New Delhi: Vanuatu’s Prime Minister Jotham Napat has directed the Citizenship Commission to revoke Lalit Modi’s passport, referencing the Indian authorities’ unsuccessful request for an Interpol alert due to a lack of sufficient evidence.
“I have instructed the Citizenship Commission to promptly initiate the process to annul Mr. Modi’s Vanuatu passport,” Napat stated in an official announcement.
He noted that while background investigations revealed no criminal records, he was recently informed that Interpol had declined Indian requests for an alert regarding Lalit Modi due to inadequate evidence, which would have resulted in the denial of his citizenship application.
“Although all standard background checks, including those conducted by Interpol during his application, indicated no criminal convictions, I have learned in the last 24 hours that Interpol has twice turned down Indian authorities’ requests for an alert notice on Mr. Modi due to insufficient judicial evidence. Such an alert would have automatically led to the rejection of Mr. Modi’s citizenship application,” the statement from PM Napat indicated.
He emphasized that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege rather than a right, and applicants are required to present valid reasons for citizenship.
“None of those valid reasons include attempts to evade extradition, which the recent developments clearly suggest was Mr. Modi’s intention,” Napat remarked.
The Prime Minister also mentioned that in recent years, the Vanuatu government has enhanced the due diligence process for its citizenship by investment program, resulting in a higher number of applications failing to meet the rigorous scrutiny of the Vanuatu financial intelligence unit.
The revised process incorporates checks from three agencies, including verification by Interpol, as stated in the announcement.
Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean, consisting of an archipelago of 83 islands, 65 of which are inhabited. Positioned to the east of Australia and north of New Zealand, Vanuatu lies midway between Australia and Fiji, with its capital and largest city being Port Vila, located on the island of Efat.
