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Opposition Challenges Dominica’s “Billion-Dollar” Citizenship Program as PM Skerrit Fires Back

Skerrit: CIP shutdown risks "dislocation." Linton: Skerrit's claim "deliberately misleading" and "disingenuous."

The United Workers Party (UWP) of Dominica has initiated legal action against the government regarding the country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program.

This is one of potentially multiple opposition-led lawsuits in the Caribbean, as last week, St Lucia opposition leader Allen Chastanet announced plans to sue the St Lucian government over its CBI program.

UWP President Lennox Linton explained that the UWP’s lawsuit seeks to compel the government to disclose the contents of its contracts with CBI agents. This legal action also aims to shed light on the financial operations of Dominica’s CBI program.

Senior Counsel and Former Attorney General of Trinidad and Tobago, Anand Ramlogan, will lead the case. Ramlogan views this as a “groundbreaking, historic, and landmark case in the public interest,” noting that the CBI program has generated significant monies that are “meant to be spent for the benefit of the public in Dominica.”

The legal team intends to request disclosure of agreements between the government and its agents. Ramlogan plans to challenge the agency relationships when it comes to “certain agents.”

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He aims to examine the program’s terms and conditions to see whether there is any “form of favoritism, whether or not there is any form of corruption or mismanagement.”

The case rests on the Dominican constitution, which stipulates that all government revenues should go into the consolidated fund. Ramlogan claimed that “significant funds are not reaching the consolidated fund, but are being spent.”

UWP Deputy Leader, Attorney Ronald Charles, emphasized that the case does not intend to end the CBI Program, urging focus on “justice, integrity, and what the constitution says to abide by rules and regulations.”

PM Skerrit’s Response and Defense of the CBI Program

Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit defended the program, describing it as “robust and very transparent” and highlighting its importance during natural disasters.

He emphasized the program’s critical role in funding the National Employment Program (NEP), which has “positive economic, and social impacts” on many Dominican households.

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Skerrit pointed out that the government had already answered Linton’s questions about the CBI program in Parliament.

The Prime Minister maintained that the CBI program has a high level of transparency, a claim that IMI’s CBI Transparency Index does not reflect.

He also highlighted the program’s impact on the nation, asserting, “if you go on the ground, you will see the projects we say that the CBI is financing.”

He added that CBI funds had also supported the Agricultural and Industrial Development (AID) bank in lending to various sectors including hoteliers, manufacturers, and agro-processors.

The Prime Minister emphasized that his administration established accountability for the CBI program, contrasting it with the lack of transparency in previous years.

“You can’t tell me of any project that you know of that was CBI funded between 1993 and 2000, except the Layou River hotel,” Skerrit remarked.

He addressed Dominica’s lackluster public reporting, admitting that “you never knew how much money we raised and how it was spent.”

He contended that the numbers were (somewhat) accessible, stating: “If you go to the country’s highest authority, the Parliament, you will see that the estimates of revenue and expenditure are very transparently reported.”

Responding to the lawsuit’s potential impact, Skerrit warned of potential “dislocation” in Dominica if the program shuts down, expressing concern about the opposition’s consistent criticism of the CBI.

He emphasized that the CBI has employed hundreds of Dominicans and “touched every household in Dominica.”

He urged “every single Dominican to condemn attempts at undermining the program.” The Prime Minister accused the opposition of using platforms like CBS, Al Jazeera, the Daily Mail, and France 24 to undermine the CBI Program.

Skerrit expressed confidence in facing the legal challenge, stating, “Everything that has to be disclosed has been disclosed in the Parliament and anywhere in the world.” He claims that the government has nothing to hide.

The Prime Minister questioned the opposition’s motivation in their “relentless attacks” because the government has responded to every question the opposition asked.

The PM also questioned, “Where is Linton getting the money to launch a lawsuit?” He alluded to other parties backing the opposition’s legal maneuvering.

He says if the opposition is genuine, it should be “comprehensive” in its critique of the program. He says the opposition has gone too far in their “anti-government campaign” and their efforts to “undermine the survivability of this country.”

UWP Says PM’s Comments “Deliberately Misleading”

The UWP refuted Skerrit’s claims about the potential impact of their legal action.

Linton claims that “Skerrit’s angry, emotional rant claiming that the legal action filed by the UWP to secure transparency and accountability for billions of dollars from the sale of citizenship will halt social programs or cause suffering among the less fortunate is totally false.”

He labels Skerrit’s comments as “deliberately misleading” and “entirely disingenuous.”

Linton further claimed that the government has refused to account for “EC$8.2 billion from the sale of 50,709 citizens over the past eight years.”

New Due Diligence Unit and International Cooperation

Skerrit also announced the establishment of an Independent Due Diligence Unit (DDU) for the CBI program, set to launch in October 2024.

This unit, which will operate under the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), will review all applications and advise on their success based on due diligence reports and information from the Joint Regional Communications Centre (JRCC).

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Regional Security System (RSS) and the JRCC have vetted all DDU employees “so that we maintain the highest standards that we have maintained over the years.”

Skerrit also highlighted international cooperation efforts, mentioning that he had invited the United States Treasury Department to examine the CBI program when Washington expressed concerns.

This led to an agreement on a six-point plan between the US government and five Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) countries with CBI programs.

Efforts to Restore Visa-Free Travel to the UK

Regarding visa-free travel to the United Kingdom, Skerrit expressed optimism about ongoing engagements and meetings, aiming to address concerns and reinstate Dominicans’ visa-free status.

The UK imposed visa requirements on Dominica in July 2023, citing security concerns related to the CBI program.

Skerrit believes these ongoing discussions could lead to the UK reconsidering visa-free entry for Dominicans.

He pledged to maintain a dialogue with the UK “to allay any concerns” the UK may have.

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