CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment Board (CIB) has welcomed the voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit filed in the United States, reiterating that “this lawsuit had no merit from the outset.”
In a statement, the CB said that in what it considers to be a “failed attempt to threaten, embarrass, and extort the CIB, it has taken note of “the recent voluntary dismissal of a lawsuit filed in U.S. Federal Court against Mc Claude Emmanuel,” the chief executive officer of the Citizenship by Investment Unit.
The lawsuit was brought by Philippe Martinez, a developer based in St. Kitts-Nevis, and the CIB said that he has “no business ties to St. Lucia” and accused the Unit of misconduct. “The St. Lucia CIB has characterized the legal action as baseless and an effort to tarnish the reputation of the Unit’s leadership and its network of key partners, including banks, authorized agents, and promoters.
“This lawsuit had no merit from the outset. It was a frivolous attempt to undermine the credibility of the Citizenship by Investment Programme and its management,” according to the CIB statement.
It said the lawsuit’s withdrawal “further underscores the lack of credibility surrounding his claims. It should also be noted that last-minute attempts for a financial settlement were also rejected”.
Under the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CBI), St. Lucia grants citizenship to foreign investors in return for their substantial investment in the island’s socio-economic development.
Apart from St. Lucia, the CBI program exists in Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts-Nevis, Antigua, and Barbuda.
Martinez and MSR Media voluntarily withdrew the lawsuit last Thursday, and Tourism and Investment Minister Dr Ernest Hilaire, who was a person of interest in the matter, told reporters that the withdrawal came as no surprise.
“I am not surprised that Martinez took the course of action to withdraw his claims, which were all fabricated, baseless, and malicious,” said Hilaire, reiterating that Martinez’s allegations were false and that the CIP Unit operates above board.
The scope of the lawsuit involved top government and CIP officials in St. Kitts-Nevis and St. Lucia. Martinez had threatened on numerous occasions to expose the government’s illegal dealings.
However, in the federal court notice of discontinuance, the MSR Media and Martinez attorneys noted that “Under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure…Plaintiffs MSR Media SKN Ltd., MSR Hotels & Co. Ltd., MSR Media International LLC, and Philippe Martinez hereby give notice that the above-captioned action is voluntarily dismissed without prejudice”.
The document also noted that “none of the Defendants has filed an answer or motion for summary judgment.”
The CIB said the controversy comes as the island positions its CBI program “as a leader in the global industry, with a reputation for rigorous due diligence processes.”
It said that the program, bolstered by partnerships with other CBI programs in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and collaboration with international stakeholders such as the European Union, the United States State Department, and other relevant regulatory authorities, has been lauded for its commitment to transparency and good governance.
“The St. Lucia Citizenship by Investment Board wishes to reiterate that it takes the business of the State very seriously and ensures the operations of the Unit and, by extension, the program remains above board and within the regulatory requirements,” the statement added.
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