FILING IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT IN MIAMI EXPOSES MASSIVE CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ANTIGUA'S PRIME MINISTER, GASTON BROWNE

While the Caribbean has been focused this year on the rampant CBI and CIP corruption in Saint Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Grenada, a filing in a civil action in Federal District Court in Miami, seeking Discovery pursuant to §1782, has reportedly detailed massive corruption on the part of Antigua's Prime Minister, GASTON BROWNE, in a huge number of matters, including CIP and the undue influence of the People's Republic of China in the region, with specific information that should be closely examined by compliance officers at financial institutions in the United States, especially those maintaining correspondent banking accounts with Caribbean banks.

There is an extraordinary amount of what is alleged to be incriminating information against PM Browne in the more than thirty page "Declaration of James T. Hayes, Jr., in Support of Application under 28 USC §1782 to Take Discovery in this District for use in Foreign Proceedings," and it is recommended that compliance officers at all US banks having a present or prior correspondent relationship with any Antiguan financial institution review the complete text of the Declaration, but this information we believe should be shared with our readers at this time.

 Mr. Hayes is a retired official of Federal law enforcement, with decades of field experience, as Special Agent at Border Patrol, Section Chief, and Director at ICE. His sworn statement is based upon an extensive investigation of multiple sources with first-hand information. The underlying case involves allegations of criminal activity in the disputed and allegedly fraudulent sale of a multi-million dollar yacht in an Antiguan proceeding. All figures listed are in US Dollars.

1. Gaston Browne is estimated to hold $700m in assets under his control, mainly through third parties, nominees and frontmen*. 

2. The properties include, but are not limited to: A commercial mall in Broward County, Florida, purchase for $673,000 in cash; the Yacht INTERLUDE II, valued at $250,000; land in JOLLY HARBOUR, Antigua, bought for more than $600,000.

3. Five corporations he controls: National Empowerment Company; Cove Head Development Limited; Cove Head Communications Ltd.; H. Harris Enterprise Company Limited; H. Harris Enterprise.

4. An inside source claims he received €3m from ODEBRECHT in that bribery scandal, involving an Antiguan offshore bank.

5. Owns a large interest in WEST INDIES OIL COMPANY, through Fancy Bridge Limited, with other Antiguan insiders.

6. An illicit relationship with GLOBAL BANK OF COMMERCE, involving the Colombian money launderer ALEX SAAB MORAN, charged with laundering criminal proceeds for Venezuelan government officials and PEPs, through offshore banks in Antigua.

7. Personally profiting from the Antigua Citizenship by Investment (CIP) program, where money launderers, tax evaders, crypto fraudsters, terrorists, sanctions evaders and international criminals have obtained passports through his efforts ( e.g. Mehul Choksi).

8. His facilitation of the creation of China's Special Economic Zone in Antigua, for personal profit.        (this will be the subject of a separate article)

For more details, interested compliance officers are advised to consult PACER to obtain the Declaration, as well as to monitor the unfolding §1782 Discovery proceeding in the Southern District, see In Re: GASTON BROWNE CORRUPTION DISCOVERY APPLICATION, Case No.: 1:25-mc-21129 (SDFL). 

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*NOTE: We will be detailing, and identifying, the involvement of Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) linked to Browne in the above-mentioned matters, in a subsequent article. 

RELATED CASE:  In Re: Gaston Browne Corruption Discovery Application, Case No: 1:2025-mc-00098 (SDNY) [Memorandum and Order entered March 17, 2025, granting the Application].

https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/new-york/nysdce/1:2025mc00098/638374/14/

(SDFL DOCKET)

FINANCIAL CRIME & COMPLIANCE: AN INSIDER'S PERSPECTIVE

 

 Make sure to attend it on April 6   . https://www.linkedin.com/events/financialcrime-compliance-aform7313253802957004800/theater/

BUYING A SECOND PASSPORT? YOU HAD BETTER GET A QUALIFIED LAWYER, DUE TO INDUSTRY CHAOS, AND CONSULTANTS WITH REAL LEGAL PROBLEMS SEEKING YOUR BUSINESS

The East Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) industry, under attack for widespread illegal practices, both on the part of the government agencies charged with operating them, as well as the vendors and sub-agents, presents a veritable legal minefield for investors who want to acquire a second passport, without exposing themselves to unnecessary risks, including the total loss of their investment, should their economic citizenship be cancelled, and their passport revoked.

