ALEX SAAB MORAN APPEALS DECISION REJECTING HIS MOTION TO DISMISS ON THE GROUNDS OF DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY

Attorneys for accused Colombian money launderer ALEX NAIN SAAB MORAN today (12/28/22) filed a Notice of Appeal of the Final Order on Defendant's Motion to Dismiss the Indictment, which rejected Saab's position that he had diplomatic immunity, barring him from criminal prosecution. The case will now be heard before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which is expected to affirm the District Court holding. This means that Saab's attorneys will be eventually filing a Petition for Certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.

The principal issue is whether Saab Moran is a bona fide diplomat, pursuant to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, on the facts of the case. Given the case is  considered to be one of great public importance, we believe that the high court will most likely accept jurisdiction, and agree to hear the case; Saab's right of appeal only extends to this 11th Circuit action. The Supreme Court  has absolute discretion over whether to take the case.

Irrespective of where the case ends up, a definitive ruling should have a major effect on the ability of International criminals, fraudsters, and purchasers from high-risk countries and State Sponsors of terrorism to utilize diplomatic passports for illicit purposes, especially money laundering. Diplomatic passports acquired in St Kitts & Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and the Commonwealth of of Dominica have been widely used globally for criminal purposes. Cash buyers who slip money under the table to corrupt Caribbean leaders from these countries to pay for diplomatic passports could find those identity documents worthless when they later seek to evade customs and immigration controls on arrival abroad,  in countries of the developing world, should the international principles of the Saab decision be adopted.