Former  Director of Immigration William Pratt is seeking any necessary means clearing his name from a visa fraud case and that may result in a full-fledged legal battle. 

The  Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  makes allegations that  Mr. Pratt and Clarence Russell, the current Immigration Director   accepting bribes to provide Bahamian work permits and work visas to Haitian

Nationals looking to enter the United States. 

Edward Israel Saintil is said to be a ring leader in the alleged scam. 

Mr. Pratt, determined to clear his name, stressed in a release issued yesterday that he never sold or received bribes for any permits or anything else in his five years as director. 

He said he has never met Mr. Saintil, never knew what he looked like until he was shown a photo online and never had any dealings with him or any other person in an illegal, unlawful conduct of any kind.

These applications, said Mr. Pratt are considered based on information received, which must justify the request. 

The  former  Immigration Minister Fred Mitchell added that it is  unjust to permit what he described a “loose, untested allegation to come into the public domain sullying his character and integrity without any opportunity to refute it”. 

Mr. Mitchell  said, “the question must be asked by our government: how could in the US jurisdiction a document be produced in court which clearly alleges malfeasance in office against named individuals, be allowed to surface with untested hearsay evidence in it?”

He added, “In other words the names of persons are called, serious accusations are made against them purporting to be the truth of their contents.  There is no evidence to support  the allegations.  I am advised that none of the persons whose names were called had an opportunity to defend themselves, yet their names are now scandalized.

“This becomes a serious matter given the subjective nature of US Immigration law which might portend negative consequences at the local embassy for these individuals  or  worse in the US itself.  These named officials effectively have no legal redress either”, he said. 

The PLP Chairman added that at the very least, the matter must be protested by the  Government  for the record and the names of its public servants defended.

The damage has been done, he said, and “now it is left for me to use my personal resources to seek redress by having to prove a negative”.