About a week ago, American Mr. Kenneth Rijock informed the world that Dominica’s Prime Minister, Mr. Roosevelt Skerritt, was under investigation by the United States Department of Justice for his role in the sale of a Dominican diplomatic passport to an Iranian gentleman named Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, who, Mr. Rijock claims, was recently returned to Iran to face criminal prosecution for embezzling millions of dollars of state funds.
Mr. Rijock says that the US investigation into Prime Minister Skerritt relates to facilitating the delivery of a diplomatic passport to Mr. Monfared who, according to Mr.Rijock, is a known international sanctions violator.
Now before I go any further, let me state that I hold no brief for Prime Minister Skerritt, nor would he need, or even wish, me to. My interest in Mr. Rijock’s story is that it refers to a Caribbean Prime Minister and to a Citizenship by Investment Program, and that it can have bad consequences, not only for Dominica, but also for the rest of us.
Let me also say that while I robustly advocate against wrongdoing and corruption in public life, I’m not one to rush gleefully and carelessly to conclusions in matters which challenge a person’s integrity and character, such as this does. So if there’s the slightest chance that Mr. Rijock is onto something here, then the chips will have to fall where they may. But if not, then that’s another matter. And some questions would have to be asked and answered.
The truth is that there are several defects in Mr. Rijock’s complaint against the Dominican Prime Minister. Defects of logic and reason. Defects that ought not to arise in the thinking and arguments of a trained legal mind.
Again, I’m not purporting to speak in Mr. Skerritt’s defence, but why would Mr. Rijock publish speculative material which he must know is capable of causing severe harm to Dominica, and others?
Others, including us here in St.Kitts & Nevis.
As recently as yesterday, Mr. Rijock published a hyped up and accusatory article on his Financial Crimes blog entitled ‘When East Caribbean Nations Give Passports to Iranians, Global Security is Threatened’.
In that piece he refers to “Dominica’s scandal”, meaning the Monfared matter, and to “St.Kitts & Nevis’ latest passport black eye” meaning the identification by the US authorities of another Iranian, Kambiz Rostamian, holding a St.Kitts & Nevis passport.
If the one is a “scandal” and the other a “black eye”, then how would Mr. Rijock describe the seemingly endless cases of fraud in America’s EB-5 Green Card (leading to citizenship) program? So much fraud that some legislators are calling for an end to the program. But it’s still going on.
How many Iranians, and Iranian threats, have been involved in the US EB-5 program?
Of course, while I wish the US well, I can’t help but wonder why Mr. Rijock and others of his kind seem not to have such a voracious appetite to ventilate on the shenanigans in the US and European programs as they do with regard to ours in the Caribbean.
The good Lord knows that most of us in these islands want efficiency, transparency and integrity to be the hallmarks of the conduct of our leaders and our governments. And we keep pressing for that, in our economic citizenship programs and everywhere else.
However, Mr. Rijock, or anyone else, crying wolf in the absence of certainty can do us great harm. And crying wolf deliberately to do harm is infinitely worse.
Who is Ken Rijock?
He’s a lawyer who in the 1980s got deeply involved in laundering of money earned from drug dealing, prostitution, etc.. And he published a book on his criminal activities entitled ‘The Laundry Man’.
He was reined in by the law in 1990, and because he cooperated with US Federal authorities, he received a relatively mild two-year prison sentence, and was released in 1992.
I believe that he was suspended from practising law for five years, but it seems that he never went back into it. Instead, since his release he has been delivering lectures and advising bankers, law enforcement groups, and others, giving them insights into the world on money laundering.
And he publishes his Financial Crimes Blog.
He’s a busy fellow.
My reference to his criminal past is not intended in any way to impugn him.
I do so because, not only is it the truth but also because it’s relevant, if only to demonstrate that he may have had his epiphany when, in the late 1980s, he realized that the long arm of the law was closing in on him. Prison can have that effect on some people.
And we’re all sinners.
Having said that, my experiences in life and in Government have made me just a bit of a skeptical of people from the metropolis who seem either unaware of the damage that they might be doing to countries such as ours, or they simply and callously deliberately set out to do such damage.
I sometimes wonder if they realize that their actions could actually draw more ‘bad eggs’ to the region, and ultimately could lead to instability and a possible geopolitical rearrangement that might not be in the best interests of the United States.
