They bought her passport.. "Vanuatu" threatens to withdraw the passports of suspects, including Arab personalities
About 2,000 people have bought the controversial "golden passports" sold by the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, including a large number of businessmen, political officials and wanted people from around the world, according to an investigation published by the British newspaper "The Guardian".
The newspaper says that among those who obtained citizenship were Arab figures, including a former Libyan prime minister and a Syrian businessman whose name was placed on the US sanctions list, in addition to a suspected North Korean politician, an Italian businessman accused of blackmailing the Vatican, and a former member of the notorious Australian motorcycle gang. and a South African brother accused of $3.6 billion worth of cryptocurrency cases.
The golden passport system allows foreigners to buy citizenship for $130,000, a process that usually takes just over a month, without ever setting foot in the country.
Marketed by some agencies as the fastest, cheapest and most accessible in the world, the Golden Passport program gives unrestricted and visa-free access to 130 countries including the United Kingdom and the European Union.
Vanuatu is also considered a tax haven, and does not levy income tax or a corporate or wealth tax.
The Vanuatu government's passport program generated more than $116 million last year, and Vanuatu issued nearly 2,200 passports in 2020, more than half (about 1,200) of which were for Chinese nationals.
After Chinese, the most common nationalities for recipients were Nigerian, Russian, Lebanese, Iranian, Libyan, Syrian and Afghani.
Among the applicants were 20 people from the United States, six Australians and some Europeans.
In response to inquiries about the list of names of naturalized persons, seen by the Guardian, Floyd Mera, director of the Financial Intelligence Unit in Vanuatu, said: “I have read the list, and most of the names are linked to allegations and pending investigations, and if there are substantive convictions against any of these names, they may be withdraw their citizenship.
"From now on, the Financial Intelligence Unit will conduct audits on the names on the list. If any of these people have criminal convictions, the unit will immediately inform the Citizenship Office of the updated information," Mira added.
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