Former minister in St. Kitts calls on government to name diplomatic passport holders

Dwyer Astaphan is a former minister in St. Kitts. Photo: WINN FM

St Kitts and Nevis (WINN): Operation Rescue’s Dwyer Astaphan is calling on the Team Unity administration to clarify the number of people holding the federation’s diplomatic passports.

Astaphan, speaking on WINN FM’s Voices programme Wednesday, also reiterated calls for proper accounting of the number of passports granted to economic citizens under the Citizenship by Investment programme.

His queries were preceded by the former government minister expressing the view that the management and operation of the programme has become more efficient under Team Unity.

“We don’t know about the people who got diplomatic passports, who still have, who have been issued, who had been issued before and for what reason, and who have been issued since and for what reason. Governments have prerogatives but they also have obligations,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL STORY

Copyright 2012 Dominica News Online, DURAVISION INC. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or distributed.

Disclaimer: The comments posted do not necessarily reflect the views of DominicaNewsOnline.com and its parent company or any individual staff member. All comments are posted subject to approval by DominicaNewsOnline.com. We never censor based on political or ideological points of view, but we do try to maintain a sensible balance between free speech and responsible moderating.

We will delete comments that:

  • contain any material which violates or infringes the rights of any person, are defamatory or harassing or are purely ad hominem attacks
  • a reasonable person would consider abusive or profane
  • contain material which violates or encourages others to violate any applicable law
  • promote prejudice or prejudicial hatred of any kind
  • refer to people arrested or charged with a crime as though they had been found guilty
  • contain links to "chain letters", pornographic or obscene movies or graphic images
  • are off-topic and/or excessively long

See our full comment/user policy/agreement.

26 Comments

  1. Viewsexpressed
    December 31, 2016

    Read from the internet. Show me your friends I tell you who you are!!!

    “Controversy[edit]In 2015 the Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng was arrested by the FBI. This was due to an ongoing UN bribery investigation. Skerrit was photographed with Ng shortly before the arrest. The Wall Street Journal stated that Ng told associates that he helped persuade Dominica to switch diplomatic recognition to China from Taiwan.[4] The opposition party scrutinized Skerrit on the matter. Skerrit informed them that the FBI was not interested in him.[5]”

    And the story goes on. Now CBS has him covered.

  2. True Politica
    December 31, 2016

    Taken from Wikipedia:
    “In May 1998, the Australian government cancelled Skase’s passport. Skase was ordered to leave Majorca by 23 July, but lodged an appeal. The extradition process was still tied up in the courts when, the following month, he became a citizen of Dominica. At this point, numerous commentators suggested that the chase was over, and that there was nothing more that could be done to bring Skase back to Australia. By 2001, both the Australian government and Donnelly were starting to grow weary of the large costs of continuing the “chase for Skase”. However, there was renewed speculation in January that Skase may be deported from Spain – in which case he may have been able to be brought back to Australia, due to Dominica’s extradition treaty. However, he became ill and died of stomach cancer in Majorca[4] on 5 August 2001, before any further proceedings had taken place.”

  3. True Politica
    December 31, 2016

    In May 1998, the Australian government cancelled Skase’s passport. Skase was ordered to leave Majorca by 23 July, but lodged an appeal. The extradition process was still tied up in the courts when, the following month, he became a citizen of Dominica. At this point, numerous commentators suggested that the chase was over, and that there was nothing more that could be done to bring Skase back to Australia. By 2001, both the Australian government and Donnelly were starting to grow weary of the large costs of continuing the “chase for Skase”. However, there was renewed speculation in January that Skase may be deported from Spain – in which case he may have been able to be brought back to Australia, due to Dominica’s extradition treaty. However, he became ill and died of stomach cancer in Majorca[4] on 5 August 2001, before any further proceedings had taken place.

  4. True Politica
    December 31, 2016

    During this period, Skase also attempted to build a new business empire, and continued to live in a multimillion-dollar mansion.

