THE CARIBBEAN'S DARK SECRET AND THE LAW OF UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES RUNNING HEADLONG INTO FCPA VIOLATIONS

Last night's outstanding Caribbean Corruption podcast by MSR Media's PHILIPPE MARTINEZ* touched on one of the topics that is only spoken of in hushed tones in East Caribbean government circles; the fact that many corrupt individuals, and those engaged in white collar crime, both in and out of public office, want that elusive right to later reside in the United States, so that they can safely invest & spend the proceeds of their crimes in America, long after they bid goodbye to their Caribbean life. Many corrupt Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) hold US citizenships; several sitting Prime Ministers have arranged for their children and immediate relatives to be born in the US, which confers automatic American citizenship, and immediate family of US citizens have an easier time themselves becoming citizens, through them. It's all part of a long-term plan to spend their golden years in luxury in a country where they can best enjoy their illicit wealth.

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which proscribes the payment of any type to a foreign official, to obtain, retain or secure any official act involving a government-private business relationship, applies to United States citizens, and has a maximum penalty of 5 years in a Federal Prison, plus a hefty six figure fine. All these fine Caribbean criminals and corrupt former government officers, who had the foresight to obtain US citizenship for what they anticipate will be their affluent, remote future, could end up with FCPA indictments, when it is disclosed that they paid bribes, kickbacks or some other form of direct or indirect compensation, to foreign government officials. What an unpleasant surprise! The Law of Unintended Consequences is alive and well in the corrupt Caribbean, and it can bite individuals who never considered that the prized American citizenship that they obtained might just be the thing that brings them down. 

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*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jB2Z9NW9aA