President of the United Workers Party (UWP) Lennox Linton is questioning the legality of the housing component under the Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Program.
The disclosure by Linton of a 2019-2020 “budget shortfall” of over $1 billion related to funds generated under the CBI program, has resulted in much criticism of Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit, and rising opposition demands for him to give a proper accounting of monies raised by the CBI program during the 2018-2019 financial year.
In an interview on Kairi FM radio on Thursday, August 8, 2019, Prime Minister Skerrit revealed that most of the CBI funds during the 2018-2019 financial year were obtained under another component of the CBI programme called the housing option, which he described as Dominica’s premier CBI option at the moment. This option, which is separate from the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) option and the Real Estate option, was introduced in 2016 following the devastation caused in Petite Savanne, by Tropical Storm Erika the year before.
Skerrit explained that minus the specially-dispensed housing programme, which is being undertaken by developer [Montreal Management Consultants], all of the CBI revenue would go to the State’s Consolidated Fund and would therefore form part of the estimates on the Public Sector Investment Programme.
However, during an interview on Q-95 Radio in April 2024 Linton raised concerns about the financial regulations and the legitimacy of the CBI-funded Housing initiative.
“So, at this stage, we are asking about the legality of the so-called housing option that Mr. Skerrit told us he introduced for and [on] behalf of Montreal Management Company some years ago, and through it, significant sums of money has been raised under the Citizenship By Investment Program,” Linton said during a recent interview on Q-95 Radio. “With this now, let us go back and revisit what actually happened with this housing option.”
He continued, “We didn’t know about it, it was introduced and sneaked in behind the backs of the people and then we are finding out now that it has never been published as an option.”
Linton argued that it is not on the government’s website, and it is not in any regulations.
“How then is it legal and how does it continue to operate?” he asked.
“These are the questions that you ask yourself based on the information that is before us,” he remarked. “So, let us revisit what has happened with our money, especially through this housing option and how do you explain all the discrepancies that have emerged with the Citizenship By Investment money to the point where in the 7-year period 2016 to 2023 we have an amount of 6.4 billion dollars that cannot be accounted for.”
In his response, to Linton’s statement, Prime Minister Skerrit who was addressing a press briefing last week said the buildings constructed under the CBI Program belong to the state.
“In regards to the CBI and housing and so forth it does make provisions for these special projects, social housing, including the international airport,” he said. “The reality is these projects belong to the state.”
He continued, “When the homes are built, when the airport is built it is state’s property as opposed to the real estate which will be owned by shareholders, so all of these housing, the hospital, the health centres we built, the international airport we are building are state assets.”
Skerrit pointed out what was done after Tropical Storm Erika concerning building. For example, the relocation of Petite Savanne was to have a special dispensation.
“So you have a developer who comes in, he takes the risk in building and he is reimbursed under the Citizenship By Investment Program which would allow you to have the asset that you need, but not expose you to the liabilities to the treasury or any financial exposure or liability,” he explained. “We don’t have to put any sovereign guarantee.”
The Prime Minister is confident that Dominica will get an international airport, “and everything that’s in it, all of the lands.”
“We have seen other countries following that model because it has worked for Dominica and Dominicans,” he stated. “We must not seek to create a feeling that things are not being done right. This is not true at all.”
Skerrit warned against giving the public the impression that these projects are not important or beneficial, “and we should not do them.”
“We can have our political battles, we can have our political differences, but there are some things that we have to wrap the flag around and the international airport is one such thing, the Dominica-China Friendship Hospital is one such thing,” he stated.
Question : what is the legality of the housing option ? Answer : “None of your damn business and if your ask any more questions its because you don’t like Dominicans….”
Lennox boy, you again with that money issues?
You have been riding that dead horse for over a decade now. If you have all the facts at your disposal, why dont you then take a different approach with your case.? Lennox, the people are beginning to see through all the cracks with your allegations of the missing state funds. Why will you not file a lawsuit against the government for the missing state funds that you are allegedly claiming?.
Come on Lennox, its seemingly obvious that you dont have any true evidence at your disposal, and that is why you are just foaming at the mouth hoping to rally the uninformed.
Here’s a challenge Lennox. File a lawsuit. If you can’t please stop making a fool of yourself.
Just curious what happened to that lawsuit against Opposition leader Lennox
Linton and Q95 https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/crime-court-law/pm-skerrit-sues-linton-q95/
It will never be heard, because it will expose everything. Think there is one against Dr Fontaine as well. Both are buried 6 feet deep.