It’s bad enough for the people of our countries if a Prime Minister is put under suspicion, as Mr. Rijock has done here with Mr. Skerritt. But it could be even worse if the suspicion is groundless.
So we need to ask this question: Does Mr. Rijock have a motive? If the answer is yes, then his statements about Mr. Skerritt would lead us to ask these questions: Does he have ‘a horse in the race’ in Dominica? Has he ever been engaged in any way, whether or not for reward, to assist any political or other group in Dominica or elsewhere that is unsupportive of Prime Minister Skerritt? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then which is the group that engaged Mr. Rijock? Could it be a group which was once ‘friendly’ with Dominica, and, indeed, St.Kitts, and which made a fortune out of those friendships, but is now on the warpath against these two tiny Caribbean sisters?
Are we in these islands seeing people from the metropolis who, once they don’t get their way with us, choose, frothing with utter contempt and disregard for our people, to torpedo our economies? Are we seeing the new type of mercenary from the metropolis, not the one who assassinates leaders and others literally, and engages in, and foments, war-like activities, but instead the mercenary who assassinates the names of people and the institutions of these tiny, vulnerable nations, and wreaks utter havoc economically and socially?
Is it possible that the people who paid the British group in the effort to unseat Mr. Skerritt in Dominica’s 2009 elections may have also engaged Mr.
Rijock to try the same in the 2014 elections?
There are people who will believe that the answer to these questions is yes. If so, then that might reveal a motive behind what Mr. Rijock is doing here.
A motive driven by scorched earth partisanship and vindictiveness. A motive which, translated into words, can do incalculable harm to the people of a little nation.
Is there any truth in the report that a high-ranking official in one of these international citizenship-by-investment firms which operates in this part of the world has resigned because of his deep discomfort with certain practices in that firm?
I’m not accusing anyone of any wrongdoing. I’m just trying to get to the bottom of this.
Ken Rijock has me thinking.
G.A.Dwyer Astaphan
Basseterre, St.Kitts, February 06, 2017
This man was a minister in the Denzel Douglas labour party government,therefore he’s not credible! Denzel Douglas imported voters were blocked by the Kittitian people,this is why his rogue government couldn’t win the last election! Denzel Douglas and the likes of the illegal Frenchman holding the office of Prime Minister in Dominica are the same!!!
I stated to read this then i had to stop,Dwyer Astaphan
tell m,e what does Ken Rijock has to gain?
The facts are the facts, Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, had a Dominica diplomatic pass port
Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, was a known sanction evader sincec 2012
Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, did business with the PM of Dominica for which he never dis closed to the
Dominican people untill he was exposed by ANGELO ALLEN teams
Alireza Zabahalat Monfared, wasd in dominica 9 moths after tony said hid pass port was cancelled
PLEASE tell me what you are think of ?
Idiot he has something to gain …money money talk bullshit talk …Do you think it’s for free to make a report or to make a so called investigation. …Think again.
First of all US citizens and private sector are involved in green card scams. The government enforce the laws and when these crooks are caught are arrested. Secondly Mr. Rijok did not hide the fact that he was arrested and that’s clear. There is redemption for sinners through confession and admission of guilt. Who better to spot a crook than a once very good crook. Third you making a bunch of assumption. The fact is our leaders have sold passport to crooks and need to answer to the people.
This article ignored our questions about the CBI Program. It also ignored our concerns about corruption as well.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015 at 6:25. RIJOCK?
PMhttps://www.complaintsboard.com/complaints/lawrence-heath-monte-friesner-kenneth-rijock-tatiana-nazarova-and-willaude-corporation-cayman-islands-financial-fraud-and-money-laudering-c772304.html
“REF: WILLAUDE CORPORATION LTD – A CAYMAN CORPORATION First Caribbean International Bank – Numbered Accounts-USD10459509/CAD10459510 CIBC First Caribbean International Bank We feel it is our duty to notify you of our concerns in relation to bank accounts that you have opened with your organizations. Lawrence B Heath has established bank accounts with you for the purpose of laundering cash for himself and his associates, Kenneth Rijock, Monte Friesner and the wife of Friesner, Tatiana Nazarova. The funds were obtained through illegal activity such as laundering money for the Mob, the proceeds of sale of illegal drugs and firearms that have been sold off around the world to enemy countries of the United States of America. . .
