{"id":13271,"date":"2023-10-11T22:07:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T22:07:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/occrp-report-on-dominica-impartiality-questioned-oppositions-influence-suspected\/"},"modified":"2023-10-11T22:07:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T22:07:30","slug":"occrp-report-on-dominica-impartiality-questioned-oppositions-influence-suspected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/occrp-report-on-dominica-impartiality-questioned-oppositions-influence-suspected\/","title":{"rendered":"OCCRP report on Dominica impartiality questioned; opposition\u2019s influence suspected"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) accused former Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid in one of their recently released reports.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He has been accused of human rights abuse by OCCRP, painting a rather complex image of the political landscape, particularly given Khalid\u2019s close alliance with the US during his tenure in the Afghan government.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s even more intriguing about this characterization is the depth of Khalid\u2019s ties with the American leadership. Notably, former US President Barack Obama<\/a> had personally visited Khalid at a Virginia hospital in 2012, underscoring the intimate relationship between the two.<\/span><\/p>\n

Barack Obama meeting Asadullah Khalid at a hospital in Virginia<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It raises eyebrows as to why the OCCRP chose to overlook or potentially omit this significant aspect from their report. Such an omission could be perceived as an incomplete portrayal, especially when considering the broader context of Khalid\u2019s associations and the potential implications on the research\u2019s neutrality.<\/span><\/p>\n

Khalid first came into contact with the US in the late 1990s, when he was a member of the anti-Taliban resistance. He is believed to have had close ties with the CIA during this time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notably, Khalid was a key figure in the US-led effort to stabilize Afghanistan and also a trusted ally of the US government for many years. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in their recently released report on the Dominica citizenship by investment programme failed to mention Khalid\u2019s close ties with the US.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The United States of America, one of the countries mentioned by OCCRP as \u201ccritics of CBI programmes\u201d itself shared a close relationship with a man who was granted Dominican citizenship. Notably, he was only accused of \u201chuman rights violation\u201d but never formally \u201ccharged\u201d in a court of law.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The OCCRP\u2019s revelations continued, highlighting that since 2007, Dominica has granted citizenship to approximately 7,700 individuals. These numbers aren\u2019t restricted to just those who availed citizenship through the CBI programme; it also encompasses individuals who achieved this status through marriage and various other means.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the exhaustive nature of their research, the OCCRP could only identify 26 individuals out of 7,700 who appeared to have links, albeit indirect, to acts of corruption or crime.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some of the 26 individuals in question had no criminal accounts on their name when they obtained citizenship from Dominica.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, a critical point missing from the report is the fact that Dominica has already\u00a0<\/span>revoked over 260 citizenships<\/span><\/a>\u00a0due to the concealment of \u2018material facts\u2019 by the applicants in their original submissions. Given this oversight, there is growing speculation that the 26 individuals could very well be among those whose citizenships were revoked.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Such lapses in the OCCRP\u2019s research further raise concerns regarding the comprehensiveness and accuracy of their findings as the research is widely published, taken as a substantial record against the national programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Diving deeper into the article, there emerges a concerning trend of misrepresentation. The narrative posits, \u201cUntil July 2023, interviews<\/a> were not even mandatory.\u201d This assertion, however, is misleading.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In actuality, Dominica pioneered the move by being the very first nation to institute mandatory interviews for its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) applicants in July 2023. Such discrepancies in reporting underscore the importance of cross-referencing facts and ensuring accurate representation in journalistic pursuits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maintaining gazettes in paper format is a long-standing tradition in the Caribbean region and is not unique to Dominica. Contrary to notions of clarity, the names of individuals who have obtained Dominican citizenship are documented transparently. These records are readily accessible to the public and can be procured from the archives and libraries of Dominica, which house copies of these official documents.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Dominica
Dominica Gazette Credit: Digital Library of the Caribbean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The OCCRP research outlined that second citizenship provides security to people living in oppressive regimes (this point can also relate to the broader European region, allowing thousands of refugees to come from countries with oppressive regimes).<\/span>\u00a0\u201cAny government has the legal right to set its own standards on who becomes a citizen. And for many people living under oppressive regimes, a second nationality can provide security,\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/em>stated OCCRP.<\/span><\/p>\n

Continuing with the narrative, the report\u2019s credibility has further been called into question by allegations stemming from local media, particularly by\u00a0<\/span>Associates Times<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Just last week, this local media outlet unveiled purported chat images between an opposition UWP worker, Trevor Tossy Johnson<\/a>, and representatives from international media organizations, specifically OCCRP. In these alleged exchanges, Johnson seemingly confessed to being in communication with the international media group.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While the authenticity of these chat records remains unverified, these revelations have fueled suspicions that certain individuals had prior knowledge of the international journalists\u2019 intent to compile a story on Dominica\u2019s CBI programme. The potential implications of these alleged connections doubt the report\u2019s impartiality and motivations.<\/span><\/p>\n

