DIPLOMAT FROM ANTIGUA SACKED FOR ACCEPTING ILLEGAL USD$450,000 REFERRAL FEE IN SALE OF RUSSIAN SUPERYACHT ALPHA NERO

The yacht ALPHA NERO

In the government of Antigua & Barbuda's Prime Minister GASTON BROWNE, you really have to go over the top with your corrupt actions, to be called on the carpet for it, and JOHANN HESSE, a consultant who holds a diplomatic passport naming him ambassador to the AFRICAN UNION, did just that. Hesse, through his business partner, accepted as USD$450,000 "introduction fee", in connection with the suspicious (if not outright illegal) Antigua Government sale of the Russian Superyacht ALPHA NERO. Hesse was sacked by PM Browne for this conflict of interest violation, and breach of his duties. It has been speculated that the illicit payment would have been accepted, had Browne been personally cut into the deal, and received a portion thereof.

Like many of the Antiguans appointed to be diplomats, complete with diplomatic passports that allow the holder to evade customs and immigration controls when entering other countries, the position is totally bogus, and doesn't meet the requirements of the United Nations' Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Antigua is neither a Member, nor even an Observer State, at the African Union, which is a group of African countries in a loose international organization, with no international status, duties or power. Hesse uses his diplomatic passport to facilitate his completely private business affairs. He is no more a bona fide diplomat than I am.

We recently published a list of all the Antiguan"diplomats," and American and British compliance officers would do well to insure that none of them are bank clients, lest their bank be exposed to potential money laundering liability, or other possible criminal exposure, by assuming their client or customer does not have funds from his private business flowing through his accounts.

WE TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THE PEPS OF ANTIGUA WHO USE DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS FOR MONEY LAUNDERING, FRAUD AND CORRUPTION ON BEHALF OF GASTON BROWNE AND HIS LABOR PARTY

AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SURFACES ON ANGUILLA IBC SCANDAL, COMPLIANCE OFFICERS SHOULD CONSIDER BLACKLISTING THE JURISDICTION FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES

We have just now received additional details regarding the situation in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, which we intend to share with our readers, but we consider that information so egregious, that we urge our compliance officer readers to act as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) used to do with such cases, and blacklist it as a Non-Cooperative Territory.

While regulators no longer place a blanket blacklist on a jurisdiction for serious cases of rampant money laundering, financial crime, fraud and even official corruption, it is up to individual compliance officers, now working under a mandatory risk-based compliance regime, to make that decision, as it applies to their bank or non-bank financial institution. When conditions permit, we will specify the grounds for our statement regarding the threat level represented by the jurisdiction's international business corporation and Registry.

NIGERIANS BUYING EXPENSIVE CARIBBEAN CBI PASSPORTS, DENIED THE U.S. VISA THEIR INVESTMENT MIGRATION VENDOR PROMISED THEM, DEMAND A REFUND PLUS MONEY DAMAGES FOR THEIR PLIGHT

The word is out in Nigeria, amongst the wealthy individuals who forked out hefty fees to obtain a Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport from vendors selling SAINT KITTS & NEVIS citizenships. When they go to a U.S. Consulate abroad to secure that American visa, which was promised to them by their passport sales consultancy, they find out SKN passport holders are now redlined, and they comes home empty handed. plus, those Nigerians who have already received U.S. visas in the past, now find that they have been revoked, or not renewed.

We are hearing that the Nigerian clients of many of Dubai's principal investment migration companies are demanding full refunds, as well as money damages. The reason for the money damages, say their attorneys, is because they purchased their passports at illegal discounts, and this incriminating detail surfaces when they applied (unsuccessfully) for a US visa; that's Passport Fraud, and now they are barred from forever getting an American visa in any other way. Whether the person who sold you that Caribbean passport at an illegal discount has exposed himself to American criminal charges is beyond the scope of this article, but I understand the U.S. is examining that issue.Lucious Gab-Umoden, LU GOLD CEO, may want to look into that.

