Why are so many criminals and others holding Dominica’s Diplomatic passports
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Why are so many criminals and others holding Dominica’s Diplomatic passports

By Thomson Fontaine
January 27, 2016 1:23 P.M

Businessman and Chairman of MDTH is a proud holder of Dominica's diplomatic passport.

Roseau, Dominica (TDN) There was a time in this great country of ours when diplomatic passports were given to diplomats. Respectable Dominicans representing their country overseas were issued such passports to allow them ease of entry or at least hassle free entry into the country where they represented Dominica.

Today under the Roosevelt Skerrit regime there is an ongoing racket in the sale of diplomatic passports, not to diplomats but to shady businessmen, former criminals and others who can pay the hefty fee of upwards of US $ 2 million for this privilege.

It started in 2004 with the sale of a diplomatic passport to Susan Olde at a hefty price tag of US $400 000. On December 28, 2004 she was named Ambassador at large. These funds disappeared into the 2005 reelection campaign of Roosevelt Skerrit. Eleven years later there is every reason to believe that this price has skyrocketed to at least US $ 2 million.

Proof of this is highlighted in a 2004 email purportedly written by Stephen Isidore, Skerrit’s personal lawyer to a perspective client Rene Arciga. In the letter Isidore notes:

“Rene to tell you the fee involve, it is a huge sum … You will be looking at US$2 Million. It is a lot but it worth it. Do you know what Honour that is to have a Diplomatic Passport, a member of the diplomatic core, all Government Functions in your country which requires the members of the Diplomatic core to be present you will be invited as anyone of them, and Dominica’s flag will be flying everyday at your home or office, whichever one you prefers. Imagine you can put the title behind your name and on your letterhead… can you imagine the integrity and trustworthiness it will bring to your business… and the kinds of client you will be able to attract…”

We also know for a fact that between March 8, 2015 and January 2016 a total of 41 diplomatic passports were issued. We estimate that about 25 was on account of persons within Dominica such as Parliamentarians and other people of note, which begs the obvious question who are the other holders.

Over the years through painstaking research and unfolding events in the press we have been able to track and confirm a witches brew of some 23 holders of diplomatic passports to include, Germans, Italians, Britons and others issued by the Skerrit administration.

Francesco Corrallo an Italian billionaire and Casino gambling magnate landed on INTERPOL’s most wanted list. He is said to have paid an undisclosed handsome fee for the privilege of being Dominica’s representative at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in Italy.

Ng Lap Seng a Chinese billionaire awaiting trial in a New York court on fraud and money laundering charges and a personal friend of Dominica’s prime minister Roosevelt Skerrit is among one of the earliest holders of a Dominica diplomatic passport, under this new dispensation of ‘big bucks for immunity’. He received his passport for the first time in 2004, and it has been renewed two times since.

Then there is the famous Iranian businessman Alireza Zibahalat Monfared Chairman of the My Dominica Trade House and close confidant of Skerrit who boasted falsely that his organization had medical clinics all over Dominica, owned a water bottling plant and limousine service among other more outrageous claims.

World scrutiny focused on the nature Isle when it was learnt that the former Nigerian oil minister Diezani Alison-Madueke, under investigation for over US $2 billion in missing funds from her country’s Treasury was secretly appointed by Skerrit in May 2015 as Dominica’s Trade Commissioner.

The list is long and worrying: Serge Roger De Thibault De Boesinghe a convicted bank robber and Nazi war criminal was at the age of 76 proposed as Dominica’s ambassador to Ireland, but was quickly turned down by the country authorities.

Bobbi Wahi applied for and was denied an ambassadorship for Spain after the Spanish authorities questioned the wisdom of having a Dominican diplomat in Malaga Spain.

“In order to adequately assess the request, the authorities in Madrid requests from the government of Dominica greater details as to the reasons for the establishment of an Honorary Consulate in Malaga considering that there are no Dominican nationals resident there nor are there any apparent interests from an economic and cultural point of view.”

Eric Torner Dominica’s ambassador to UNESCO in Paris. He served in that capacity from 2006 until 2015 when he suddenly disappeared from Paris. This happened after his property, which served as Dominica’s embassy building in Paris was confiscated by French Police.

He has since failed to report to the Dominica authorities but one of TDN’s researchers was able to track him to a flat in London where he refused to answer any questions.

Other newly minted Dominicans accredited to UNESCO in various capacities over the years are Claude Leon Martin Skalawski (Chancellor), Udo Carsten Deppische (Counsellor), Didier Vidal, and Peter Cappeller. There are also the ‘At-Large Ambassadors’ like Graeme Christopher Thomson, Rudolph King, Jonathan S. R. Brown, and Leroy Coleridge Parris (Chairman of the failed insurance company CLICO).

Then there is the Chinese clique of David Hsiu, Rebecca Chang and Yu Ching Hsiu. Other holders include Frank Savov, Paolli Zampoli (Dominica’s ambassador for Oceans and Seas), and Vladimir Antonov (a fugitive on the run after a court in Britain ruled to have him extradited to Lithuania to face fraud charges).

Also, there is Timothy Cornwall who can only be described as a common criminal having served time in a British jail. On February 26, 2009 using the letterhead of Reginald Austrie Dominica’s Housing minister he wrote to a representative of the United Arab Emirates:

“My name is Timothy Cornwall I am currently working with the government of Dominica, and it is my pleasure to write on behalf of the Dominican government. It is the desire of the Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit prime minister of Dominica that our countries strengthen its relationship and through me seek to open talks of trade within your Energy sector, Agriculture, Leisure, Tourism and other areas of mutual interest that may arise from our talks.”

This is embarrassing and downright shameful. Cornwall would conclude his letter by saying “ All necessary correspondence can be sent directly to me on the above details as well as contacting me on the mobile number above. I send you this letter with Hon Roosevelt Skerrit full approval and I look forward to hearing your reply to this matter.”

We do know that none of those fees collected for diplomatic passports find their way back to the Treasury but rather in the pockets of greedy politicians who continue to gorge on the misfortunes of a seemingly comatose Nation, too busy with day to day survival to worry about these shenanigans.

Clearly this reckless behavior must stop. The international community is getting increasingly nervous about this flagrant misuse of diplomatic privileges and before long we can expect some drastic action on their part. Exactly what this will be is left to be seen.

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