The article released by the OCCRP seems to mirror the rhetoric previously championed by the opposition UWP, especially in its critiques of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the years, the opposition has recurrently raised similar allegations against the Prime Minister, and now, paralleling their claims, the OCCRP has suggested that the Prime Minister amassed wealth through the citizenship by investment programme \u2013 all this without concrete evidence to substantiate such claims.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Intriguingly, the report describes Lennox Linton as a \u201cProminent Opposition Leader\u201d, yet it overlooks a significant episode. Al-Jazeera had previously exposed Linton in a documentary on the CBI programme, capturing him signing a document that pledged to provide diplomatic passport in exchange of election funding if he is elected to power.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo
Photo of a document signed by Dominica opposition leader Lennox Linton. Credit: Al Jazeera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This omission, along with other discrepancies, adds weight to the narrative put forth by Associates Times, suggesting that the opposition might have been a primary source for the OCCRP\u2019s research.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

By neglecting to address these significant points, the research appears to propagate a one-sided account, potentially disseminating misleading information against the Prime Minister without substantial evidence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Lending credence to this viewpoint is the Integrity Commission\u2019s declaration, which clarified that no evidence supports the allegations levelled by opposition leader Lennox Linton. The unfolding of these events emphasizes the need for balanced and well-sourced journalism, as well as the importance of cross-referencing allegations with credible sources<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides all that, the OCCRP report also discussed some of the positives related to the Dominica citizenship by investment programme, and the careful usage of funds for the upliftment of the country.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRevenues \u2013 estimated at more than $1bn since 2009 \u2013 have become the main source of income for the Dominican government, helping to fund schools, healthcare and other public services,\u201d added the OCCRP report.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Besides this, the report also mentioned the transparency related to the CBI Programme, and the names of applicants available publicly in the Gazette.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cThe gazette is the only official public source of information about the thousands of individuals who have become Dominican citizens,\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The report mentioned that while most of the data is only available offline, the Government is also making efforts to improve transparency through the Government Accountability Project in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLast year, the Government Accountability Project took action to improve transparency. It viewed dozens of gazettes from libraries, private collections and the University of the West Indies in Jamaica and drew up a list of every naturalized citizen from 2007 to 2022,\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Furthermore, the OCCRP mentioned that the golden visa programmes, such as the Dominica Citizenship by Investment Programme, provide security to people living under oppressive regimes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) report also acknowledged the vetting process utilized by Dominica and added that people are only approved if they pass the screening process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they pass the screening process, investors might be approved within three months of paying these fees,\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDominica\u2019s citizenship-by-investment regulations rule out granting citizenship to people who have \u201ca criminal record other than in respect to a minor offence,\u201d are subject to \u201ca criminal investigation of which he was aware or ought to have been aware,\u201d who pose \u201ca potential security risk to Dominica or to any other country,\u201d or have been involved in \u201cany activity likely to bring disrepute to Dominica,\u201d the report mentioned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Notably, they emphasized on the third-party due diligence firms that are involved in the multi-layered vetting process.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCitizenship purchases are handled through government-selected brokers who are supposed to vet applicants along these lines before government officials make the final decision. Over 70 companies are authorized to participate in the programme,\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Dominica\u2019s recent implementation of rigorous measures CBI programme has also drawn recognition from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cApplicants from certain countries have faced restrictions, including North Korea, Sudan \u2014 and, following Russia\u2019s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year \u2014 Russia and Belarus. The move against Russian and Belarusian applicants was welcomed by the U.S. State Department. A spokesperson told reporters the department is \u201cpleased with Dominica\u2019s efforts to increase security and due diligence\u201d surrounding the passport program,\u201d <\/span><\/em>it mentioned.<\/p>\n

OCCRP, renowned for its investigative reporting on corruption and organized crime, has acknowledged Dominica\u2019s proactive stance in enhancing its citizenship program\u2019s security protocols.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) accused former Afghan intelligence chief Asadullah Khalid in one of their recently released reports.\u00a0 He has been accused of human rights abuse by OCCRP, painting a rather complex image of the political landscape, particularly given Khalid\u2019s close alliance with the US during his tenure in the Afghan government. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":13272,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/channel24.pk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/passports-of-the-caribbean-final-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-news"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13271"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13271\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13272"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}