CEO Lucious Gab-Umoden

So, consider this a warning to a Nigerian holders of Saint Kitts AND Saint Lucia CBI passports; do NOT go to an American Consulate, seeking to get a U.S. visa, as you may end up biting off more than you can chew. I many wonder how many Dubai-based consultancies, like HENG SHENG, close up, only to reopen virtually under another corporate name, with new bank accounts but the same client base.

INDIA FEARS THAT MEHUL CHOKSI'S UK LAWYERS WILL UNWITTINGLY DEPOSIT CLEANED CRIMINAL PROCEEDS INTO THE COURT REGISTRY IN THE PENDING BRITISH CIVIL SUIT

Michael Polak

Reports from India have confirmed that there are well-placed fears, on the part of the Government of India, that the team of British lawyers headed by barrister MICHAEL POLAK will unwittingly deposit cleaned criminal proceeds into the court registry, in the civil case where Choksi alleges he was kidnapped, in an abortive Indian attempt to bring him home to face fraud charges. The High Court has now required him to place £677,000, for costs, in the event he loses the case, after declaring that there has been insufficient evidence produced to date to prove his sensational allegations of an international kidnapping plot orchestrated by India.

India has claimed in the media that Choksi is behind the acquisition of assets by third parties under his control, using his funds, which were obtained through bank fraud, and that these assets would now be produced as legitimate sources of funds for the required cost deposit. As Choksi's lead lawyer, British barrister MICHAEL POLAK, is a human rights campaigner with little or no experience in money laundering and financial crime cases, India's concern appears to have a factual basis.

Furthermore, in its most recent opinion, the court openly questioned Choksi's ability to produce legitimate funds, and even wondered aloud how he was paying his attorneys. We echo that concern, and believe that the Court must initiate an inquiry into both Source of Funds for the proposed cost deposit, and the Source of Wealth for the attorneys' fees which were used to retain Mr. Polak.

Some legal observers, who have been watching the lengthy legal proceedings surrounding Choksi's extradition, in Antigua as well as Belgium, believe that the UK civil suit was only filed to give him leverage in his ultimate criminal case in India, when it comes to sentencing. They believe the kidnapping allegations are a fictional contrivance employed as a purely tactical move by his international team of attorneys. My 2023 Investigative Report concluded that there was evidence of Choksi's failed plan to escape to extradition-free Cuba, where he had a residence already set up for his arrival.

THE BRANTLEY DOCTRINE: A NEW STRATEGIC DIRECTION FOR CARICOM

From my recent article, I have been highly criticized where I have called Mark Brantley the new powerhouse of the Caribbean. I have been writing about Caribbean CBI for fifteen years and I have information which I publish to my readers, so that they are always ahead of the game, and when I wrote that Mark Brantley is the new powerhouse of the Caribbean, I have information that others do not have. The arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro created a geopolitical shock across the Caribbean. It was executed with the clear intention of making the Western Hemisphere safer from a national security standpoint and removing hostile and criminal forces from power.

Since then, we have seen major visa restrictions from the United States, and a clear focused crackdown on the CBI. Following the Maduro arrest the current CARICOM Chair, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, responded with measured institutional restraint — emphasizing monitoring, calm, and dialogue.. The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has taken a clear alignment-first approach, positioning her government firmly within the United States’ regional security framework. That clarity leaves no ambiguity about Trinidad’s geopolitical posture and true friendship with the United States. 

Between silence and alignment, however, a third direction has now emerged. In a lengthy public statement issued today, Mark Brantley did not merely comment on events; He advanced doctrine. By invoking the examples of the Prime Minister of Canada and the German Chancellor — leaders who emphasize structured multilateralism, and strategic autonomy — Brantley signaled that CARICOM must evolve beyond reactive diplomacy.

