00:00Immigration officials say they have uncovered a passport online appointment scheme in which an employee has purportedly collected hundreds of
00:07thousands of dollars over the last six months or more after charging citizens to obtain a passport appointment at the
00:13Immigration Division headquarters at Richmond Street, Port of Spain.
00:16Sources say that a female employee on contract was questioned by senior immigration officials last Friday after reviewing CCC TV
00:24camera footage from earlier in the month when the employee was allegedly seen receiving what they believe was financial reward
00:30in a small brown envelope near the elevator of the ground floor of the building from a male applicant for
00:36an online passport appointment.
00:37Multiple sources familiar with the ongoing investigation told CV6 News that the employee would often book the passport appointments under
00:45their name and add a guest.
00:47So when the person arrived at the Immigration Office, they would then indicate that they have an appointment booked under
00:52the employee's name, allowing them to enter the building and later proceed to the third floor for their appointment.
00:58The employee allegedly collected anywhere between $1,000 and $2,500 from applicants to book each appointment.
01:04Based on checks in the system, this has been going on for more than six months and hundreds of persons
01:10would have paid the fee to have an appointment booked, since according to senior sources, passport appointments are booked up
01:15until late November, making it difficult to secure an early appointment.
01:20Sources also told TV6 that other personnel inside the building and possibly clerical staff have also been receiving monies to
01:27allow persons into the building and taken onto the third floor although they did not have a bona fide appointment.
01:32Only today, a supervisor on the third floor raised concerns about persons being allowed to access the third floor without
01:39an authorized appointment.
01:41TV6 News contacted Acting Chief Immigration Officer Alicia Yuxi via her cell phone, but she did not answer.
01:49She later WhatsAppped us saying, open quote, good morning, who is this please, close quote.
01:54When TV6 News identified the call as coming from the station and sent questions about the employee and the alleged
02:00passport appointment scheme shortly before 11.30 and also followed up two hours later asking for comment, Mrs. Yuxi did
02:08not answer.
02:09Mark Bassant, TV6 News.
02:12Mark Bassant, TV6 News.
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