So what auntie? The man already stated that he was involved and punished for these activities. Address the issue we have with our own government please and thank you
Rijock lost this one.
Steven Slom v. Kenneth Rijock et al: Libel Complaint
Complaint for defamation in Steven Slom v. Kenneth Rijock at the Circuit Court for the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, in and for Miami-Dade County, Florida.
Hit man for Mossad and the CIA.
Mr. Dwyer Astaphan, nice effort on trying to analyze Kenneth Rijock. I will pay some attention to your analysis after you’ve made the same effort to try and analyze Tony Astaphan’s relentless insults to us Dominicans. When one is so selective in their actions as you appear to be, suspicion arises.
This CBI PROGRAMME on island is a fetid mess..IT STINKS…!!!
You are not accusing anybody of any wrongdoing mr. Astaphan but you are stirring the faeces with far more vigour than mr. Rijock. Your namesake in Dominica would be less subtle and more robust but you are just as devious and it stinks. If the canary starts to sing in Zurich I will rejoice. I am prepared for the hardship of visa restrictions being imposed upon us but are you and the real beneficiaries of the CBI schemes that have sprouted in our region like fungi?
I sleep soundly at night but do all these peddlers of our sovereign rights and dignity? The OECS has become nothing but a whorehouse with Dominica the cheapest on the block.
In reading this statement, one would believe that Mr. Rijock surfaced overnight and wrote only articles about Dominica and St. Kitts. Look at the man’s blog and you easily find his interest in the region in the minority of his articles which focus on regions as wide and varied as Japan, Malta, and his home country of USA.
Further, Caribbean News Now also confirmed Mr. Rijock’s claims that Skerrit is under US investigation…the US Embassy withheld comment…which they would not if there were no case!
To date, the head of a sovereign state has been unable to simply obtain a statement from another sovereign state, saying that they are not under investigation. Instead, he sends all manner of individuals to pledge their support of him and attempt to deny all claims!
Could have sworn Astaphans were Serians… Someone please correct if i went wrong.
You are wrong. Serians might be Aliens for all I know. But he may be of Syrian heritage. However, he was born in Dominica which to all intents and purposes makes him Dominican or Kittishen if he was born in St. Kitts.
Kittitian , please!
Make point Mr. But only now roads can be fix? In this day talking about pit Latrin ? So many projects? Mr Astaphan u trying to confused us? Come again. The gangs running things in D/ca time to go . PJ did not do a quater of this in the late 70s and went in disgrace. The churches are silent, pastors , unions and other organisations also. The church goers should be ashamed of yourselves. Not just rioting is wrong so please there are lots more that is wrong and you all are ignoging. All what was wrong before is right now and what was right is wrong. Dat God is a jealous God he will take back his land. God bless this land.
ay lass, I saw the surname and gave the article a chance. I read from top to bottom, but ay lass. A long winded story with no real substance. No ‘facts’ to dismiss Mr. Rijock, just ramblings. If you see my comment b4 reading. Save the minutes. It’s useless reading lol.
All I will say to Mr. Astaphan, please ask the Prime Minister to address all those questions. Call in the press. In the absence of the truth, speculation is King. If you don’t believe me, ask Blessings.
the astaphans are everywherrreee…..i digress ,ultimately my interest is in keeping Dominica and Dominicans safe .we are to ensure that we are not blacklisted and looked down upon by other countries through bans and restrictions on us so we can have somewhere to go on vacation and travel and see the world experience new things take a break and come back to our little nature island paradise until we decide to vacation again!!!! this isnt about red green or blue …take all you colors and lord hold my tongue! some of these people already have their visas for travel green cards and even passports NOT from D.A and even so as we’ve seen with the temporary ban trump has placed YOU TOO can be restricted.i love my pm i voted for my pm TWICE but if its not right i say its not right. idk what the process of due diligence includes but we need to up the ante on that cuz too many crooks cons and arrested and convicted and charged ppl with or passports it doesnt look right for US as a nation!!!
Mr. Astaphan is spinning for Dr. Skerrit whose days in office are clearly numbered. Dominicans are very tolerable people and allow the truth to be stretched in the interest of fair play. However, the facts are the facts and it is clear that Dominica’s CBI program as it stands is not in the best interests of those it purports to assist – the residents of Dominica.