The blacklisting in Saint Kitts & Nevis, of the Dubai-based consultancy, RIF TRUST, and the subsequent reported arrest of MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, its CEO, should be a signal that one must retain the services of an attorney with experience in  due diligence investigations, as well as the opaque aspects of the CBI/CIP industry itself. The sales staff you encounter, who are not lawyers admitted to practice in the CBI jurisdictions they are offering, are NOT giving you legal advice, and may very well be misrepresenting the value, and indeed threats your prospective purchase could expose you to, unless you are properly advised by counsel.

if you do nothing else in preparation for seeking a safe, and low-risk economic citizenship, by all means secure competent counsel, not affiliated with any industry vendors, to obtain an objective opinion on the feasibility or proceeding to acquire a second passport; Caveat Emptor, please.

MORE DISINFORMATION FROM SAINT KITTS & NEVIS REGARDING CORRUPTION IN ITS CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAM; BELIEVE YOUR EYES, GENTLEMEN

We note that the Saint Kitts Peoples Labour Party (PLP), which is not currently in power, has disputed the authenticity of a photograph of its former Prime Minister, TIMOTHY HARRIS, which showed him receiving a suspicious suitcase from a representative of the Chinese-owned company, CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP, in Saint Lucia. You can believe what you are seeing, ladies & gentlemen, as there is actually a video available, confirming that Harris (1) was in Saint Lucia, and (2) received what is obviously a payoff for his participation in the illegal discounted sale of SKN Citizenship by Investment (CBI) pssports, whilst he was in office. Was the entire incriminating video faked? Who can believe that fantasy?

Remember, Harris left office in disgrace, and any attempt at spinning the truth should be recognized for what it is, an effort to cover up the sordid truth about his involvement. As for the PLPs allegations that he was not in Saint Lucia, regular reader of these articles will recall that his trip to SLC was in December, NOT April, as we reported upon this incident at that time. Ignore the disinformation, please. I never said this was from April, only that, at time the original article was published, I received the information the day before the article appeared. It is the PLP AND the Saint Kitts Labour Party whose elected politicians have brought shame and disgrace upon their country, amid verified evidence of money laundering, widespread CBI fraud, and corruption.

SURVEILLANCE CAPTURES FORMER SAINT KITTS PRIME MINISTER TIMOTHY HARRIS ACCEPTING CASH PAYOFF FROM HIS CHINESE MASTERS IN PUBLIC IN SAINT LUCIA

The arrogance of the central figures in the USD$2.5bn dollar Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) fraud, money laundering and corruption scandal on Saint Kitts and Nevis apparently knows no bounds. Here's former Saint Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister TIMOTHY HARRIS, accepting a cash kickback in public, all caught on a surveillance video after he arrived in Saint Lucia, on a flight from Saint Kitts. He was met and greeted at the airport by a representative of CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP, and immediately handed a briefcase. The contents of that briefcase I choose not to disclose in this article, but I am sure that our readers have a pretty good idea, given the allegations of corruptions made against Harris.

Harris' then departed with his Galaxy escort; according to Saint Lucia government records, they departed in a vehicle owned by CARIBBEAN GALAXY REAL ESTATE LTD. Given that Harris had a local banking destination on his schedule yesterday, remember that all deposits of US Dollars must transit the American financial structure when being wired abroad, irrespective of their final destination. When the proceeds of crime are sent to a correspondent account in the United States, not only does a violation of the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986 occurs,regarding Mr. Harris, but the American bank also incurs liability.

For those who wonder how we were able to obtain this illicit exchange from yesterday, when law enforcement typically never allows their surveillance of targets of a criminal investigation to be released until the trial, law enforcement is not the only party having Mr. Harris under constant surveillance. We obtained the tape from our own source, and it is damning. The world is watching, Mr. Harris; we trust that you have engaged a competent criminal defense attorney in the United States. You will probably need one, sooner rather than later.

I WILL BE LIVE TOMORROW 8:15PM - CARIBBEAN AMERICAN NEWS WITH GARFIELD OLLIVER

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A PROMINENT LAWYER GIVES CARELESS LEGAL ADVICE THAT CAUSES INCRIMINATING EVIDENCE TO BE PRODUCED AGAINST HIS CLIENT AND OTHER BAD ACTORS?

