Immigration Director
Ordered Suspended For 15
Days
The director general de
Migración, Mario Zamora
Cordero, is being asked
to take a 15 day break
from his duties
following a suspension
order by the vice-ministra
de Gobernación (Interio
Ministry), Ana Durán,
last Friday.
Zamora was suspended for
attributed delays in
processing cases that
led to the presentation
of some 200 writs of
habeas corpus, which
would have generated
convictions against the
state.
The sanction was based
on a recommendation by
the disciplenary panel
of the Ministerio de
Gobernación, following
an investigation of
complaints presented by
lawyer, Mario Zamora
Cruz, who specializes in
processing visa
applications for
foreigners.
The lawyer based his
complaints on unusual
dealys in processing
files, especially those
applications where
foreigners are married
to Costa Rican
nationals.
Director Zamora said
yesterday that he would
be appealing the
suspension direclty to
the ministra de
Seguridad Pública,
Janina del Vecchio, and
that the suspension
would be effective if
and only Del Vecchio
ratifies the order
within the coming week.
The director is claiming
that his rights have
been violated when he
could not attend the
first hearing because of
previous commitments,
mainly to legislators
who working on the new
immigration law. Zamora
said he had hoped for a
rescheduling of the
hearing, but never got
the call and then
surprised by the
suspension order.
The immigration director
denied any delays in the
processing of case
files, nor was he
negligent in duties, for
the cases lost to the
Sala Constitucional were
lost by the immigration
service and not by him.
Vice-minister Durán
defended her action by
saying that Zamora was
allowed due process
before the suspension
order was signed. Durán
added that the director
was given an opportunity
to attend the hearing,
but he denied, saying he
had to attend to
consultations of
legislators, later
delivering a letter that
the sanction was
incorrect, but did not
offer any evidence to
the prove otherwise the
charges made against
him.
Zamora took over the
immigration director's
chair in May 2006,
appointed by then
ministro de Seguridad
Pública, Fernando
Berrocal.
The highlight of
Zamora's career at
immigration is the
uncovering of an
organized plan in
January 2007 to bride
immigration officials to
hand out visas to
Chinese nationals. The
organization was caught
red handed when Zamora,
working close with the
Fiscalía and police
authorities, letting the
group believe that he
was on the take.
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