BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE government is being called upon to break its deafening silence on a matter of national and international interest involving a diplomatic passport that was found in the possession of an Iranian national.
Recently, on the Unity Movement’s political platform, the Construct’s Leader the Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris and Chairman of the People’s Labour Party Douglas Wattley informed the Kittitian and Nevisian public of a situation that played out earlier this year where Alireza Moghadhan entered Canada using a St. Kitts-Nevis-issued diplomatic passport, indicating that he wanted the see that country’s Prime Minister.
In speaking with SKNVibes, Dr. Harris further explained that red flags were raised with the Canadian authorities and in their attempt to ascertain from Moghadhan the nature of his engagement with the Prime Minister, he was “either unwilling or unable to present the information to the satisfaction of the people of Canada”.
Further drilling of Moghadhan, according to Harris, forced him to inform that he had paid $1 000 000 for the passport.
Dr. Harris reminded that in July 2013 the government informed of the suspension of its Citizenship by Investment Programme to Iranian and Afghanistan nationals. He however said that this incident is what triggered the decision and he criticised the government for falling suspiciously short in failing to inform the country of the incident.
Even with the ventilation of the matter in the local media, social media, political platforms and on many street corners, the government has yet to publicly respond to the claims. However, Dr. Harris clarion call to the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas, is to “come clean”.
More importantly, Dr. Harris said Prime Minister Douglas is obligated to provide prompt answers to a number of burning questions relative to this matter.
The questions Dr. Harris posed through this publication are:
1. Are diplomatic passports for sale and at what price? Who determines whether they are on sale and the price?
2. How do people other than nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis end up being holders of diplomatic passports?
3. Is the government in pursuit of some sort of diplomatic work that the country doesn’t know about? If so, the country needs to know.
4. How does the government intend of rectifying the issues that have arisen from the Moghadhan situation?
5. What has been the international fallout for the country as a result of Moghadhan’s entry into Canada on a St. Kitts-Nevis diplomatic passport?
6. How did Moghadhan acquire a St. Kitts-Nevis diplomatic passport and to whom did he pay this $1 000 000 which he claimed he paid?
7. What was the purpose behind Moghadhan acquiring the passport?
“We are demanding accountability by the government because this is a very serious matter that can damage us as citizens and that can deny us benefits which we now have…”