There is no such thing as Dr.Skerrit. His PhD is honorary and therefore not used. In Europe most PhDs are not used as can be seen by Merkel and some other ministers.
mr Dwyer Astaphan,
are you a member of the st kitts labour party
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Dwyer-Astaphan/2195646
The answer is an emphatic yes. He was a minister in the previous Basil Douglas government but resigned in 2008 “for private reasons”.
You failed to address the problem Mr. Astaphan. The problem is that the Caribbean’s CBI program needs reformation. Are you saying that because there exists fraud in the American E-B 5 program it is ok for us to pattern after that? Excuse me. All I read were some very fancy words and no solution for the problem at hand.
OK sir, got you. Help me with the one concerning the ship which was arrested for carrying illegal cargo and is said to be registered in Greece and carrying a Dominica flag???? And the many other ships that are registered in Greece and carrying Dominica’s flag.
These ships, that have now been linked to Monfared; ….guess Maritime News is also working along with Ken Rijock to unseat Skerrit, ….yeah its all a huge conspiracy against one man! Skerrit SMH
A coin will always have two sides
What do you have to say about this article Astaphan
http://www.coha.org/dominica-the-caribbean%E2%80%99s-next-%E2%80%9Cterror-island%E2%80%9D/
Man just by the surname you carry this discredited your story
More like character assassination than listing the “defects”
Thought provoking.
your thoughts must be really “simple”, easy to provoke!
No Mr. Dwyer Astaphan, I see your strategy perfectly….by ‘asking all of those questions’ you are trying to plant the seeds of doubt in the minds of your readers.
However, let me be very clear. It won’t work. It will never work. We in Dominica are quite aware of the ‘shenanigans’ (as you put it) of our Prime Minister. And no matter how much paint and primer you give it, that gate ain’t white.
So butt out and attend to the affairs of St. Kitts and Nevis.
By the way, did your close cousin and compadre Tony Astaphan come crying to you? Is that why you’re trying to be the new spin doctor for Skerritt?
DNO I am very happy that you finally put out aagainst Kenneth Rijock, so all could read, although no one will pay much attention to what Dwight Astaphan has to say because we know he is another As-ta-phan. But since reference is made to blogs written by Kenneth Rijock about Dominica, it would be nice if you had put out some of the blogs he wrote so Dominicans could judge for themselves. For example, he wrote these, just to name a few:
1. http://rijock.blogspot.com/2017/01/prime-minister-of-dominica-under.html
2.http://rijock.blogspot.com/2017/01/did-dominica-pm-roosevelt-skerrit.html
3. http://rijock.blogspot.com/2017/01/raise-country-risk-on-dominica-until-it.html
4. http://rijock.blogspot.com/2017/01/iran-seizes-reza-zarrab-partner-in.html
“…recent revelations have exposed the fact that Monfared’s partner, Babak Zanjani was sanctioned by OFAC at least a year before the due diligence was ostensibly conducted upon Monfared. Additionally, the corporation that owned one of Monfared’s shipping vessels was also identified prior to the due diligence. This means that either:
(1)The NY screening company completely fell down on the job, and failed to identify Monfared as an Iranian oil sanctions evader, or
(2) Roosevelt Skerrit found incriminating information in the report, and suppressed it, personally seeing to it that Monfared passed, with flying colors. Perhaps the Minister of Foreign Affairs would like to answer this question, please”
Some better questions than all this ambiguous and ominous stuff at the end of that long screed:
1. Are the allegations in the premise above true? If so which of the two possible corollary cases are true?
2. For what reason did this man hold a diplomatic passport in the first…
Mr Astaphan, you have just added to the confusion, as one reading this I`m wondering what precisely are you saying to us. A good write up, says alot but I am trying to finger it to the issue at hand.
For us here there has been secrecy to everything Skerrit and his rogue corrupt government has been engaged in. He and his Astaphan lawyer, a critical player in the scheme of things you made no mention of. They created the Bin Bobol and Fertilizer Bobol and denied and called people names until Hon Linton exposed them and then it was “Mistake” as articulated by a senior Counsel who protects his clients to the core under any and every eventuality. So what and where is Tony Astaphans role, position in this scheme of things. This bothers me as we hear now of so many players making big money and all of a sudden money from sales surface and unplanned projects abandoned for years with in poverty is now given green light and big news about pit toilet. In this age that is a major issue…
dwyer ,subtle dwyer this cbi program in DA stinks.
…blood is thicker than water!