    In one incident, television personality Andrew Denton organised a public subscription to hire a bounty hunter to kidnap Skase. However, the idea had to be called off when it became apparent it would compromise any trial.[citation needed]

  5. True Politica
    December 31, 2016

    Christopher Skase was charged with improperly using his position to obtain management fees, briefly arrested and spent a night in jail. However, he was subsequently released and allowed to regain his passport. He promptly fled the country. His discovery on the Spanish island of Majorca in 1991 by the Sydney Morning Herald sparked intense media interest.[3] In 1994, the Australian Securities Commission assembled a case against Skase, with the assistance of former Skase associate Lawrence Van der Plaat, and began to chase him in earnest.

    Throughout the 1990s, successive Australian governments, in combination with Max Donnelly, attempted to have Skase extradited from Spain, with no success. Skase claimed that he was unable to travel due to a life-threatening lung condition. This was disputed by the Australian government, who released a video filmed by some Australian tourists, which featured Skase walking easily on a local beach. During this period, Skase also attempted to build a…

  6. True Politica
    December 31, 2016

    When the UWP government divested its shares in the island’s sole power company, the move was met with vociferous condemnation by the opposition. The Opposition was also aroused to indignation by the government’s decision to offer asylum to Saudi dissident Mohammad al-Massari, a decision which James later admitted was based on a hope of increased British aid. The government was also pilloried for the economic citizenship program which it had re-engineered and enlarged when they came into office; some thought that the island could become a haven for criminal elements. This criticism was fuelled by the revelation that Australian fugitive Christopher Skase had used the programme to become a citizen of the island.
    FRI 11:52PM
    Christopher Skase was charged with improperly using his position to obtain management fees, briefly arrested and spent a night in jail. However, he was subsequently released and allowed to regain his passport. He promptly fled the country. His discovery on the…

  7. Da
    December 30, 2016

    Let us call on DLP and Skerrit to publish the names of all persons to whom he has sold passports too.

  8. December 29, 2016

    Ignore Tony, declair him persona non grata . When we mention this name we are making him important

  9. Dalit
    December 29, 2016

    Except when he was in Govt for umpteen years he didnt do the same.

    All these political parties sell the same bs and the same political flies lap it up.

  10. freegid tree
    December 29, 2016

    Yes! And we’d like to know whether any of these pass holders are child molesters or murderers.

  11. December 29, 2016

    Diplomatic passport holders, should be public knowledge, why the secret??

  12. Concern dominican
    December 29, 2016

    Will the prime minister allow Dwyer to his country????????????, no he won’t because his feathers will be ruffled and that will be too uncomfortable. But the ppl of Dominica are jokers, they are truly happy to be lead by a man whose best interest is in his pocket.

  13. Canawie
    December 29, 2016

    The question should be if Tony is in agreement with his family because what is wrong doing in another country is right in Dominica. I wonder if those guys believe in God or are they just d… right wicked. Again to help with what happens to Dominica because I am already established in Florida. Warning Karma is a bitch

  14. Titiwi
    December 29, 2016

    Caught between a rock and a hard place, especially in Dominica. If they give full disclosure they will have to explain the inexplicable and if they don’t, measures to put visa restrictions on our passport will inevitably be reimposed, even tighter this time, especially since we have tied our lot with new citizens from the middle east, rendering our passport a restrictive document, putting the sign of Cain upon us and keeping us imprisoned in a country with a failed economy, while those with second passports of more liberal nations can go and enjoy their freedom with money stashed away in foreign accounts leaving us in bondage after having sold our birthright, but ruling us from afar like absentee landlords of yesteryear.
    Judas is too kind a name for people like that.

  15. %
    December 29, 2016

    St Kitts is a real country..The people will get to know…Too many people of questionable integrity have ours,so we will be told GO TO HELL three times by the showmanship leader.

