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By Kevon Browne
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS (WINN) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is establishing and launching a Continuous International Due Diligence (CIDD) unit aimed at strengthening the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program and protecting the country’s international reputation.
The CIDD unit will be led by His Excellency Ian Quillier, former Commissioner of the Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force and current Ambassador of the Eastern Caribbean nation to the Kingdom of Morocco.
The establishment of the unit was announced by the Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Citizenship and Immigration, the Honourable Dr Terence Drew, during the National Assembly sitting on Friday, June 14.
“We are serious and we want to ensure that our international partners believe that we take their security seriously as well,” Prime Minister Dr Drew said during the second reading and debate of the Citizenship by Investment Unit Bill 2024.
The CIDD unit, based in Europe, will conduct ongoing due diligence on economic citizens worldwide. Its main goal is to ensure that St. Kitts and Nevis passport holders comply with the laws of their country of residence and respect international law. The unit will notify the Ministry of National Security of any citizen who is under investigation or accused of international financial or other crimes.
“It will ensure that citizens who hold passports issued by St. Kitts and Nevis and reside and work internationally comply with the laws of the countries they reside and visit and respect international law,” explained Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “(It will) inform the Ministry of National Security of citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis who are under investigation or have been arrested and/or charged with international financial or other crimes.”
The unit will also liaise and report to international law enforcement, anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing agencies. In addition, the unit will reclaim passports cancelled by the St. Kitts and Nevis Department of National Security pursuant to the Passports and Travel Documents Act and Section 5 of the US-Caribbean CBI Roundtable.
In addition, the CIDD department will formulate policies to mitigate and address the risks associated with citizens acquiring citizenship through the CBI program.
Prime Minister Dr. Drew assured that the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis is committed to implementing strict security measures to protect the country and its international partners.
The Citizenship by Investment Unit Act 2024 was passed into law on June 14, 2024.
The Continuous International Due Diligence (CIDD) unit is expected to be operational by July 31, 2024.
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