Trial for immigration officer to begin March
BVI News Staff - Friday, January 27th, 2012 at 1:23 PM
The case involving Immigration Officer Walter Maduro has been set for trial on March 27, 2012.
The decision was made in the Magistrate’s Court on Friday, January 27 after Senior Crown Counsel Valston Graham announced that investigation into the matter has been completed.
Maduro is charged in connection with the 13-year-old drug ring operation that was uncovered last year and has been granted $90,000 bail.
The immigration officer is facing five counts of breach of trust and five counts of using public office for gratification. He was not required to plea to the indictable charges.
It is alleged that in June of 2010 Maduro stamped individuals into the territory through the Road Town Ferry Terminal who were connected to the drug trafficking operation which involved movement across Columbia, Venezuela, the BVI and the United States.
One of those individuals was said to be the leader of the operation, Roberto Mendez-Hurtado, himself, and others connected to the operation.
The individuals reportedly arrived via boat but through Nanny Cay but the passports were hand-delivered to Maduro by Customs Officer Roberto Harrigan. The passports were then stamped and signed with Maduro’s signature.
Maduro denied the charges and said he at no time received any payments for doing his job. He told the authorities that he did not compromise his office and had no knowledge of a drug conspiracy operation.
Maduro, 31, of Belle Vue was arrested and charged by police as a result of investigations which point to his role in aiding the operation of a 13-year-old drug trafficking ring for which the BVI was the central transshipment point.
Maduro’s charges relate to two incidences where BVI Immigration entry stamps were placed into forged Venezuelan passports on June 5, 2010 and on June 29, 2010 at the Road Town Ferry Terminal. Officers from the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force arrested Maduro on suspicion of drug trafficking and money laundering and forging documents.
Officers also executed a search warrant at his home where two immigration stamps, one entry and date stamp, along with other items were seized.
Copyright 2012 BVI News, Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.
3 Comments
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but wait last time they say they have someone in protective custody to testify agains maduro.now u aint herd noting bout that again. y they destroying the young man like this. keep the faith maduro.
dude we missed u the waterfront.u could work under pressure.they aint have noting on u.all this time. puting off, puting off court.they messed up. the premier needs to get involve in this one.
So they have no proof he did any thing , lol that’s a shame waste of time & gov’t money , that a next law suit again
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