Troubles continue at the immigration department - as for the third time in five weeks an employee has been accused of criminal wrongdoing.
An immigration officer is out on bail tonight after he was charged with extorting $7.50, yes $7.50 from a Guatemalan at the Benque border on Friday. The immigration officer Luis Romero was arrested on Friday after $7.50 was left on the counter at the Benque border. It was allegedly or apparently change for a Guatemalan who had just entered Belize but for his Romero's superior it seemed like a bribe. Police were called in and he was detained from Friday on a charge of extortion and spent the weekend in lockdown until this morning when he was arraigned and released on bail.
The bizarre arrest and case is sparking unrest at the border where on Saturday immigration officers were on a go-slow to express their dissatisfaction with the arrest of their colleague. That go-slow caused the line to be backed up for hours and pressed embattled Director of Immigration peter Parchue into service at the desk where he reportedly processed people himself.