Top customs job still vacant, Bennett returns to Immigration

Samantha Bennett

(CNS): Despite a recent recruitment process to fill the top job at the customs department, the important post remains vacant. Samantha Bennett, who had taken the job on secondment in November 2013, returned to her former post as the deputy chief immigration officer on Monday, leaving Deputy Collector of Customs Collie Powery to head the department temporarily.

Officials said that the internal secondment programme was developed by the Portfolio of the Civil Service to allow civil servants the opportunity to actively work in another position within the government in order to develop other competencies, skills and experiences.

“I am grateful for the experience gained during my secondment as the collector of customs,” Bennett stated in a government release.

Prior to the end of the secondment period, which lasted over a year, Bennett participated in an open recruitment process conducted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development to fill the substantive position of the collector of customs. However, neither she nor any other candidate was appointed and it has been decided to continue the recruitment process in 2015.

Meanwhile, Powery has been appointed as the acting collector of customs and Marlon Bodden will continue on as head of enforcement.

The customs department hit the headlines over the Christmas and New Year holidays after it was revealed that officers had allowed a serving police officer to continue on his journey after they seized his licensed firearm from his carry-on luggage, without being detained or arrested.

Bennett returns to the department at a time of turmoil, with both the chief immigration officer and the director of boards on required leave as a result of misconduct allegations. Meanwhile, a number of other immigration officers have also been suspended for a variety of alleged infractions. A trial is expected to open Monday morning in Grand Court relating to accusations made against Tichina Rickfield about immigration law abuses. Rickfield has been on required leave on full pay for five years.