Dozen defendants cram into dock for corruption case

(CNS): Six public officers from the Department of Immigration and six of the department’s clients crammed into the dock Tuesday, when they made their first appearance in connection with a long-running anti-corruption conspiracy case. The dozen defendants face bribery and fraud charges related to the test administered to applicants seeking work permits or residency whose first language is not English. No details of the alleged offences were revealed in the brief hearing before the case was transferred to Grand Court.

All twelve people were bailed on limited conditions to appear on 27 April to answer the charges. They face charges ranging from conspiracy to commit fraud on the government to bribery and breach of trust.

The defendants are immigration officers Marcus Alexander (44) from Prospect, who faces a total of 20 different charges; Kathy Ann Forbes (44) from Frank Sound, who faces six charges; Carlos Jose Robinson (43) from North Side, who is facing nine charges; Sherry Lee McLaughlin (57) from George Town, who is facing four charges; Diane Dey Rankine (57) from George Town, who is facing four charges; and Pheadra Rochell McDonald (43) from Spotts Newland, who is facing five charges.

The immigration clients in the case are Santo Castro Castillo (45), who is from the Dominican Republic but lives in Spotts Newlands and is facing 14 charges; Katerine Montero Paniagua (27), who is from the Dominican Republic but lives in George Town and is facing two charges; Marlenis Perez Mata (31) from the Dominican Republic, who lives in Prospect and is facing four charges; Angela Suyapa Rodriguez David (38), a Honduran woman from West Bay who is facing just one charge; Mariel Maleno Suriel (33) from the Dominican Republic but lives in George Town, who is facing four charges; and Carolin Nixon Lopez (35) from Honduras, who lives in West Bay and is facing two charges.