By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement Leader Michael Pintard said Immigration Minister Keith Bell superseded senior immigration officials on January 17 to force the release of dozens of Chinese nationals working illegally at the British Colonial Hotel.

Mr Pintard, citing information from unnamed senior immigration officials, said when officers showed up at the Hilton and loaded buses with Chinese nationals, a senior official of the hotel contacted Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper.

“After a call from Minister Bell was made, the nationals were released from the bus to return to the site,” he claimed.

Mr Bell declined to respond yesterday, saying he would address it in the House of Assembly. Mr Cooper also declined to comment.

Mr Pintard said top immigration officials “took strong issue” with what happened and “communicated their objection to the permanent secretary”.

 “Immigration,” he said,”was not able to process the great number of Chinese and had no idea who they were.”

 Mr Pintard claimed there were between 60 and 100 Chinese nationals without a work permit. He said officials told him some workers were in the country for “possibly a year”.

 “The rationale is obviously they are facilitating those that wish to have the hotel completed,” he told The Tribune. “Our position is, while there’s an urgency in making sure the infrastructure of hotel properties are taken care of, the manner in which we do it is as important.”

 Mr Pintard said the Chinese nationals should have been detained and their documentation properly assessed.

 “Since they were released, there was great uncertainty around who all these people were and the circumstances surrounding them,” he said.

 “This chain of events has raised questions about the appropriateness of Minister Bell and others’ actions and his alleged interference in the due process of immigration enforcement. If proven true, such actions undermine the principles of fair and equitable treatment for all workers, as well as the credibility of the government in upholding immigration laws.”

 Immigration Director Keturah Ferguson referred this newspaper to the department’s public relations representative yesterday when asked about the matter. A response did not come before press time.

 The FNM has increased its scrutiny of Mr Bell after he oversaw an unorthodox citizenship oath ceremony at a funeral last month. The party says many questions about the episode remain unanswered.