This is prominent Saint Lucia lawyer, PETER I. FOSTER, who represents his country's ruling Saint Lucia Labour Party, as well as its Prime Minister PHILIP PIERRE, and Deputy PM ERNEST HILAIRE. When engaged as counsel for the former Prime Minister of Saint Kitts & Nevis, TIMOTHY HARRIS, attorney Foster recommended that he file a Defamation suit against MSR Media & its Director, PHILIPPE MARTINEZ, after Mr. Martinez alleged massive and rampant fraud, money laundering and corruption in the SKN Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) program; it was thereafter brought in High Court in Basseterre, the country's capital, based upon his urging.

What Mr. Foster did not know, because he neglected to conduct legal research, in advance, into all aspects of the advice he gave Harris to bring a Defamation action in an international case against an American citizen and his company, in a Saint Kitts court, were the consequences of that advice. Had he done so diligently, he would have quickly learned that American Federal law allows its citizens, when sued in a foreign jurisdiction, access to Discovery within the United States, under § 1782 and Mr. Martinez' counsel was able to subpoena bank records, involving millions of dollars, reportedly incriminating Harris and a host of other individuals and entities allegedly involved in the criminal conduct their client had publicly reported on in Saint Kitts and Saint Lucia. Bank of America, the leading US correspondent bank for Caribbean CBI accounts, when subpoenaed, at first delivered a large number of incriminating records. Subsequent to the closing of the RICO case, Bank of America in 2025 then released all records of transactions of other CBI countries, because some of the subpoenaed companies did business in Dominica, Saint Lucia and Grenada. Some of that evidence is now understood to be included in a new civil action which our sources say will be filed in the near future.

As a young first-year law student, I was taught early on that an attorney's failure to research legal authorities before taking any action on behalf of a client constitutes gross negligence. I am not qualified to render an opinion as to whether Foster's failure to conduct sufficient research constituted professional negligence, otherwise known as malpractice, for those are questions of fact and issues of Saint Lucian law best handled by a court of competent jurisdiction over such matters, and such an action would fall to the individuals and entities whose American bank records were obtained through subpoena by Mr. Martinez.

The full impact of the release of those massive bank records upon the parties whose accounts were involved, as well as of the CBI/CIP industry itself, have not yet been fully felt, but we believe that the reason it occurred should be told, and so that accountability is assigned. When the complete history of the economic citizenship industry is told, this event will definitely be seen as a major turning point in its development.

We attempted to obtain Mr. Foster's comments in this story, but he has failed to respond to our requests to his office; we even reached out to him at his new residence in Atlanta, as apparently, he has relocated to the United States, but he did not reply to our message there.

WILL THE FINANCIAL ACTION TASK FORCE GREY LIST THE UNITED STATES?

A reader from Europe brought this topic up last week, and while some of you may immediately dismiss the idea as inconceivable, there are a number of things that could occur to create a Perfect Storm of what I can only describe as American government policies that could be called Anti-AML, and which would justify FATF action to Grey List the USA. I know you are thinking that politically, this could never happen, as it may spawn a nasty response, given the current "retribution" posture we are seeing, but compliance officers should, like their money laundering adversaries, always be thinking several chess steps ahead of the game.

First of all, the US moves to stop enforcement of the FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES ACT (FCPA), as they pertain to American citizens, and the obvious administration efforts to shield US companies from the reporting requirements regarding the reporting of beneficial ownership of corporations, have been noticed abroad. The effect will be that these major tools available to rein in illegal AML/CFT activity shall not be available to suppress financial crime. If the new American administration continues to block the weapons law enforcement employs to suppress money laundering and yes, therefore even terrorist financing, international regulatory agencies who are tasked with measuring what they deem non-cooperative jurisdictions, could step up and essentially sanction the United States for allowing financial crime to flourish.

It all depends upon what the administration has up its sleeve now, as it obviously tries to protect American businesses who are political allies and campaign contributors, and who will now not have the same powerful gatekeepers policing their illicit conduct as before. Will we see similar action allowing PEPs to make deposits free from transaction monitoring, or a diminution in Trade-Based Money Laundering investigations? All I know is that the DOJ hasn't filed on new major money laundering case since January 20. America used to be on the cutting edge regarding AML/CFT, ever since the passage of the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, but no more.

Will American banks now complain after their wire transfers abroad for exports are subject to enhanced due diligence at the receiving end? Perhaps then, we might see a move back to true enforcement, but in the meanwhile, compliance officers abroad may want to watch what comes out of the United States financial community, and the FATF should sharpen its pencil when looking at Grey Listing; I rest my case.

