PRIME MINISTER OF DOMINICA UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION IN USA” width=”860″ height=”484″ />Reliable sources have confirmed that the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth, Roosevelt Skerrit, is currently under investigation, being conducted by an agency of the United States, for his role in the sale of a Dominican diplomatic passport to Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, an Iranian national who was recently returned to Iran, where he faces criminal prosecution for the embezzlement of billions of dollars in state funds. The investigation is said to be into Skerrit’s actions, in facilitating the delivery of a diplomatic passport to a known international sanctions violator, Monfared, who was a part of a massive $400m Iran oil-for-gold sanctions evasion operation, involving his alleged partners, Babak Zanjani, and Reza Zarrab; Zarrab is awaiting trial in US District Court in New York,
Whether Skerrit will be later be named as a co-conspirator in the Iran sanctions case cannot be determined at this time, but considering the zeal with which the United States Department of Justice is conducting that case, and given the amount of money the Zarrab organization earned, for selling Iranian oil, in violation of international, and American, sanctions, he could face a very, very long prison sentence. Obviously, Skerrit failed to conduct his own due diligence, or he would have learned that Monfared was operating in very dangerous waters, against the worlds most powerful adversary.
Two of Skerrit’s attorneys were reportedly deeply involved in the widespread sale of diplomatic passports, but no information is available, at this time, on whether they are a part of this investigation, but due to the fact that they are either going to be co-defendants, or witnesses, they can no longer represent their client, due to a conflict of interest. They may also want to research US law on the Crime or Fraud Exception to the attorney-client privilege.
Monfared’s illegal activities were common knowledge, in the compliance industry, long before he applied for, and received, a diplomatic Dominican passport, and whether Skerrit exercised undue influence, in the approval and issuance of the passport to Monfared, will most likely be a part of the investigation he and Skerrit reportedly had a close personal relationship, as evidenced by Skerrit’s visit to Monfared in Malaysia, where the Iranian national operated what is alleged to be a front company, used to conceal his criminal conduct.
Additionally, the award of a diplomatic passport to Monfared violated several provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and Skerrit’s act of issuing the passport, when he knew, or should have known, that it violated an international agreement which Dominica is bound by, increases his culpability. If he is indicted, he will be forced to resign as Prime Minister of Dominica.
Source:WhistleBlowers and Kenneth Rijock’s Financial Crime Blog
Leader of the Opposition, Lennox Linton has called for a commission of inquiry to be launched into the country’s economic citizenship and citizenship by investment programs.
Linton made the call while addressing at a public meeting, organized by the United Workers Party in Lagoon on Thursday 26 January 2017.
His comments come amidst reports that an Iranian businessman, who held a Dominican diplomatic passport, was arrested and extradited to Tehran.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed on Thursday 26 January that a diplomatic passport was issued to Alireza Zibahalat Monfared on 13 March 2015, after he had passed all due diligence tests, as he had “demonstrated a great desire to be of assistance in promoting Dominica and sourcing business and investment opportunities on behalf of Dominica in that part of the world”.
According to the statement, “Monfared’s diplomatic passport was recalled and cancelled and all official ties with him were severed effective January 20, 2016, upon receiving information that he may be a person of interest to authorities”.
Monfared is accused of involvement in Iran’s biggest-ever corruption scandal, working alongside a tycoon who was sentenced to death last year for pocketing $2.8 billion while helping the country bypass sanctions.
“We want an immediate end to under the table sale of Dominica’s diplomatic passports and the assignment of diplomatic immunity to crooks, criminals and scoundrels around the world, we are not negotiating that we want it to happen and we want it to happen now,” Linton told his supporters.
Although the government has repeatedly said that it does not sell diplomatic passports, Linton maintains that it does.
“We want a full public inquiry and a forensic investigation into the operation of Dominica’s CBI program from 1995,” Linton said and further call for an immediate resolution to the concerns of breeches to security that are represented by the CBI program.
The Opposition Leader also called on government to remove commission fees for citizenship by investment marketers and use that money for development projects.
“We want the government to stop this business of paying this huge multimillion dollar sweet heart commissions to a marketer of the CBI program when Marigot has no hospital, when the people of Dominica have no jobs, when they cannot correct the wave over toping problem at Melville Hall, when they are promising people all sorts of things that they are not delivering,” Linton said.
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