New Immigration Director Named

Director of Immigration, Paulino Castellanos served the first day of an indefinite suspension today as a criminal investigation into wrong-doing at the department is launched by police. This afternoon, Home Affairs CEO Allan Usher had a meeting with the 19 member staff at the department to introduce Cornel Peter Parchue as the Acting Director of Immigration. Parchue - who is a lifetime military man with over 20 years of service in the BDF - has had no prior experience in the Immigration Department. He comes over from Price Barracks where he was working in an administrative capacity. It's a choice that would seem to come from out of the blue, but Usher today told us that Parchue is only an interim transitional figure - meant to stabilise the scandal ravaged office and restore public confidence. Speaking with us by phone, Usher refused to discuss whether persons other than Director Castellanos were suspected of wrong-doing and would only say that, "except for a few persons - the department is run by people of integrity." He wouldn't discuss, however, who those "few" bad eggs were, how much makes up that few, or what will be done with them. Usher has forwarded the findings of his quite toothless internal probe to the Commissioner of Police - who, it is expected, will order a criminal investigation. After that, the file will be forwarded to the DPP for review and recommendation on whether criminal charges should be brought. But until then, long serving Director Castellanos remains the only fallen figure, taken down for what specifically - we don't know - and Usher, nor his report seem able to say.