Not a damn thing! Business is usual.

Despite Mitchell's call for a 'visa corruption probe' one of the most interesting things is that he wants this probe to figure out how Carl Bether got ahold of these documents.
This probe isn't about who signed what and where, it's about how the power players control the information of their own actions. I'd bet you a cookie that the Ministry will come out squeaky clean, but someone's gonna lose their head for leaking info to the oppostion!

Mr. Mitchell insulting our intelligence, with his this is a police matter. Then again, maybe it is, and he needs to be prosecuted...

Ya see Fred, this is what happens when ya rub yourself against dogs, (Trevor and Sidney), ya end up with fleas...

Ya see Fred, this is what happens when ya rub yourself against dogs, (Trevor and Sidney), ya end up with fleas...

dont be so generous with fred he just as bad birds of a feather flock togehter, it's in me seeing that...:shhh:

No matter how you try to hide a rat it always smell
here's the story by the bahama journal
http://www.jonesbahamas.com/?c=45&a=6185

22nd November
“Visa Corruption” Probe
Erica Wells
Minister of Foreign Affairs Fred Mitchell has asked for a police investigation into the opposition’s allegations that an astonishing number of Chinese and Haitian nationals have been granted visas, and that there was direct political involvement at the highest levels of the government in the issuance of visas.


Minister of Foreign Affairs
Fred Mitchell




The investigation request comes the day after the Free National Movement called for a public inquiry into the "obvious abuses" of the entry visa system and "circumvention" of the country’s immigration laws.

According to a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday, Mr. Mitchell has instructed that the police be asked to investigate the allegations made by the Free National Movement, which has also charged that PLP MPs, political cronies and family members appeared to have sponsored repeated batches or groups of Haitian and Chinese visitors for visas.

The ministry said that the investigation should include, but need not be limited to, "any allegations made by the FNM and any evidence in its possession;" and "an investigation into how documents that appear to have been stolen from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs got into the possession of Carl Bethel," an FNM Senator-designate."

It was also assured that the results of any investigation would be shared with the public.

The minister’s move is the latest development in the back-and-forth argument between Mr. Mitchell and the FNM, which first raised the allegations back in September, and asked the government to properly account for the "alarming" and "dramatic" rise in the number of visas to Haitians and Chinese nationals issued from Nassau.

The FNM wanted to know why the number of visas issued in The Bahamas to Haitians had grown from 102 in 2002 to more than 2,200 in 2004; and why the number of visas issued to Chinese nationals had quadrupled since 2002. The opposition said it was also concerned that visas were being issued irregularly, with incomplete and unsigned application forms, or without photographs of the applicants.

Mr. Bethel, who also referred to the visa "irregularities" in his convention address two weeks ago, said that the scale of the abnormalities "cannot even be imagined."

"From an apparently random collection of copied visa application forms I have isolated 84 approved visas issued at the request or upon sponsorship of one man between September 23, 2004 and November 30, 2004, a period of about nine weeks," said Mr. Bethel. "On average this man was able to secure at least nine visas a week. On November 1, 2004 alone, he was able to obtain 24 approvals."

Mr. Bethel held a press conference on Sunday to demand a public inquiry into the matter and the "obvious likelihood of corruption in the process," and presented two sets of documents that he said made it "clear that Minister Mitchell’s assertion that there was no ministerial involvement in the issuance of entry visas cannot be believed."

He said it was clear from the documents disclosed that Minister Mitchell, in at least two instances, was personally involved in decision-making – acting as a conduit for PLP Senator Traver Whylly, and in approving an application sponsored by his political colleague, Sidney Stubbs.

The former FNM chairman produced an e-mail message sent to Mr. Mitchell from Mr. Whylly, who is also a special assistant in the Office of the Prime Minister, asking for the approval of entry visas for six Haitian nationals; and a copied entry from a ledger maintained by the Consular Section in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which "clearly" states that it was the minister who approved the issuance of entry visas for a group of Chinese nationals sponsored by Mr. Stubbs, the member of parliament for Holy Cross.

In his address to the Progressive Liberal Party’s convention last week, Mr. Mitchell assured the public that no scandal of any kind had been found in the visa section, and dismissed the allegations as FNM "propaganda." However he reported that a management audit was being conducted at the Public Service Commission into the conduct of the affairs of the division.

"The documents neither disclose a breach of security nor that a decision was made which was outside the discretion of the officers who made the decisions," said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the statement released yesterday.

The Ministry said that the e-mail message from Mr. Whylly was a complaint about visa issuance, one of several complaints it receives on a daily basis. Regarding the group of Chinese nationals allegedly sponsored by Mr. Stubbs, the Ministry called on the FNM to provide evidence of wrongdoing, and said that their information was only "part of the story."

Mr. Whylly also issued a separate statement yesterday in response to the allegations. He said that a check of the files "must reveal that the request for the visas was legitimate, defensible and totally above board, as were the visas themselves."

The Ministry said that while Minister Mitchell does not involve himself in the day-to-day granting of visas, even if he had given an instruction to deny, grant or review a visa application, that could not be considered political interference, as the level of appeal is to the Minister.

"During his time in office, the Minister does not ever recall exercising such a power," according to the statement.

The ministry said that the country "today is more dynamic than during the FNM’s time in office, and the "demands for legitimate travel and access to The Bahamas have increased."