GRENADA ISSUES A CBI PASSPORT TO AN ACCUSED NIGERIAN MONEY LAUNDERER WHO IS A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE; SHE HAS A REPUTED RELATIONSHIP WITH GRENADA'S PRIME MINISTER DICKON MITCHELL

Nigerian businesswoman and prominent Abuja socialite AISHA SULAIMAN ACHIMUGI, wanted by the ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL CRIMES COMMISSION (EFCC) for money laundering and criminal conspiracy, most likely became a fugitive from justice by using her GRENADA CBI PASSPORT, which allowed her to evade the government dragnet set to capture and interrogate her. She abruptly fled Nigeria, rather than appear before the EFCC

Achhimugu is accused of secretly funnelling funds to opposition leaders Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections.

We question the Grenada CIU's total lack of an effective due diligence investigation in her ability to acquire a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport, when her involvement in criminal activity would have been exposed. There may be a different reason why Achimugi received her passport; she is known to have had what is being described as a personal relationship with Grenada's Prime Minister, DICKON MITCHELL.

The case remind me of the scandal that broke several years ago in nearby DOMINICA, when that country's Prime Minister, ROOSEVELT SKERRIT, flew to the United Kingdom, to hand-deliver a Dominican passport to the former Nigerian Oil Minister, DIEZANI ALISON-MADUEKE, who them unsuccessfully employed that identity document to try to evade arrest in the UK on criminal charges.

Grenada PM Mitchell should be called upon to explain (1) How Achimugi came to acquire a Grenada CBI passport, given her known criminal background, and (2) what is the exact nature of his relationship with her, including any financial transactions or payments, in Grenada or Nigeria.

I personally would like to know how she managed to be allowed to enter the UK if she was a fugitive from justice in Nigeria. Don't Border police in the UK check documents?

AMBIGUOUS STATEMENTS PLACED IN SOCIAL MEDIA OF OTHERS ABOUT YOUR DUBAI ARREST DO NOT A DENIAL MAKE

Social media postings, ladies & gentlemen, are NOT facts. MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, of RIFT TRUST, was definitely arrested this week in Dubai, in connection with the sale of economic citizenships for Saint Kitts & Nevis, and Saint Lucia (CBI/CIP). This social media posting, by a third party in Saint Lucia, attempts to constitute Mimoun's denial that he was indeed arrested. In truth and in fact, he does not come out and affirmatively say he was not arrested by UAE authorities; he dances around it, trying to convince the public that his appearance means he wasn't. Not true, Ms. Alexander.

in truth and in fact, he was simply released on bond; he cannot travel outside the Emirates, and he is currently under supervision, The tag line at the bottom of the Facebook posting below (hashtag#PROPAGANDA) says it all. Most Internet users are fully aware that social media information is never to be taken at face value; ignore it. If you haven't seen the original articles about the arrest:
HEAD OF CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT CONSULTANCY RIF TRUST MIMOUN ASSRAOUI ARRESTED IN DUBAI

CLAIMS THAT MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, CEO OF CBI CONSULTANCY RIF TRUST, WAS NOT ARRESTED IN DUBAI ARE FALSE AND A MISREPRESENTATION OF MATERIAL FACT

Both can be found on my blog:https://rijock.blogspot.com  

READ IT AND WEEP, EC; EU PARLIAMENT COMES DOWN HARD ON EAST CARIBBEAN CBI STATES, PLANNING ON DENYING THEM VISA FREE ENTRY, DUE TO SERIOUS SECURITY RISKS CAUSED BY A LACK OF DUE DILIGENCE

This is the Amendment to the EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT proposal, regarding the suspension of visa-free travel to the Schengen Zone for the five East Caribbean states that sell passports & citizenships (CBI/CIP) When it rains it pours, gentlemen. Start cleaning up your act or be prepared for a rocky ride on CBI.

CLAIMS THAT MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, CEO OF CBI CONSULTANCY RIF TRUST, WAS NOT ARRESTED IN DUBAI ARE FALSE AND A MISREPRESENTATION OF MATERIAL FACT

We are hearing that MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, the CEO of the Dubai-based Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) passport sales agency,is alleging that he was not arrested this week by UAE authorities after receiving complaints from victims of RIF. In truth and in fact, Assraoui, himself, personally told me today about his arrest, interrogation and release on bond, which included a prohibition on his ability to leave the UAE until his case is concluded. Any claims that Assraoui has made in the media or elsewhere, to the effect that he was not arrested, and can leave Dubai at any time, are completely false and without any basis in fact. If he is free to leave Dubai, we challenge him to take a flight, today, to Saint Lucia, and appear there in public, tomorrow. Obviously, his statements are false, and a poor attempt to deceive the investing public and his clients, some of whom have already brought civil lawsuits against RIF Trust.

