WILL THE ALEX SAAB MORAN CASE CLOSE THE DOOR ON BOGUS DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS FOR FINANCIAL CRIMINALS?

The upcoming battle, between the US Department of Justice, and Alex Saab Moran's "dream team" of experienced federal criminal defence lawyers, over whether a bogus diplomatic passport will result in immunity from prosecution, in a major money laundering case, continues to unfold. From the Order Granting Defendant's Motion for Enlargement of Briefing Page Limitations, shown above, we see that defence counsel intends to present the Court with an extensively briefed and cited argument, most likely to preserve all their potential arguments for appeal to the Eleventh Circuit.

The issue is one of great public importance to compliance officers: whether transnational financial criminals can successfully employ diplomatic passports to evade indictment in the United States, even though they neither strictly qualify under the terms of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, nor the customs of international diplomacy. In short, can money launderers hide behind purchased diplomatic passports to practise their dark profession? We believe  US courts will answer that in the negative, and kill much of the presently lucrative cash business for the covert sale of same in Dominica, Antigua, and St Kitts & Nevis, which comprise three of the five current East Caribbean states selling CBI passports.

The ultimate outcome, which is of serious concern to offshore financial interests in Malta, Antigua & Barbuda and the Republic of Panama, all of which jurisdictions have individuals who could end up  indicted on money laundering and even RICO charges, due to Saab's possible cooperation, should he be denied immunity from prosecution in the Miami Federal case, and be required to give up his facilitators, lest he draw a very long sentence for his massive amount of laundering. 

 As appears below, the Evidentiary Hearing is presently set for December 12; Let the games begin.

137

Sep 14, 2022

ORDER RESETTING HEARING AND BRIEFING SCHEDULE as to Alex Nain Saab Moran. By agreement, the Court vacates briefing schedule set forth in its 116 Order of 7/15/2022.Defendant's Motion to Dismiss on the basis of diplomatic immunity is due by 10/17/2022. Responses due by 11/7/2022. Replies due by 11/14/2022. Miscellaneous Deadline 11/21/2022.Evidentiary Hearing on Defendant's Motion to Dismiss is set for 12/12/2022 09:00 AM in Miami Division before Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. Motion Hearing on Defendant's 127 motion for leave to appear by video-conference for certain witnesses at the evidentiary hearing is set for 9/21/2022 09:00 AM in Miami Division before Judge Robert N. Scola Jr. Signed by Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr on 9/13/2022. See attached document for full details. (jh) (Entered: 09/14/2022)