This is not rhetorical flourish; It is an attempt to redefine the strategic architecture of the Caribbean. Where the Chair preserved equilibrium, Brantley challenged inertia. Where Trinidad aligned outward, Brantley looked inward — calling first for regional cohesion before external alignment. More significantly, Brantley’s framing suggests that CARICOM should not assume automatic strategic backing from Washington. Instead, he implies diversification — expanding alliances toward India, Africa, the Middle East, and South America.

That is a departure from habit. It signals a vision of CARICOM as a sovereign bloc navigating a multipolar world — not as a passive extension of larger powers. This positioning can now be described plainly: the Brantley Doctrine. Its pillars are clear: Unity before alignment;  Sovereignty before dependency; multipolar engagement over single-axis reliance; and intellectual framing over procedural caution

Whether one agrees with his vision or not, today’s statement marks a decisive escalation in Caribbean strategic discourse. He is not merely participating in CARICOM discussions; He is attempting to define them. Between institutional moderation and alignment-first realism, Brantley has inserted a third model — assertive regional autonomy backed by diversified global partnerships.  It unmistakably positions him as the intellectual contender for leadership within CARICOM.

The Caribbean now faces a structural question: on Febuary 24, CARICOM will meet in Saint Kitts. Will it remain administratively cautious? Will it align decisively with existing power structures? Or will it follow the  Brantley Doctrine ?  Mark Brantley has made several public statements since 2022, to denounce Chinese CBI fraud, specifically the jail project. Brantley knows one thing; he has not been involved in introducing the Chinese operation, taking over the CBI projects and operations in the Caribbean. That is a strategic advantage in the geopolitical game that he has over some other Caribbean leaders. 

Today's statement by Mark Brantley is more than confirmation of my previous article; it is Mark Brantley's declaration of intent to position himself as the intellectual architect of CARICOM's vision.  

RAISE COUNTRY RISK ON ANGUILLA

If you are a compliance officer, and have been reading our continuing series exposing corruption and misconduct in the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla, you know the story of a foreign lawyer who employed the territory's International Business Corporation (IBC) in a failed attempt at fraud, and that she was assisted in her criminal acts by individuals in both the private as well as public sectors. We understand that this case is not an isolated event, but part of a local corporate culture, where both the financial services industry and the Office of the Registrar will bend and even break the laws, and the regulations, to assist in illegal activity on behalf of foreign clients using IBCs.

Therefore, compliance officers at international financial institutions that encounter business organizations incorporated in Anguilla, as well as professionals who clients, customers and counterparties use, hold or maintain corporations or other entities formed or organized in Anguilla, should review the available information, and decide whether to increase Country Risk on Anguilla. This caution should extend to any situation where beneficial ownership, corporate status, or use of an Anguilla company appears, or is intended for use. 

Given our recent investigation, it is humbly suggested that compliance officers charged with the assessment of Country Risk increase their level assigned for Anguilla to High Risk, meaning that the jurisdiction is to be avoided as part of your risk-based compliance program.

JUDGE IN MEHUL CHOKSI'S SUIT AGAINST INDIA, ALLEGING HE WAS KIDNAPPED, SAYS THERE'S NO EVIDENCE, AS COURT DEMANDS £677,000 SECURITY FOR COSTS, IN A CASE WITH LITTLE FUTURE OF PREVAILING

While we await the actual extradition of the two billion dollar accused fraudster, MEHUL CHOKSI, from Belgium to his native India, to finally face justice, there's an interesting development in Choksi's British civil suit against India, which claims that the country's agents kidnapped him from Antigua. The presiding judge, in a detailed fifteen page opinion, handed down on February 6, stated that there had been, to date, a complete lack of evidence in support of. Choksi's case.

The matter came up in the context of a dispute over whether Choksi should be required to pay more than £600,000 as a deposit for costs, as a foreign plaintiff with no ties or assets in the United Kingdom. The Court noted that, except for Choksi's own statements, there had been no evidence produced to date in support of his allegations that he has indeed been kidnapped by a team of agents, acting on behalf of India's intelligence service. The Court in Belgium reached the same conclusion, while debating his extradition recently.

