The current situation in Dominica regarding management of the country's financial resources is unlike anything that has hitherto existed in any country in the World. Specifically, we refer to management of income from the country’s Citizenship-by-investment (CBI) program, the major income vehicle for the past several years. It is now well known that the Labor Party Administration has been under-reporting income and diverting financial resources from the CBI program for several years. This criminality has been facilitated by lack of transparency, absence of independently audited financial statements for the program, buying off career public official and stacking the key offices with lackeys. When the administration was caught 'red-handed' with their hands in the 'cookie-jar', with XCD $1.2 million missing, the Minister of Finance (Roosevelt Skerrit) resorted to existence of a Dummy “Housing Option” under the CBI Program as the explanation for the missing funds.
Why is this an issues that should not be abandoned? The reason is simple: a Foreigner, in collusion with the Minister of Finance, now control a significant portion of Dominica CBI funds. Monies that should be in the State's Consolidated Funds are in unknown location(s) around the globe. In any other country, this Administration would be out and the Foreigner(s) would be soundly brought to justice for these illegal act, serve 'hard-time', after which any naturalized citizenship would be revoked and the perpetrator(s) deported back to their homeland. Instead in Dominica, an entity, Montreal Management Consultants Est, MMCE, registered in Dubai now appears to have more power than the government, has more housing contracts than any other company on island and can bring the island to its knees. MMCE has received 'no-bid contracts' to build public housing, health centers, hospital(s) and who know what! The awarding of these contracts are a secret affair under the guise of 'national development' and violates the Procurement Act. Through subsidiary companies, this dark entity is now constructing private dwellings for DLP sympathizers. Where does it end?
To place this issue in perspective, an important question that needs to answered is: Are there any present or historical similarities to Dominica’s current morass in the Caribbean? Not even close! Some analysts claim that the situation in Antigua and Barbuda 2 decades ago may be comparable to that which exist in Dominica in terms of the scale. Specifically Allen Stanford, at the peak of his Con Game, controlled multiple aspects of life in Antigua and Barbuda. He ran a ponzi scheme out of Antigua and Barbuda and cheated scores of US investors out of up to US $7 billions. This, it is alleged, was done with the blessing of local Administration officials in Antigua and Barbuda who turned a blind eye because Stanford employed locals in various financial institutions (Stanford Group of Companies). Where is Stanford at this moment? Indeed, where he belongs. In a US prison serving a 110-year sentence for swindling investor of XCD/EC $18.5 billion. Now, eight years after Stanford's conviction in Federal Courts in the Southern District in Houston, Texas, we have another Foreigner dominating a Caribbean Country. Here, we refer to MMCE in Dominica. Allen Stanford target was US investors; MMCE target is Dominica and Dominican Sovereignty. What everyone wishes to know is when and how will this end?
A casual visit to MMCE Facebook page reveal that it is all about Dominica. The spattering of stories about Canada, St Kitts and Nevis and Grenada are just that; spattering republished from other sources! MMCE is all about Dominica CBI program. To the unsuspecting casual browser, MMCE may appears to be a direct tool or subsidiary of the government of Dominica. But it is not. It is a private company; it is clear that this Front Company cannot survive without Dominica's CBI program. Otherwise, why the over-representation of Dominica on its public face. On its page one finds stories about multiple housing projects in Dominica including Grand Bay, Jimmit, Stock Farm, eleven 'cookie-cutter' health Centers being built around Dominica and the Marigot Hospital. There are video clips by Dominican Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, touting Dominica Labor Party (DLP) Administration housing program. In contrast, there are few stories about St. Kitts-Nevis or Grenada. Superficially, this MMCE - Dominica relationship appears symbiotic, but digging deeper, it is no doubt a parasitic one with Dominica serving as host. We all knows what happens in the situations, unless the parasite is controlled or eradicated, the host eventually dies and the parasite moves on to infect another host.
MMCE 'Boss' who is allegedly from the middle east, spends time primarily divided between Dominica and Dubai. Why the focus on Dominica and its CBI program? Is it easy money or a greedy DLP Administration that can be easily bribed? The answer is probably both? MMCE funds a school feeding program that was 'established' by Skerrit not-to-sharp wife and permitted her to buy her way into Parliament at the last election in 2019. MMCE gives 'pittance' scholarship to high school students to pacify their parents. No wonder there isn't an uproar and locals speak about MMCE in hushed tones. To top the insult, a shell company allegedly setup by MMCE Boss has built a Multi-million dollar mansion on land previously owned by Skerrit's in-laws and Skerrit now wants Dominican Tax payers to ditch out XCD $68,000 monthly for him to occupy this dig! This may be the straw that will brake the camel's back because people are up in arms about this abuse. MMCE and DLP had hope to keep people quiet by offering some needed services (housing, health centers, scholarship, food etc). The truth is, when one considers the cost of all these undertakings, they still do not account for the missing funds now approaching XCD $2 billion for the financial period July 2018 to July 2020. Importantly, the largest of the housing project, the one located in Grand Bay was funded prior to the 2018-2019 Financial year, so the amount of funds missing may be much greater than previously estimated.
Movement of missing Dominican funds have been facilitated by perpetrators’ ability to skirt EU, British and US banking. But at some point, as the perpetrators become more brazen, they will be caught. At that point, one hope that their fate will be similar to Allen Stanford. Years of incarceration without any chance for parole; Dominica will deserve nothing less. However, in the absence of this eventuality, Dominicans should push forward with the quest to ascertain where are all the missing funds located. The International Community may be able to assist with asset recovery, but Dominicans have to produce the evidence of the missing funds and give the investigating International Agencies some leads to follow. There are persons in Dominica who are knowledgeable of the whereabouts of the missing funds, but they will need protection before spilling the beans. The upper echelons of the Police Force have been infiltrated and the FSU is toothless so the choices are stark; the protection will have to come from the public. Everyone in Civil Society, Church, Unions, Farmers, NGO, conscientious lawyers need to unite to wrestle control of their island from this Foreign entity and the DLP enablers. Otherwise, they will soon be second class citizens in their homeland.
