CBI PASSPORT AGENTS RIF TRUST AND LATITUDE BLACKLISTED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF SAINT KITTS & NEVIS FOR ILLEGALLY DISCOUNTING SALES OF PASSPORTS

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ERIC MAJOR, Latitude

The Board of Governors of the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) of Saint Kitts & Nevis has formally blacklisted both RIF TRUST and LATITUDE, two CBI consultancies found to have fraudulently sold illegally-discounted citizenships to thousands of applicants. The news of the blacklisting by the country's CIU appeared in a court filing, made by GLENROY BLANCHETE, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of National Security, Citizenship and Immigration, in the pending judicial proceeding filed by MSR MEDIA against Prime Minister TERRANCE DREW, seeking to compel the government to cancel all discounted citizenships and revoke passports. The Government of Saint Kitts is named as a party to the fraud in the proceeding. Blanchette is the government official who ordered applicants who paid the illegal price to pay the balance, or face cancellation.

MIMOUN ASSRAOUI, RIF Trust

The filing, which is entitled SUPPLEMENTAL AFFIDAVIT OF GLENROY BLANCHETTE, and filed on 19 March, 2025, details how 32 of the 158 applicants under investigation have now paid the balance of the amount duly owned under the law, and how 13 applicants have has their citizenship revoked, as the direct result of the administrative action. Notably missing is any reference to illegally-discounted applications processed by CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP, which has not been blacklisted, reportedly to protect the interests of the Peoples' Republic of China. Galaxy is the main beneficiary of the Saint Kitts CBI fraud.

The two CBI consultancies, RIF TRUST and LATITUDE which also sell Saint Lucia CIP, have been named by former SLC Prime Minister ALLEN CHASTANET in a civil action alleging rampant fraud pending there. Their illegal sales for both East Caribbean states' programs, which have money laundering implications, are known to have continued since they were brought to public attention by MSR Media.

Given that these consultancies are actively involved in the sale of economic citizenships of a number of the other four Caribbean CBI states, it is expected that they will now be blacklisted in those jurisdictions as well. it is too early to determine the impact that the blacklisting will have on the CBI industry in the Caribbean, among allegations of widespread, rampant corruption, money laundering and fraud, and whether reform of the beleaguered CBI and CIP programs will now commence, but court action, such as the SKN judicial proceeding could accelerate it.

NOTE ABOUT EXHIBITS DELETED: BE ADVISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT OF SAINT KITTS HAS ALLEGED THAT THE AFFIDAVIT WAS FILED UNDER SEAL, AND HAS DEMANDED THAT IT BE REMOVED. THE DOCUMENT DID NOT HAVE ANY MARKINGS, NEITHER IN THE CAPTION NOR ON THE COVER SHEET TO INDICATE THAT IT WAS A SEALED DOCUMENT, AND WE THEREFORE PUBLISHED IT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF SAINT KITTS. WE HAVE DELETED IT FROM THIS ARTICLE. WHETHER THE DEMAND FOR DELETION OCCURRED AFTER PUBLIC OUTCRY OVER ITS CONTENTS, WE LEAVE TO THE READER TO DECIDE FOR HIMSELF.

The relevant paragraph, for the benefit of those who have not read it:

"I am also informed by the Board of Governors of the Citizenship by Investment Unit and verily believe that the process for blacklisting of international Marketing Agents RIF Trust and Latitude is ongoing."