Readers may recall that, in my lengthy Investigative Report on the subject, I introduced evidence of Choksi's failed attempt to flee to the Republic of Cuba, to avoid possible extradition to India by Antigua. I filed that report with the UK court, and sent copies to all counsel. I note that the Court stated that my conclusions were not as the result of first-hand knowledge, and therefore were not considered in its conclusion, but I have my doubts

It appears that Choksi's efforts to gain an advantage in his pending Belgium extradition proceeding, and to get India to back down through a major lawsuit has a very small chance of success, after the Court openly doubted the sufficiency of the evidence.

THE UAE STARTS ENFORCING ITS SIX FIGURE JUDGMENT AGAINST HENG SHENG GROUP, WHILE GRENADA CONTINUES TO DO CBI BUSINESS WITH THIS FRAUDSTER, AND CARIBBEAN REGULATORS IGNORE THE SCANDAL

This week, the Dubai Court of First Instance began proceedings to collect upon the $400,000 judgment it has entered for fraud against the Chinese-owned economic passport sales company HENG SHENG (HS); its bank accounts and business licenses have been blocked, and liens placed against them. There are also reports that its insurance policy has been forfeited and liquidated.

At the same time, as we have previously reported and now confirmed,, the company, using criminal tactics often employed by fraudsters caught in the act, have reopened under a new name, with a brand new bank account, and a new business license, but virtually this time, most likely to evade the anticipated next court action, a suit for fraudulent conveyance, to attach the assets of the successor company. Justice will be served in the UAE.

Notwithstanding the outstanding and unpaid judgment, the Government of Grenada continues to do business with Heng Sheng, and has even allowed the company to return to the illegal discounting of Grenada CBI citizenships, which are specifically prohibited by an international regional agreement on minimum pricing, signed by Grenada. It continues to allow HS to market Grenada CBI at the illegal rate.

Furthermore, the EASTERN CARIBBEAN CENTRAL BANK is still allowing international banking transactions of HS to be processed, and has not issued any statement, sanction or ruling, blocking Heng Sheng from the fraudster company's continued abuse of the regional financial system, and the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA) has still, a year later, not gotten off the ground to rein in CBI misconduct by the East Caribbean CBI states, as promised in 2024. Caribbean CBI states continue to have zero effective international regulation of their passport sales misconduct; no wonder the EU has declared that it has had enough.

Finally, does the Government of Grenada not realize that its inaction regarding Heng Sheng's fraud, and its continued business relationship with the company could jeopardize its unique visa status with the United States, as well as the ability of its native-born nationals to visit America, as has already occurred to Antigua and Dominica? Grenada is playing with fire in the Heng Sheng scandal, and it's about to get burned. Is the country's arrogant leadership totally blind to the probable consequences? You can expect accountability from the U.S. sooner, rather than later.

THE UK FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE MUST OPEN AN INQUIRY INTO ANGUILLA'S REGISTRAR OF COMPANIES, IF ANGUILLA IS TO CONTINUE AS AN OFFSHORE FINANCIAL CENTRE

To recap our long shopping list of acts of governmental misconduct in Anguilla:

(1) Anguilla's Registrar pointedly chooses to ignore the findings of fact and
conclusions of law of foreign courts, BUT it adroitly attempts to influence them.
(2) The Office of the Registrar allows new companies to be formed, notwithstanding that statutory naming conflicts exist.
(3) Companies are improperly reinstated, and requirements quietly waived, in violation of the law.
(4) Substantial reinstatement fees are quietly waived, and Registered Agents allowed to ignore laws and regulations.
(5) Documents and claims submitted are summarily dismissed, without diligent inquiry.
(6) Finally, the Office of the Governor simply washed its hands of any involvement, which is Malfeasance of Office, if not a violation of existing law.

