BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, July 16th 2014 (TUCOM) -- It was on 20 May 2014 that the United States Treasury Department Financial Crimes Enforcement Network alerted financial institutions around the world that illicit actors were abusing the economic citizenship programme of St. Kitts and Nevis. In advisory, FIN-2014-A004, “Abuse of the Citizenship by Investment Programme Sponsored by the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis” with subcaption – “Passports Obtained Through St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Investment Programme Used to Facilitate Financial Crime,” the US government made clear that the Denzil Douglas administration presides over a Citizenship by Investment Programme that was laxed in control and that illicit actors, including individuals intending to use the secondary citizenship to evade sanctions can obtain a St. Kitts and Nevis passport with relative ease.
The illegitimate regime promised to set up an oversight Commission to monitor the Citizenship programme. To date the corrupt Douglas has done absolutely nothing nearly 60 days after US Advisory. The press conferences and releases were occasions of noticement sought by an illegitimate prime minister who is dancing his last dance to an outdated tune of bad governance and intransparency.
Heads of Government of CARICOM meeting in Antigua recently urged the recalcitrant illegitimate Douglas regime to act with dispatch “to cooperate and coordinate their regulatory systems with respect to both the Citizenship by Investment Programme and financial services generally given the imperative of enhancing the security of the Region while ensuring the protection and expansion of their revenue base.” Heads of Government warned the Douglas regime of “the need to adhere to the most rigorous international standards to safeguard the integrity of the country and the Programme.”
Since then nothing concrete has happened. The promise of transparency remains empty platitude. The country is promised a committee /commission to help in fixing the problems but neither the names of the committee members nor its remit are made public. Transparency always eludes this regime. Conflict of interest, corruption, money laundering and illicit activities thrive in this quagmire.
In spite of pleadings from service providers, regional governments and Canadian and US governments, the Douglas regime has not implemented the substantive change in the Citizenship Programme. The lax controls remain. The poor leadership that allowed illicit actors to engage in financial crime remains intact, seemingly captive to such illicit actors. It is difficult how this outgoing government can stand by and do nothing in the face of such an advisory that made clear that illicit actors (scamps, vagabonds, money launderers) were abusing our citizenship /passports. Persons are asking how come our programme more than any other programme has attracted so many lawbreakers, crooks and scamps who have besmirched our country’s reputation. Has this illegal government sold its soul? Why is nothing done to revoke our passports in the hands of illicit actors?
Meantime our country’s good name is being damaged and our passports have diminished value throughout the world. Holders of passports are being pulled over at immigration counters in Europe as immigration probed them. The removal of the country of origin in our passports which benefits illicit actors is yet to be replaced as promised in 2013 when the Alizera Moghadam unceremonious entry into Canada bearing a St. Kitts and Nevis diplomatic passport created a diplomatic nightmare for Canada and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Our citizens are concerned that the US government in an effort to protect its border can make it more difficult for holders of St. Kitts and Nevis passports to access visas and Canada can revisit the visa free access to Canada for holders of St. Kitts and Nevis passports, all in an effort to protect its borders from illicit actors.
At home at least one financial institution is no longer relying on St. Kitts and Nevis passports as a reliable means of identification (ID). Customers to that institution are told that the passport does not contain a country of origin field. They need another ID and preferably their birth certificate.
It is a fact of history that a corrupt regime cannot offer a transparent and accountable citizenship programme. A corrupt regime may be comfortable with issuing its passports to mobsters, money launderers and illicit actors but the citizens and respectable members of the international community find such behaviours and actions reprehensible. To get a transparent and accountable citizenship programme, we need a change of government, in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Team Unity will lead a transparent government that will be accountable to the people. We will subject the citizenship programme to Parliamentary oversight, bring public monies into the Treasury and end the intransparent practices and improprieties at the Slush Fund nick named SIDF.
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