Why such a shallow comment: who decides if a case should be heard, this is a lawsuit, isn’t that what we Dominicans want, expose
everything and know the real truth who is laying to us.
Man you are just a complete Jacka.It is the poor people who have,and is keeping Skerrit and DLP in power.If thing were as bad as you are dictating to people,just as they kicked your party OUT,so too they would kick Skerrit out.You are a big body,big words,big head man with a 10cent brain.
Skerrit deflecting once more. Where is the missing money? YOu going to say it is in the housing and airport now? Men lie, women lie, numbers dont lie. What urks me is that he hasnt addressed the issue. Trying to use rhetoric that will stir up the emotions of his clowns with red noses. No one ever said housing for the unfortunate and an international airport are not important. WE WANT TO KNOW HOW IT IS ALL BEING PAID FOR WITH OUR MONEY! My issue with all this housing is that they do not even know how many people live in the country, especially after Erica and Maria, but yet they are just building houses building houses, for who? how many people are homeless still? Especially when there are vacant houses and apartments, and people who genuinely want one but dont support dlp are being denied. That airport will be used as political bait for years. And if you cannot account for the money then you will be charged with theft feller. Plain and simple. Men lie, women lie, NUMBERS DONT LIE
what numbers, please show them.
I am asking you Mr NKruma with all you intelligence and wizardry, who does the sports stadium belong to? Who does the EO Leblanc highway belong to?Who does the State house belong to? Who does the 12 health centers and 7 schools including the Newtown primary belong to.Who does the Dominica China Friendship hospital belong to?And tell me,how many Chinese have you seen with a hose in their penis suffering with prostate?How many Chinese patients have you seen at the DCFH?How many Chinese children have you seen sitting in the schools that they built.The Chinese have not given Dominica a single firearm or round of ammo.The Americans have given Dominica,grenades and grenade launchers,night vision goggles,M16A1,M60,.45 pistols,teargas canisters,Glock 17 and 19,M4 carbines,highspeed boats,50 cal machine guns and hundreds of thousands of rounds of 5.56,7.62,.45 and 9mm.Go figure out,Jacka,do nothing blue ahole.
@ Labour power
I agree with everything you have said about America, because America is the most evil, dangerous and wicked country on planet earth. It knows only wars….Nothing else. I agree with you 100%. But what about the ACCOUNTABILITY of our CBI money? Skerrit cannot put up buildings where he wants with our/your passport money, and he cant give proper accounting of the said monies. What if what he has spent is one thousandth of the total amount? Are you just saying to hell with the remainder? I am just trying to put it in simple english for you.
So Skerrit needs to account to YOU brother.
Question him, he works for you. He is surely not what he appesrs to be. He has you in his net making a fool of yourself, but he is the Caribbeans most sleeky, but foolish politician
Labour Power, do me and you a favour : All the things you mentioned herein, except the foolishness about Chinese and Americans, add them up, include the under construction international airport and post here the figure you get !!
You have the right to support the government, to have a differing opinion, but I would not, in my wildest dreams, have thought that you wanted to also add the right to continually make a fool of yourself.
Moreover, no one has a right to what is not rightfully theirs.
That is the level of stupidity coming from aholes like NKruma and Ibo,aholes go and read chapter 5 section 76 page 69 of the constitution.All you just making an uneducated man use all you as idiots.Ugly is no longer talking about selling passports he is now talking about selling citizenships.CAUTION at the back of the Dominica passport say the passport is the PROPERTY of the GOVERNMENT not the property of the State.The passport will always remain the property of government no matter who have one.A Dominican Passport CANNOT
be sold.ALL passports are issued by the immigration department in Roseau.There are thousands of passports issued every year to people born out of Dominica by Dominican parents but raised in Dominica.These people are born Americans,British,French,Canadians,Chinese,Spanish,Haitians and others.But they were raised in Dominica.So Ugly is using where the person was born to say thousands of passports were sold. He is saying all those born out of Dominica pay $100,000.
As usual, you again got it wrong, either deliberately or out of ignorance. The passeports referred to are those published in the Official Gazette from 2016 – 2023, @ US $100 OO0 each. I renewed my Dominican passeport last October at a price of EC$ 150.00.
Tapiche ?
Man WE fed up with that MONEY MONEY MONEY thing . Our money, 6 billions here, 6.5 billions there Is a money money money! What’s wrong with this guy? Has he a money diseases? Is he mad? Is he ok? This guy has a money problem.
Question : what is the legality of the housing option ? Answer : The reality is all these projets belong to the state.