We again reiterate that the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office must take up these allegations, conduct a thorough
inquiry, and further examine whether the Government of Anguilla's administration of its affairs is falling so short as to require Direct Rule at this time. Our whistleblower's complaints have exposed the dark underbelly of an offshore centre that requires significant reform, from the top down. Otherwise, it does not properly serve either its customers, or the people of the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla.

FINANCIAL CRIMINALS, UNHAPPY WITH BEING THE SUBJECT OF ATTENTION WHEN ENTERING THE EU WITH A CBI PASSPORT, NOW SHIFT TO DIFFERENT TACTICS: ACQUIRING FRAUDULENT CITIZENSHIP BY DESCENT

If you are a career money launderer or transnational fraudster, the last thing you want is to be interrogated at EU Passport Control, when arriving armed with a Caribbean Citizenship by Investment (CBI) passport for entry. If you have noticed lately, more and more firms in the investment migration sector are advertising their ability to process Citizenship by Descent, where you qualify for a passport in an EU Member state through your personal ancestry.

The problem is, criminals who do not qualify, often cheat they way in; they obtain forged or counterfeit evidence of an parent or grandparent from that jurisdiction. They may enlist the services of any one of a number of criminal enterprises that exist for that illicit purpose. They may successfully bribe their way into a citizenship, through underpaid, and corrupt government officials.

Until and unless the compliance world finds a way to identify passports acquired through Citizenship by Descent, such as foreign Place of Birth, brand new passport, passport user with suspicious travel history, or some other means of quickly and effectively determining how the holder became an EU citizen, I am afraid that money launderers and all the other Usual Suspects will be able to employ Citizenship by Descent passports to facilitate criminal activity in the European Union.

SAINT LUCIA PUSHES BACK AT THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE BY ANNOUNCING A NEW OCEANFRONT MARRIOTT CBI HOTEL PROJECT BY THE ROGUE CARIBBEAN GALAXY GROUP

The same day that the United States, of behalf of itself, the United Kingdom and the Members of the European Union, warned Saint Vincent against adopting a new Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program, and recognizing China over Taiwan, Saint Lucia Minister of Investment ERNEST HILAIRE confirmed the new MARRIOTT hotel project on Vigie Beach, which is a CARIBBEAN GALAXY REAL ESTATE GROUP project.

Minister Ernest Hilaire

Galaxy, which is Chinese-owned and controlled, was literally thrown out of Saint Kitts & Nevis for selling tens of thousands of CBI passports at illegal discounts as much as 60%, to Chinese nationals, with zero due diligence performed on applicants, a number of whom have been subsequently arrested and indicted in the U.S. and elsewhere, for crimes and illegal intelligence activity.

Granting Galaxy the right to sell this Marriott project, which will involve the sale of economic citizenships with CBI St. Lucia passports, is a slap in the face at the U.S. and Europe, whom have bluntly stated that they consider CBI to constitute a serious national security threat. Recent efforts by Saint Lucians to obtain visas to enter the United States, have been denied by the American Embassy in Barbados, and additional U.S. restrictions and even sanctions, based upon Saint Lucia's stubborn insistence upon continuing its corrupt and dangerous CBI program, are certain to be accelerated by news that this Galaxy-administered project has not been terminated.

The Trump administration has made no secret of its opposition to the continued operation of the SLC CBI program, and Galaxy's role in money laundering, fraud and corruption in the five EC states that sell economic citizenship, and this news about the Vigie Beach hotel project will further isolate Saint Lucia on the international scene. Given the American position on CBI, Saint Lucia's leaders are clearly choosing to play with diplomatic and economic fire, a game which they cannot win, and which could seriously result in damage on a number of political and financial front.

VALENTIN ZLATEV: THE NEW EASTERN EUROPEAN PARTNER OF ST. LUCIA MINISTER FOR INVESTMENT ERNEST HILAIRE

St. Lucia Minister Ernest Hilaire

Saint Lucia has a short memory. Not long ago, the Rock Hall project was being promoted as the next transformative development for the island. Behind it stood BEMAX, a Balkan construction firm with deep political entanglements in Montenegro and a controversial reputation in its home region. I exposed the background.; I raised the red flags. I detailed the political connections and reputational risks surrounding the project’s principals. Shortly thereafter, the Saint Lucia government cancelled the Bemax contract. Draw your own conclusions. What cannot be denied is that once scrutiny intensified, the project collapsed. Due diligence matters — especially when passports, banking access, and sovereign credibility are involved.

