By Caribbean News Now contributor
DUBAI, UAE — A new report on Saturday by the widely-read Gulf News detailing the rampant abuse of the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programme (CIP) has created a major stir in the Middle East, a significant source market of applicants wishing to obtain second passports.
Although much of the detail has previously been published by Caribbean News Now, the latest report by features editor, Mazhar Farooqui, entitled “Caribbean citizenship dreams in jeopardy?” includes new, albeit self-contradictory, attempts at explanations by the head of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), Les Khan.
In response to an earlier pledge by former St Kitts and Nevis prime minister, now leader of the opposition, Dr Denzil Douglas, that on return to power all citizenship applications under the current administration would be be reviewed and any found to be fraudulent or underpaid would be revoked, Khan ruled out any such possibility.
“Let me say this, nobody will be stripped of their citizenship,” he said, without explaining why he thinks a civil servant is able to bind or limit an elected government to such a position, contrary to the relevant statutory regulations.