All I’ll say, continue to take us for fools. I’ve said ad nauseum that you are untruthful and dangerous. I’ve asked you to change your ways but you are too proud to admit when you go wrong, so Sir, continue along your merry way. You and you alone will suffer the consequences.
. Labour Power, I hope you have a splendid day
I rest my case before Labour Power starts calling me his favorite word with whomsoever he disagrees : ” A…. ole “.
Everytime LIAR Skerrit is questioned about the CBI programme, he gives a different story. He is at sea, TOTALLY LOST.
Can those thieves, greedies, grovellers; zealots, fanatics, etc, etc, that are surrounding this man, speak to him about what he is doing and has done to himself. I have long concluded that LABOURITES do not love Skerrit. They are his buddies for what they are getting. If i was a friend of this man (this compulsive liar), i would have already told him about what his life would be like after he demits office.
Those VOWAS will never do that! They are grabbers, and will cheat the poor and rob the blind. Sad thing is, Skerrit alone will dance to his music, while those leeches are enjoying their own stolen loot.
The constitution dictates that ALL moneys collected by the government MUST be deposited in the consolidated fund/the Treasury. This so-called ‘housing option’ seems like a clever way of diverting the people’s money for personal enrichment.
What is so difficult in deleting these billions of dollars in the Treasury then use it to build houses? Clearly, this route was not taken because proper accounting for all moneys taken from the Treasury must be accounted for.
Many forensic auditors have affirmed that most corrupt governments engage in corrupt practices through no bid contracts in construction. They further asserted that when a government engages in a lot of construction projects ( houses, roads, bridges, schools, hospitals)etc. become suspicious.
Dominica clamour for government in the sunshine and vociferously reject an administration seed in secrecy. SUNLIGHT is the best disinfection for CORRUPTION.
@Ibo France, stop repeating unverified information. Let me refer you to chapter 5, page 49 section 76 of the Commonwealth of Dominica Constitution Order of 1978. Please seek legal clarification if you get confused.
After you Mr. Linton went on International news to defame our CBI program you are back here asking about CBI funds? That’s the same CBI that you would have to use as a leader to develop the country. How is St. Kitts and all the other islands developing their island? It is from the CBI program. Skerrit has been there for too long and we have no sensible opposition to vote in. Lennox Linton is not a leader…
@Youth
Pure unadulterated rubbish. The inadequate vetting and greediness of the peddlers have spoilt the show not honourable Linton. It’s not honourable Linton that had Ali Reza Zibahalat Monfared in Dominica dodging the Iranian intelligence and INTERPOL. It’s not honourable Linton who sold passport to Francesco Corollo, NG Lapseng, Diazani Madueke, etc..Stop repeating the filth that a particular radio station with clowns are feeding to you…
I admire the work that honourable Linton is doing on YOUR behalf. And please dont compare CBI in St Kitts to what we have in Dominica….St Kitts has REAL CBI programme that every citizen benefits from…Dominica has a CBI programme that is a stinking MESS.
@ So called Youth
You are no youth. You sound more like someone who likes to stretch his/her hand and say ‘thank you’, i.e, A LAZY who sees no wrong and hears no wrong…
LINTON is not Dominica’s problem. Skerrit who has led the country from 2004 surely is.
You seem to have not understood much of what was done. He shed a light on the curruption going on with it. Why have you or i or any regular Dominican never been able to touch $1 of that CBI revenue meanwhile St. Kitts have been sharing the proceeds with its populace. As being the most popular in the region, why have we been blacklisted by the UK and now need visas? Your last statement is what is wrong with the country. Fools like you act as if you do not have the option to change your leader. You crying under skerrit, but refuse to try anyone else. Knowing if you dont like that you can go back to skerrit or even another option. So stay there and dont complain. At this point id vote for Pappy, if he was the option. I personally dont like Lennox Linton but i like what he has stood for. transparency and accountability. Just know that the stone that the builder refused shall be the head corner stone. And at this point ive realized Dominica has the leader it deserves, set of clowns.
Does Linton stand for transparency and accountability, lol, are you not ashamed to make such a statement. Here you have a man found
guilty of libel in court twice, Linton was caught in an undercover sting by Aljazeera News of lying, Linton has retracted things he said about the CBI when threatened with a lawsuit. and you hold this man as someone who is worthy and stands for transparency and accountability, wow.
I think he is making the necessary inquiries about the housing option, not the CBI program itself. Fontaine is the leader and he’ll be back in due time to help things flow. Hopefully, he’ll be strategic, on game, and not just continue the mannerisms of Lennox, which hasn’t bear fruit.