Latest / IMI Podcasts / Saint Lucia Revokes Citizenship of Convicted Chinese Money Launderer
Transcript
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: St.
- 0:00SPEAKER_00: Lucia has revoked Junji Su's citizenship, formerly known as Hai Jean Su, who naturalized through the country's citizenship by investment program.
- 0:08SPEAKER_00: The decision follows Su's 14-month prison sentence in Singapore for his role in the country's largest money laundering case.
- 0:14SPEAKER_00: The government exercised its authority under the Citizenship by Investment Act, which permits revocation when a citizen's actions may bring St.
- 0:22SPEAKER_00: Lucia into disrepute.
- 0:24SPEAKER_00: Su, who obtained his citizenship in 2018 under the previous administration, was implicated in complex financial networks used for money laundering operations.
- 0:34SPEAKER_00: Due to confidentiality policies, the government did not disclose the exact nature of his investment under the CIP.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: St.
- 0:41SPEAKER_00: Lucia's actions follow neighboring St.
- 0:44SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis's deactivation of Darren Lee's passport.
- 0:47SPEAKER_00: Darren Lee, who is also originally from China, had pleaded guilty to money laundering charges.
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: St.
- 0:53SPEAKER_00: Lucia and St.
- 0:54SPEAKER_00: Kitts and Nevis are not the only Caribbean CIP nations taking action.
- 0:59SPEAKER_00: Dominica revoked the citizenship of 68 people that the government deemed had obtained citizenship through fraud, false representation, or the concealment of a material fact.
- 1:09SPEAKER_00: Earlier this year, MSR Media filed a RICO lawsuit in the U.S., alleging corruption and fraud within the St.
- 1:17SPEAKER_00: Lucian CIP.
- 1:18SPEAKER_00: The government has continuously denied these allegations.
- 1:21SPEAKER_00: The government published its decision in the official Gazette.
- 1:24SPEAKER_00: This marks the first time the current administration has taken such action.
- 1:28SPEAKER_00: The previous government had revoked six CIP citizenships in 2018.
- 1:33SPEAKER_00: Deputy Prime Minister Ernest Heiler emphasized that while his administration did not approve Sue's initial application, they considered revocation necessary to protect national interests.
- 1:44SPEAKER_00: Hilaire said that the Citizenship by Investment Unit has strengthened its vetting procedures, but enhanced due diligence processes now result in longer processing times.
- 1:54SPEAKER_00: The CIU has also secured additional resources from key partners, including banks, the National Insurance Corporation, and the Immigration Department, to manage increasing application volumes.
- 2:05SPEAKER_00: While maintaining most existing procedures, the administration has made one significant change, discontinuing its relationship with the Chinese due diligence firm previously engaged for citizenship application reviews.
- 2:18SPEAKER_00: Instead, the CIU now exclusively partners with respected firms from the United States and the United Kingdom for comprehensive background checks.
- 2:27SPEAKER_00: The government will not refund individuals who lose citizenship due to criminal conduct.
- 2:33SPEAKER_00: This episode first appeared as an article by Mustafa Daily on IMIDAily.com.
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