Now a new Eastern European name steps forward: Valentin Zlatev, and once again, the gatekeeper on the St. Lucia side is Ernest Hilaire. From Russian Oil Power Broker to Caribbean Resort Developer, Zlatev was not forged in tourism. He built his career as the longtime head of Lukoil Bulgaria, the dominant Russian oil operator in the country. For years, Bulgarian media described him as one of the most powerful businessmen in the nation — operating at the intersection of energy, politics, and influence. His name surfaced repeatedly in investigative reporting connected to alleged political proximity to senior leadership, market dominance controversies, and the “Barcelonagate” inquiry involving a luxury Spanish property and disputed funding trails.

Velentin Zlatov

To be precise: Zlatev has not been convicted of criminal wrongdoing in relation to these matters. Some investigations concluded without charges.But controversy does not vanish because charges are absent. Reputation travels. And it has now arrived in Saint Lucia. The Grand Hyatt Project. Zlatev is associated with the proposed Grand Hyatt Saint Lucia Resort in Choiseul — marketed as a flagship luxury development, promising jobs and capital inflows.

The pitch sounds familiar. Foreign investor; Big promises; Strategic land; Long-term concessions. Saint Lucia operates a Citizenship-by-Investment program. That means the stakes are not just about hotel rooms; They are about financial credibility, visa access, correspondent banking relationships, and geopolitical alignment.

The Pattern Is the Story; First Rock Hall.Now Choiseul. Eastern European capital with complicated political histories continues to find entry into Saint Lucia’s most sensitive economic channels. ERNEST HILAIRE is the minister responsible for investment promotion.  If he opens the door, he owns the vetting. If Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre places unquestioning confidence in that vetting, then the political responsibility climbs even higher.

SLC PM Philip J. Pierre;Willful blindness

Conclusion: When I exposed Bemax, the contract did not survive public scrutiny. Now another Eastern European power figure with a controversial public history enters the island’s development landscape. Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre may blindly trust Ernest Hilaire, 

But America is watching. And in today’s geopolitical climate, every investor carries more than capital. Some carry baggage; and baggage has a way of surfacing.

US ADVISES ST. VINCENT NOT TO START A CBI PROGRAM, WARNING THAT THE U.S., U.K. AND EU REGARD SUCH PROGRAMS AS A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK; IT ALSO SAYS NOT TO CHANGE DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS FROM TAIWAN TO CHINA

In a move that demonstrates America and Europe now regard Citizenship by Investment (CBI) economic passport programs as a direct security threat, The United States has strongly advised the government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines against creating a new CBI program. America further advised the Caribbean island state not to switch its diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China, as such a step could have serious economic consequences for the St. Vincent domestic economy, which could also negatively affect the heavily in debt Eastern Caribbean economic system. Outstanding loans potentially being declared in default by creditors, and the devaluation of the East Caribbean Dollar are among the consequences mentioned.

The fact that such advice has been delivered at the highest levels of government in St. Vincent was publicly disclosed in a session of the country's House of Assembly, its Parliament, by the Leader of the Opposition, former Prime Minister RALPH GONSALVES, as the present government has thus far
concealed this information from its constituents. Caribbean governments often keep their citizens in the dark regarding actions which could adversely affect their personal welfare.

The impact of the announcement will reverberate throughout the five EC states that presently sell economic citizenships, as they digest the fact that CBI programs in the Caribbean are now an endangered species, and the United States is now more forcefully stating that their continued existence could result in serious economic problems, in a region already beset with staggering public debt services, troubled domestic economies, and a growing dependence upon a controlling Chinese economic burden.