  16. Leroy Riviere, PhD (Caribbean International Relations)
    December 29, 2016

    Another idiot behind a console, where is Speaker Boyd when you need her!! Mr. Dwyer, stop this fake news and understand how our country works:-

    1) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has overarching responsibility for our national security. As such, it has the unfettered discretion to appoint agents to act for it in fulfilling that task;
    2) Such ministerial agents may, or may not be ‘secret’ agents of the Commonwealth of Dominica who, similar to MI5/ CIA agents, have state authority to perform such tasks as may be required to fulfill our country’s national security requirements.

    3) The secret agents may, or may not be members of the the Commonwealth of Dominica’s diplomatic service and as such and in the interests of national security and so as to protect the work of the agents, the government of Dominica has a wide and unilateral discretion whether, or not to disclose the identity of any of its agents.

    As to numbers of CBI passport holders, similar provisions apply.

    • Pedro Lanastre, MSc. (political science)
      December 30, 2016

      Thanks for that Leroy. These fake newscasters need to be put in their place. What Dywer is doing is akin to economic terrorism and its about time that Dr. Skerritt passed an appropriate law to enable us to go after people like that who seek to destroy our economy.

      Our passport sales is the No. 1 source of income for our country. To be viable and for our country’s security the entire CBI and related diplomatic appointments require to be 100% confidential and secret. As such Dr. Skerritt cannot be forced by anyone to disclose any details relating to these matters.

      Dr. Skerritt has already given outline accounts for passport sales which are averaging 20 to 40 per month and with linked diplomatic appointments, CBI is bringing in around $6 million per month = $72 million per annum.

      This income is well-reflected in the good infrastructure and charitable causes our government is involved in.

    • Lang Mama
      December 31, 2016

      Really man? What was Corallo responsible for ;was he secret agent protecting Dominica’s nuclear capabilities. Allison Madeuke-what was her function. Was she responsible for negotiating trade . Ooops i firgot that we are only trading passports.. Stephen King was protecting our insurance prowess. Ng Lap Seng was securing our Technology center?
      We are 70 thousand strong you tell me why this Skerrit government need to have two hundred plus diplomats. Dominica registered 6 diplomats at UNESCO at one point to include Eric Tomer who was being sort by the French Police.
      Why Corallo friend has a diplomatic passport and what confidential mission is he on.
      Stop fooling the people your corruption and deliberate effort to keep the enslaved.

      • Cecilia La Roche (mother of 3)
        January 3, 2017

        The legendary James Bond, 007, was also on the wanted list of a number of countries. That did not prevent him from doing the very best for Britain. Our diplomats are our agents of state and must be protected in their secret missions which can only benefit us Dominicans in the long run.

  17. Anansi
    December 29, 2016

    Now that’s an Astaphan we should have had in politics here. Not that guy in Florida who thinks he is counsel to the whole Caribbean.

    • December 29, 2016

      Very dotish comment!!!! UWP supporters really going crazy.

  18. NADINE
    December 29, 2016

    Only in Dominica should the Main Opposition not ask the same of the sitting Government..
    What a country boy. Clowns like Douglas Simon will try to outsmart some people on that one too?
    What a joker on Facebook! :lol:

    • Creation Rebel
      December 29, 2016

      Obviously you don’t listen to parliament…basically the same question was asked by Mr Linton…which the foreign minister refused to answer basically saying its not for public knowledge

      • NADINE
        December 30, 2016

        Obviously you do not seem to understand sarcasm!

      • Pedro Lanastre, MSc. (political science)
        December 30, 2016

        Hon. Baron was 100% correct.

  19. viewsexpressed
    December 29, 2016

    Does Tony Astaphan in Dominica has a morale ground to do like his namesake and request this corrupt government to come clean, or will continue to hide behind the robe of hypocrisy and denial and protection of some sinister motive.
    Dwyer, please come to Dominica, discipline Tony and be an advocate with us in Dominica for clean government and sincere and honest Prime Mininister. I support your call.

Post a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

:) :-D :wink: :( 8-O :lol: :-| :cry: 8) :-? :-P :-x :?: :oops: :twisted: :mrgreen: more »

 characters available