A former BDF Corporal is at the Hattieville Prison doing time because he scammed 18 visas from the U.S. Embassy in Belmopan. Between August 2006 and May 2007, Corporal Paul Adolphus used his position at the BDF to get visas for 18 persons. It is believed that he sold them for $300 each.
And here's how he did it: Corporal Adolphus was in charge of processing papers for soldiers who receive training in the United States. Through a special arrangement with the Belize army, the U.S. Embassy allows the BDF to submit names of persons going away for training and approves their visas without them having to go in for interviews. Well, it seems Corporal Adolphus would mix in the name of a few civilians with the standard applications and once they're signed by the Deputy Commandant, the U.S, Embassy would approve them, no questions asked.
So how did he get the applications signed for persons who weren't even in the BDF? Well our information says he scanned the signature of the deputy, and then printed it out on bogus application forms or joint orders as they are called. We are told that the fakes didn't have the same paper quality of the originals but apparently this slipped by Embassy watchdogs.
They caught up to it in May of this year and Adolphus was found guilty at a military summary trial, sentenced to six months imprisonment demoted to private.
According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy, all visas issued as a result of his fraudulent activities have been revoked and anyone using them will be denied entry to, or removed from, the United States. Our sources say all the fraudulent visas were given to Belizeans some of them to naturalized Belizeans.
We are told that the programme continues, but now with increased checks and controls.
