CIU rejects false claims by local news portal

The Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) is pushing back against an article
published by the online portal – Real News Antigua – which claimed that the Unit
has been instructed by Prime Minister Gaston Browne to ‘proceed with haste,
regardless of the state of the due diligence process,” to approve Russian
applications for citizenship.
In a media release issued Friday night, the CIU said it rejects completely the
‘untruthful report’ in the online portal.
“Real News Antigua attributes this malicious story to sources “in Washington” and
“in the diaspora.” No name or agency is identified or quoted by Real News
Antigua because, in reality, they do not exist. The story is evidently contrived by
Real News Antigua for unscrupulous purposes,” the media release noted.
Additionally, the CIU dismisses the fanciful allegation that it has been instructed
by the prime minister or any other policy official to discard due diligence
processes, which it staunchly applies to all applicants.
“The CIU maintains strict and unwavering procedures by its in-house team of
compliance specialists, in conjunction with international due diligence providers,
and global law enforcement agencies. These procedures are mandatory, and no
exceptions are made,” the release continued.
The Citizenship by Investment Unit is unwavering in its protection of the
jurisdictional reputation of Antigua and Barbuda, as well as the integrity of the
nation’s passport. In this connection, we deplore this deliberate attempt by Real
News Antigua to sully the good name of the CIU and its staff.
Chief Executive Officer of the CIU, Charmaine Donovan explained that under the
recent agreement signed between the U.S and the Eastern Caribbean CIP states,
Antigua and Barbuda and the others have agreed not to accept any applications
from Russians after March 31, 2023.
“This is the context for which this fabricated news story is making the rounds.
However, our department continues to do its normal due diligence as it has with all
applications. We conduct these inquiries without pressure from anyone,” she
declared.