An investigation by Al Jazeera English that broadcasts these days a corrupt trade in the sale of senior officials in some Caribbean countries to diplomatic posts to foreigners in exchange for money to stay in power.
A new episode of Al Jazeera's investigation, titled "Diplomats for Sale," unveiled details of leaders in the two largest parties in the Dominican Republic receiving secret funding for their campaign from foreign figures in exchange for their diplomatic immunity.
The investigators used the secret filming technique to show videos of former Dominican Prime Minister Oliver Seraphine offering a secret deal to a mediator to appoint an Asian businessman as a Dominican ambassador for $ 470,000. The investigation, which took 18 months to complete, highlighted the Dominican and Grenada countries and the appointment of foreign officials as ambassadors of the two countries in a number of countries in the world.
The Al Jazeera investigation has offered details of the appointment of an Iranian named Ali Reza Moneef as the Dominican ambassador to Malaysia. Secret to win again in the 2014 elections.
In early November 2019, Iranian authorities arrested Ali Reza Moneef, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of stealing more than $ 1 million in oil revenues.
| Malaysian businessman Manoj Bulah (right) revealed to the island how he gave the Dominican prime minister (center) the post of ambassador to an Iranian named Ali Reza (left) for money. |
The case of Grenada
The investigation reveals details of an investment file in the Caribbean nation of Grenada linked to a promise to appoint an American investor as ambassador to Grenada. He paid for his appointment as ambassador, a charge Mitchell denied even though he admitted receiving thousands of dollars from Ristner.
The program's investigative work included the story of former Nigerian Oil Minister Desani Alison Madwick, who was investigated in her country in 2015 for embezzling millions of dollars, before the Dominican Prime Minister granted her a diplomatic passport that gave her immunity from arrest.
Al Jazeera's inquiry into the possible relationship between the former Nigerian minister's diplomatic passport was sought by the move of Dominican Prime Minister Secret and his family to a luxury apartment in New York City, a charge denied by Madecret and Secret.
Dozens of cases
The Al Jazeera English program investigated cases in which dozens of businessmen were appointed ambassadors to Caribbean countries in different regions of the world and to the United Nations.
Although the "diplomats for sale" investigation did not obtain evidence of wrongdoing behind the appointment of these rich ambassadors to non-nationals such as paying for office, their appointment in itself contravened the provisions of the 1961 Vienna Convention, which limits diplomatic relations between states. the world.
The Vienna Convention stipulates that ambassadors must be nationals of the countries they represent, and that they should not engage in special activities in the course of diplomatic service.
It is noteworthy that the investigation "diplomats for sale" aired on Monday and Tuesday, as broadcast Wednesday at 1 pm GMT, and will be repeated on Thursday at 6 am GMT, tomorrow Friday at midday, and will be broadcast next Saturday at 8 pm GMT , And the first Sunday of December at 6 am GMT.