WILL MORE CHEATED CBI CITIZENS NOW SUE THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL WHO TOOK THEIR MILLIONS ?

The news that the Indian fugitive Mehul Choksi has filed a lawsuit in Antigua, where he is a CBI citizen, against the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Prime Minister, has, thanks to the Internet, circled the globe. Legitimate citizens of the East Caribbean states where CBI programs exist are now openly worrying about the potential of large numbers of CBI and diplomatic passport purchasers demanding their money back, due to the abrupt, and probably illegal, cancellation of their citizenship rights by local officials.

These same corrupt ministers and prime ministers, who have accepted large cash bribes, in addition to the normal CBI fees intended as contributions to the national treasury, must fear public exposure of their misdeeds, as well as the possibility that attorneys for the claimants might seize government assets, to recover for their clients, with possible Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or UK Bribery Act violations as added consequences.

An additional issue, which must keep the East Caribbean ministers up at night, is the distinct possibility that a court of competent jurisdiction might hold that the cancellation of a passport is a criminal act, outside the scope of authority of the official who executes that act, or that it subjects him to personal liability. What about the real estate in North America or Europe purchased by the corrupt Caribbean minister ? It would them be subject to levy, seizure and forfeiture by the minister's judgment creditors.

Will the CBI and diplomatic passport sales world implode ?  We cannot say, but we will be watching.