BASSETERRE, St. Kitts -- With the Federation’s passport once again coming under scrutiny following disclosures in a United Kingdom Court, Attorney General Garth Wilkin is underscoring the importance of the Continuing International Due Diligence Unit (CIDD), which the government will shortly launch.
Discussions surrounding the Unit have been thrust into the spotlight after more questions continue to be raised over those who are economic citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis, and what screening measures are being used to evaluate those people who apply for the Federation’s passport.
News agencies in the United Kingdom are reporting that Zhimin Qian, a passport holder of St. Kitts and Nevis, carried out an elaborate £5bn investment fraud scheme involving Bitcoin. This is based on an ongoing case in the UK Court. Though the individual has not been arrested because they fled before being captured by law enforcement, it has thrust more embarrassment on the Federation’s CBI programme.
In his discussion with Freedom FM, Wilkin explained that the government currently has a system in place where, if a citizen is accused of committing a crime, a notification will be received about the incident, and the passport can be revoked. "Potentially, a process can be started which could lead to the revocation of that person's citizenship," he added.
“This has become an important international issue,” Wilkin said, “and what the Ministry of National Security has done, as the Prime Minister has indicated at the most recent Prime Minister's press conference, is that the ministry has set up a Continuing International Due Diligence Unit, CIDD Unit, which is going to be launched very soon - within the next few weeks, and will be led by a senior petition law enforcement professional.”
Wilkin said the main purpose of the Unit is to liaise with international law enforcement organizations, and to be the channel for any information about Saint Kitts and Nevis citizens living abroad, who are alleged to commit any form of crime. Based on their findings from investigations, recommendations will be made to the Prime Minister on whether or not the passport or citizenship should be revoked for those economic citizens. According to AG Wilkin, this position will reassure international partners that the Federation’s citizens “throughout the world are law-abiding.”
