|
|
Former Security
Minister Accused of Taking Bribes For
Issuing Visas To Chinese
Mother's Day Will
Be On The 20th. It's Official!
Authorities Investigate
Misuse of Tax Free
Gasoline Destined For
Fishing Boats
Two Foreigners Found
Dead in Alajuela Hotel
Room
Arias Keeps Stable
Numbers
Public Sector Salaries
Increase by 5% |
|
Former Security Minister
Accused of Taking Bribes
For Issuing Visas To
Chinese
"The former minister of
Seguridad, Rogelio
Ramos, received us$3.000
for each visa obtained
by a member of the
Chinese mafia, who would
be married illegally to
indigents, drug addicts
and prostitutes, who
were paid between
¢10.000 and ¢15.000
colones", was the
declaration by Marina
Calvo Fonseca before the
Juzgado Penal de San
José.
Calvo Fonseca related to
the judges the details
of the million dollar
business, adding that
she feared that she
could be killed for
"telling the truth in
the matter."
The woman told the
judges that she wanted
to tell the whole story,
all the details, that in
the event she or any
member of her family
would be killed, the
Poder Judicial and the
national press would
have all the loose ends
of the criminal
organization, where high
ranking government
officials have been
involved in handing
visas to Chinese
nationals.
"I want this to be my
legacy to justice and
rights, of someone who
innocently made a
mistake. My life is
jeopardy, however I have
a commitment to society
and though late to
justice the impunity of
such grave matters
should not be left
behind", said Calvo
Fonseca.
The declaration was made
public to the press
immediately after the
woman gave her statement
to the court.
The statement by Calvo
Fonseca indicates that
the mastermind behind
the scheme was man
identified as Zuñiga
Alvarado, who had been a
close friend of her
father and who took
advantage of the
friendship. Alvarado is
alleged to have taken
care of all the details
of the scheme, including
the arranging of the
marriages by the
foreigners to Costa
Ricans, whose only role
in the scheme was to
sign the marriage
document.
Calvo Fonseca told the
court that at one point
she refused to go along
with the scheme and was
threatened and would be
denounced before the
Dirección de Notariado
and that retributions
would be taken against
her family.
Calvo Fonseca in her
statement explained in
detail the workings of
the scheme, of how
Chinese nationals that
wanted to invest in
Costa Rica would be
offered visas tied to
marriage with Costa
Ricans and how former
ministro de Seguridad
Pública, Rogelio Ramos,
would be paid us$3.000
for each visa approved.
Ramos was minister of
Seguridad under the
Pacheco administration
and for the latter half
of the Rodríguez
administration. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rogelio Ramos, former minister of
Seguridad under the Pacheco and
Rodriguez administations.
|
|
|
| |
|