Mr. Mitchell yesterday reiterated his invitation to the FNM to report the allegations to the police, but Mr. Bethel told The Bahama Journal: "This is a political matter that demands political accountability and an appropriate response from the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It also demands an appropriate investigation by an impartial public inquiry."

This article is essentially incomplete. Quoting the increase in the number of visas issued to Haitians, but simply stating that the number has quadrupled for Chinese obscures the extent of the visa problem. The number of visas for Chinese could have started out at 4 (in 2002) and now stands at 16 (2004 or 2005). This increase is hardly problematic. By reporting the number of visas increased from 120 in 2002 to 2200 in 2004 suggests a large number of visas were issued to the Chinese; but we don’t know for certain. So, we have to infer from the information we’re given.
The information, as presented in the article suggests a link between visitors’ visas and work visas. Perhaps I am incorrect in my assessment, but I don’t confuse for a moment visitor’s visa with work visa.
If we are asked to believe that there is a scandal about the issuance of visitors’ visas then I have two questions: (1) Are we not a tourist destinations? (2) The Haitian and Chinese tourists spend money when they visit, do they not?
Finally, I would like to know why anyone connected with the government may have to apply for a visitor’s visa for a foreign national. There is a perception of impropriety by those applying on behalf of the foreign nationals. However, I am unclear as to whether this is a true scandal needing us to spend precious resources on another inquiry.
Such a story wrapped in the guise of a scandal plays into our prejudice against the Haitians and Chinese. We should read these articles more closely.

This article is essentially incomplete. Quoting the increase in the number of visas issued to Haitians, but simply stating that the number has quadrupled for Chinese obscures the extent of the visa problem. The number of visas for Chinese could have started out at 4 (in 2002) and now stands at 16 (2004 or 2005). This increase is hardly problematic. By reporting the number of visas increased from 120 in 2002 to 2200 in 2004 suggests a large number of visas were issued to the Chinese; but we don’t know for certain. So, we have to infer from the information we’re given.
The information, as presented in the article suggests a link between visitors’ visas and work visas. Perhaps I am incorrect in my assessment, but I don’t confuse for a moment visitor’s visa with work visa.
If we are asked to believe that there is a scandal about the issuance of visitors’ visas then I have two questions: (1) Are we not a tourist destinations? (2) The Haitian and Chinese tourists spend money when they visit, do they not?
Finally, I would like to know why anyone connected with the government may have to apply for a visitor’s visa for a foreign national. There is a perception of impropriety by those applying on behalf of the foreign nationals. However, I am unclear as to whether this is a true scandal needing us to spend precious resources on another inquiry.
Such a story wrapped in the guise of a scandal plays into our prejudice against the Haitians and Chinese. We should read these articles more closely.

Interesting

Amazing how ZNS was unable to focus their cameras on all the documents that the FNM had on display, especially the ones with dates and signatures.

Interesting
Quite true & ya know Bahamians dn't read.On one point he made I agree with Fred,if you truly believe there is some fruad invovled & you have the documents in your possession,turn them over to the police.BUT keep a copy & if after a certain time you havn't gotten any results then bring it to the attention of John Q Public.Because as the issue stands right now I trust neither Bethell or Mitchell.

Quite true & ya know Bahamians dn't read.On one point he made I agree with Fred,if you truly believe there is some fruad invovled & you have the documents in your possession,turn them over to the police.BUT keep a copy & if after a certain time you havn't gotten any results then bring it to the attention of John Q Public.Because as the issue stands right now I trust neither Bethell or Mitchell.


Now this is question.
Should there be a public inquiry before turning the matter over to the police.
Perhaps, if an inquiry is done, it may be found out that there is no need for further investigation. In any event, who should be responsible for an inquiry, the police or an indepedent committee? Moreover, I assume all police investigation are private with a conclusion of yes there is information to bring out charges, where as a public inquiry, all information is opened to the public...

Now this is question.
Should there be a public inquiry before turning the matter over to the police.
Perhaps, if an inquiry is done, it may be found out that there is no need for further investigation. In any event, who should be responsible for an inquiry, the police or an indepedent committee? Moreover, I assume all police investigation are private with a conclusion of yes there is information to bring out charges, where as a public inquiry, all information is opened to the public...


this is sure to turn out like the episode with BIG BAD BRAD :dgi: :cry: :cop: I will like to see that officer who will actually say that there were some irregularities at flying foriegn fred affairs ministry:raw: watch and see the victimising of employees there who are suspect.....:fly: :rolleyes: :cry:

Despite Mitchell's call for a 'visa corruption probe' one of the most interesting things is that he wants this probe to figure out how Carl Bether got ahold of these documents.
This probe isn't about who signed what and where, it's about how the power players control the information of their own actions. I'd bet you a cookie that the Ministry will come out squeaky clean, but someone's gonna lose their head for leaking info to the oppostion!

What i find most incredulous about Minister Fred Mitchell insinuation that someone stole something is this: how in the world can someone steals public information? Fred must believe that he is the smartest bahamian on earth or that we are the dumbest S.O.B to bat. This time he has been caugt lying to the bahamian people(that he never approved visas) and worse still he has put Bishop Sam Greene to conduct an investigation that can possibly bring down his beloved party. Well, spank me and call me pink! Dont he know, we know that the Bishop is PLP first and God second!