Bridgetown
The Immigration Department had given Shanique Myrie permission to enter Barbados when she first arrived in the country two years ago.
The permission was cancelled moments later, after it was determined by Immigration Department officers at the Grantley Adams International Airport that the Jamaican woman had given wrong information regarding who would be her host during her proposed 15-day stay in Barbados.
That information was revealed to the Caribbean Court of Justice yesterday by senior immigration officer Merlo Reid, as Myrie’s discrimination case against the Government of Barbados entered its third day at the Supreme Court.
Reid told the court that after Myrie was referred to him by junior officer Alicia Young, he conducted an interview with her for about five minutes and she was grated a 30 day stay in Barbados.
"I was satisfied with what she had presented to me", the veteran immigration officersaid during cross examination by Myrie's lawyer Michelle Brown.
He said during his initial interview, Myrie informed him that she had know her host Pamela Clarke for about two years, had met her over the internet and was in contact with her weekly.
"I believed her, she came across as believable", Reid told the court.
He added that after stamping Myrie's passport with the 30 day stamp, he directed her back into the Immigration Department secondary waiting room and informed Police Constable Everton Gittens of the Royal Barbados Police Force's Drug Squad that he had cleared her to enter Barbados.
Reid noted Gittens had previously indicated he wanted to speak with Myrie but did not say why.
He testified that after the policeman interviewed Myrie, he relayed cetain information to him, and he conducted a second interviewed with the Jamacian.
Reid told the court that Gittens told him that the interview with Myrie he had found out that she not staying with Pamela Clarke as had been previously indicated.
The Immigration Officer told the court after the policeman called Clarke and passed the phone to him and she (Clarke) admitted that she had no knowledge of Shanique Myrie staying with her, but was doing a her friend Daniel Forde a favour.
Reid said the clearance was cancelled after it was determined that Myrie had misrepresented information regarding who would be her host during her prosposed 15 day visit to Barbados.
The hearing continues today at 9 a.m.
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