ACC rounds up charges in immigration case

(CNS): The Anti-Corruption Commission has charged another two people in the long-running bribery case relating to tests administered by the Department of Immigration. Sherry Lee McLaughlin (57), a Caymanian immigration officer from George Town, faces three charges of conspiracy to commit breach of trust and one charge of failing to report the solicitation of an advantage. Katerine Montero Paniagua (27), a George Town resident from the Dominican Republic, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to commit fraud on the government.

This brings the total of people facing criminal charges to twelve in the case relating to alleged bribes surrounding the tests taken by non-native English speaking foreign nationals.

ACC officials have confirmed that the thirteenth person, a local 37-year-old man, who had been arrested during the investigation, is not going to be charged in the case and he has been released from the bail conditions.

The ACC also confirmed some of the details of the allegations, stating, “The charges relate to the provision of assistance to pass the English Language Test and in some cases, arranging the payment of a reward for the provision of such assistance.”

However, officials said that, as the case was now before the courts, the ACC would not make any further comment.

In total six immigration officers and six immigration clients have now been charged in the probe. The first arrests were made in January of last year in relation to offences that were said to have taken place between April 2015 and January 2017.

The twelve defendants have all been bailed to appear in court on 10 April.