Likewise, Facebook postings by third parties, claiming that Assraoui was not arrested, and that my article was fake news, are not based upon fact, and untrue. The investing public and the people of the Caribbean should disregard social media postings intended to confuse them, and rely solely upon objective and truthful media sources. Mr. Assraoui is currently a defendant in a UAE criminal case, and the facts speak for themselves. He can lie and seek to deceive the public by making false statements, but the truth is he is now facing the criminal justice system of the Emirates. Let justice be served.

HEAD OF CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT CONSULTANCY RIF TRUST MIMOUN ASSRAOUI ARRESTED IN DUBAI

We have confirmed that the authorities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates have arrested MIMOUN ASSROUI, the head of RIF TRUST, a seller of Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) for Saint Kitts & Nevis and Saint Lucia. He is prohibited from leaving the Emirates after victims filed complaints about the company's passport sales. The company's alleged sale of fraudulent CBI contracts was introduced last year in legal proceedings in both East Caribbean states. We are advised that Mr. Assroui has notified McCLAUDE EMMANUEL the head of the Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU); this news has not yet been released to the public in either Saint Kitts or Saint Lucia. 

We have contacted government and legal sources in Dubai, who have advised that the defendant is cooperating with the authorities, and has been interviewed at length. One source has stated that he understands Assroui gave information to investigators about the operations of other CBI consultancies and sales agents operating in Dubai, as well as those located in other countries, and a second source included both the United Kingdom and Canada in the details he said he was aware of. We shall have further information in our next article.

We have previously reported that Dubai prosecutors are known to be cracking down on CBI operators in the Emirates of late. DUBAI AUTHORITIES PUT CHINESE COMPANIES SELLING FRAUDULENT CARIBBEAN PASSPORTS UNDER THE MICROSCOPE

AHEAD OF SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO'S REGIONAL VISIT, U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT BRIEFING ON REIGNING IN CHINA'S GEOPOLITICAL THREATS POSED BY ITS ILLICIT CARIBBEAN CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT ACTIVITIES, EXPLAINS AMERICAN POLICY AND RESPONSE TO THE NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS CBI POSES

This week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to embark on his first tour of several Caribbean countries; he will also hold meetings with senior government officials of additional West Indian states while in Jamaica. In advance of his trip, in an On-the-Record briefing, State Department officials and Presidential Advisors detailed the official American position on several topics, including the dangerous role of China in the Citizenship by Investment (CBI/CIP) programs of the East Caribbean states.

To quote from the Briefing,"You mentioned also the Citizenship by Investment. That’s been a longstanding concern we have seen, obviously, in some of these islands in the Caribbean a lot of movement from not only Chinese nationals but Iranian nationals and other countries that affect not only the national security of the United States but, frankly, that affect the security of these islands. That’ll be also an issue for conversation." Additionally, the United States policy on CBI was specifically spelled out here: "So where we want to be is in a place where some of these islands don’t find these citizenship-by-investment programs which attract, unfortunately, nefarious actors from China, Iran, and other countries into the Americas, which then becomes a security challenge for all of us – that we don’t want that to become – CBI should not be a major part of these smaller islands’ GDP. That’s not the goal."

Expect Secretary Rubio to firmly explain America's new assertive foreign policy on controlling bad actors, especially, China, who are using CBI to commit financial crime, engage in espionage against the U.S. and other countries, and create undue influence over the East Caribbean states, which is a direct threat upon America. We note that the penetration by China of Caribbean CBI was the center of the MSR Media documentary “THE MEN WHO SOLD THE CARIBBEAN TO CHINA, “ which was privately screened at the US. Congress in February 2025, before two Congressional Committees. While not yet available to the public, we have seen the program, and it is a damning indictment of widespread systemic fraud, money laundering and corruption by the CBI programs and government leaders responsible for operating them, in coordination with China. The documentary, which was also seen by several US Government officials, exposes the takeover by China PRC of CBI in the Caribbean.

We will be reporting fully on Secretary Rubio's upcoming trip, and his policy announcements and statements regarding the Citizenship by Investment programs, and what reforms must be instituted, if they are to continue to exist for the economic benefit of the people of the Caribbean.