By Caribbean News Global 
TORONTO, Canada – Subsequent to MSR Media concerns last November about ‘finance and discounting schemes‘ in the CBI program and in response to MSR Media campaign to end corruption in the CBI industry on May 23, 2024, filed two lawsuits in the United States Federal Court.
“A RICO lawsuit in the US Federal court against defendants primarily of St Kitts and Nevis origin includes McClaude Emmanuel (CEO of the St Lucia CIP).” The second lawsuit comprises judicial review in the High Court in St Kitts. The claim is seeking “an order of mandamus requiring” prime minister, in his capacity as minister of national security, to “revoke all citizenships granted to applicants,” according to MSR Media, under the St Kitts Prison Project “who paid less than the legal price.”
MSR Media, RICO lawsuit against McClaude Emmanuel (CEO of the St Lucia CIP), is of major concern and has ostensibly taken many by surprise.
The question ascends: Has legal discovery obtained facts and information not previously known, that is conceivably injurious to US diktat?
Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre has repeatedly messaged that “its (CIP) due diligence was never in question. We have the most rigorous process of all. Our CIP programme is anchored by robust due diligence processes at every stage and complemented by robust due diligence processes by the financial institutions involved in facilitating the CIP.”
Budget 2024/2025 prefaced – The Year of Infrastructure. “The new infrastructure option requires developers to raise the financing needed to undertake approved projects in a number of selected areas and recover their expenses through CIP. This means, that improvement in the road network, community development projects, and housing can be implemented to improve the lives of our people without increasing the debt burden of the country.”
“The government has taken the decision to leverage the Citizens by Investment Programme (CIP) to bring more direct benefit to the people of Saint Lucia. This year, we intend to construct houses under the CIP programme, as has been done in other islands.”
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada and Saint Kitts and Nevis on March 20, 2024, signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Memorandum-of-Agreement-CBIP-20-March-2024.
Saint Lucia has not signed the MOA, citing:
“On the matter of pricing, we have contractual arrangements in place which will have to be observed or government will face potential legal action. We hope to sign the Memorandum of Agreement once it becomes possible.” Prime Minister Philip J Pierre. And at Monday, May 7, 2024, pre-cabinet press briefing commented: “If you can get your roads built without increasing your national debt, you are against that?”
“I have a responsibility to protect our mission of ‘Putting People First,’” says Prime Minister Pierre.
An IMC memo earlier this month “cites complaints, migration pathways at prices that fall under the full legislated amounts set out by governments. IMC said it “has received, a number of complaints citing that it is common practice for agents, particularly in the Middle East and some Caribbean countries, to promote investment migration pathways at prices that fall under the full legislated amounts set out by governments. This practice contravenes the IMC’s Codes of Conduct and Guidelines on Advertising and Marketing. IMC members are reminded to act in a manner that aligns with the fundamental values we promote at the IMC: ethics, transparency, and openness and to abide by the contents of the codes.”
In April of this year, Prime Minister Pierre’s deliberations in Belgium concerning the Citizenship by Investment (CBI), investment marketplace, engaged in discussions with the European Commission and European Parliament regarding international migration security and Caribbean CBI agreement, EU focus.
MSR Media in its statement on April 18, 2024, said:
“To be clear: as investigators in the European Union, United States, and United Kingdom examine the Caribbean CBI industry more closely, this widespread corruption presents a grave, existential threat to Caribbean economies and the visa-free travel privileges enjoyed by its citizens.
“MSR Media, along with its US-based attorneys, will address this issue by engaging directly with St Lucia’s prime minister, Philip J. Pierre, the deputy prime minister and minister for tourism and investment, Ernest Hilaire. These officials are invited to join MSR Media at its attorneys’ offices in Washington, DC, within the next ten business days to review investigative findings regarding the criminal activities undertaken by some bad actors in the CBI industry, …”
Related Links:
- Prime Minister Pierre states, “he has no knowledge of CIP-related meeting”
- A news report on CIP “ … accusations are baseless”
- Prime Minister Pierre’s statement in parliament …
“MSR Media has previously informed the public of its efforts over the last 18 months to bring about greater transparency in, and a cleansing of, the CBI Program in St Kitts and Nevis. It has noted, and lauded, steps taken by St Kitts and Nevis, particularly in the raising of the investment price as well as the signing of the MOU with Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Dominica, to clamp down on the rampant and unlawful underselling.
The attention on Saint Lucia by MSR Media to file a RICO lawsuit in US Federal Court is of significant consequence.
“Should this lawsuit hold … albeit … evidence gathering and discovery played out in US courts,” said a Washington-based CIP professional, “this potentially has the footnote to uproot the who’s who of the Saint Lucian society and ostensibly, the CIP programme … the game is over.”
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act is a United States federal law that provides for extended criminal penalties and a civil cause of action for acts performed as part of an ongoing criminal organization.
Hitherto, Operation Restore Confidence (ORC) suggests that “the crime problem in Saint Lucia is facilitated by corrupt politicians/government officials, business persons and police officers.”Former Prime Minister Kenny Anthony added, “We cannot continue in a situation where we are viewed as a pariah state by our partners in the fight against crime and lawlessness.”
Right now, it appears that Saint Lucia is in a disadvantageous status quo locally, regionally and internationally.
The optics are herein subject to US Federal Court and not the ambits of ostentatious attorneys, legislators, and/ or the political rudiments – to see that justice, unbiased decision making and protection of the law is upheld.
