Bautista has taken the bullet and made a report to the CID at St.
Vincent Street, Port of Spain. Investigators are expected to interview
an Immigration officer, who is attached to the department that was
responsible for the arrest of the woman at her Port of Spain business
place two weeks ago.
The woman claimed she was threatened by the same officer when she
was taken to the Immigration Department, that if she reported the
incident to the Chief Immigration Officer and the media, he would
have her residential status cancelled.
The Venezuelan woman is now running scared for her life.
Her close friends are saying that the bullet was sent as a warning
not to pursue any legal action ... or else.
“If it’s money you want, then this is what you would
get … a bullet,” is how one of her friends summed up
the message behind the grim warning.
Three police officers and a female Immigration officer went to her
husband’s business place on Frederick Street three weeks ago,
arrested, handcuffed her and dealt her several blows, which resulted
in bruises to her arms and a cut on her wrist.
Several passers-by who witnessed the incident, though Bautista was
the victim of an attempted kidnapping.
The “badjohn” posse was sent by an officer from the
Investigations Department to arrest Bautista believing that she
was an illegal immigrant.
It was only when she was taken to the Immigration Officer, a few
buildings away, it was discovered that she was granted residential
status by the Ministry of National Security on April 20 this year
and her Venezuelan passport was also stamped on April 25.
Immigration officers were embarrassed over the blunder and Bautista
was released ... with no apology, however, over their illegal action.
Some Immigration officers say that an officer at the Investigations
Department has been training his “guns” on Chinese and
Venezuelan nationals- even those who are here legally.
He has also targeted Colombian prostitutes who are here without
proper documents.
His high-handed approach to his job is causing concern among some
of his colleagues.
An Immigration Department source said the renegade officer may be
getting protection from the “high up” because he was
supposed to be rotated every six months but has strangely been kept
in the department for close to three years.
When contacted, Immigration Chief Brown confirmed that he had received
a letter about the illegal arrest of Bautista from her attorney
Ramischand and is looking into the matter.
He said he was not aware of any report of the threat that was sent
to the woman via the bullet.
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