Director of Immigration Jose Carmen Zetina, he's in the center of a firestorm as the police investigation into 200 missing passports continues. But, as always, Zetina came out, guns blazing. This morning on Love FM he made it clear that he feels this is a case of sabotage by malcontents within the department who are trying to undermine his leadership. Still, when we spoke with him he said he is a suspect and he is responsible, at least partially.
Jules Vasquez,
Are you to blame for this sir?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"Well I can take partial blame since I'm actually the man in charge of the Immigration Department, but criminally I don't think I'm responsible. I mean morally, or professionally, I can think about taking some responsibility Jules but things happen."
Jules Vasquez,
Sir but you wouldn't deny that you have one of the two sets of keys for the building and you were in there on the weekend, you go into work very early, as is your history, you wouldn't deny that you were alone in the building with the passports?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"As far as I am concerned, yes, I only know about two sets of keys. I have one just for the main door; I don't have for the other doors. The other bunch of keys, that ise retained for the cleaners and for the general staff, is only one, as far as I know. The biggest mistake, in hindsight, is that I didn't change the locks of all the keys, all the padlocks, that are existing at the Immigration Department. Maybe at the time when I took over I didn't see it prudent to do so but on reflection maybe it's a mistake. But, yes, as far I'm concerned there are two sets of keys, possibly there are more, who knows."
Jules Vasquez,
But you did have one of those sets of keys, you do go in to work early, and you did go into work that weekend?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"Yes I was there on the Sunday as I usually do. I gave a statement to the police telling them exactly how I operate, how I work. It is something that I've practiced when as Commissioner of Police I was an early riser to work, going there sometime 2:30 to 5:00, I don't go later than that."
Jules Vasquez,
But if you were in the building, as one of the only people with access to the front door, and again the front door wasn't breached, should you, in your experience as a police officer, should you not be listed as a suspect?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"I am a suspect. I have stated that to all my members of staff. I am s suspect and everybody from Immigration must be considered a suspect, including those who profess that they were on leave, they must be considered suspects. So let's face this thing Jules, that everybody, including myself, I am a suspect yes."
Jules Vasquez,
Mr. Murillo, your assistant, had his home searched this weekend. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister, which he circulated to the press, and he made it clear that it's an indignity, that he felt was unjust for him to have endured. You did not have your home searched. Do you sympathize with the Assistant Director?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"I cannot say I sympathize, the police are doing their work Jules. Police base their search on what they have, or what they think, or on whatever is their deduction from the scene of the crime. Police base their search on many things Jules; you don't have to have complete intangible evidence to do that. Once you begin to fall within the realm of a suspect, you are being searched."
Jules Vasquez,
If they went to search your house you would let them?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"If the Commissioner asked me right now, call me by telephone and tell me, 'Zet I want to search you,' I will tell him to go ahead. I am not afraid, I am cool man. I have nothing to worry (about)."
Jules Vasquez,
At the end of the day, do you believe this is a deliberate act of sabotage, to undermine your leadership of the Immigration Department?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"I think its two things: it is to undermine my leadership at the Immigration Department and a criminal act."
Jules Vasquez,
Should you sir, as the Director make sure that the blank passports were more well secured?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"Well Jules to be frank with you, when I took over I did look into it and I did accept what they said to me, that how the passport given to the passport officer was being kept in a metal cabinet. Maybe I thought that it was okay for me at the time."
Jules Vasquez,
Do you feel that these passports can be made to be usable and can thus undermine the credibility and good name of Belize?
Jose Carmen Zetina,
"If I am to believe our systems administrator, if I am to believe my deputy, if I am to believe them, both of them who have the technical know how, who have the technical expertise on the system, I don't think those passports are of any value to outsiders. These passports are already being declared void by me, that means that they have been written out, they've been blocked by the system. Even if they are found in the investigation, they are of no value for the Immigration Department. Because when I took over the Immigration I was faced with strikes, I was threatened, they had written to the Prime Minister, anonymous letters to the Prime Minister, criticizing my style, demanding my removal from the Immigration Department, and even uttering threats that something would happen to the passport office and the Immigration Department. So this is something I expected and I continue to face these things because people within the Immigration Department are not prepared to change and remember I come from a tough Departmnet, the Police Department, and you know my style, I am not going to bend to these sort of pressures. I don't even consider it pressure, they might say they are pressuring me but you know me Jules, I am very calm, cool, and collected."
Last night, Assistant Director Gareth Murillo sent an open letter to the Prime Minister, which he copied to the press. As we reported, Murillo was detained and had his house searched on Saturday. Murillo says, "what displeases and disgusts me most is the total disregard and disrespect shown to the position I hold." He continues, "as someone who has rendered 18 years of public service at the Immigration Department I found this treatment unjust, unreasonable and unwarranted." He concludes, "the investigators seem to be on an ulterior mission."
