The Vanuatu government has canceled the passport of IPL founder Lalit Modi, citing that attempts to evade extradition do not qualify for citizenship. Modi, a fugitive wanted in India for financial irregularities, recently applied to surrender his Indian passport at the High Commission in London. Vanuatu’s Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, emphasized that citizenship should be sought for legitimate reasons, which Modi’s intentions do not meet. Enhanced due diligence in Vanuatu’s citizenship program has led to increased scrutiny of applications. Modi, who left India in 2010, is accused of embezzling funds during his tenure as IPL commissioner.
New Delhi:
The Vanuatu government has now plunged Indian Premier League (IPL) founder Lalit Modi into deeper trouble by deciding to revoke his passport. They stated that efforts to evade extradition do not constitute a valid reason for obtaining citizenship in the South Pacific nation.
This billionaire fugitive is sought after in India for alleged financial misconduct. Previously, Lalit Modi had submitted a request at the Indian High Commission in London to surrender his Indian passport.
According to Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat, his office announced that the Citizenship Commission has been instructed to annul the passport granted to Lalit Modi “in light of recent international media revelations.”
“Although standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, during his application revealed no criminal convictions, I’ve been informed in the last 24 hours that Interpol has rejected Indian authorities’ requests to issue a notice regarding Mr. Modi due to insufficient judicial evidence. Such an alert would have led to an automatic denial of Mr. Modi’s citizenship application,” Prime Minister Napat explained.
He asserted that possessing a Vanuatu passport is a privilege rather than an entitlement, and applicants must pursue citizenship for valid reasons.
“Attempting to evade extradition is not among those valid reasons, which the recent facts unmistakably indicate was Mr. Modi’s objective,” he added.
The statement indicated that over the last four years, the Vanuatu government has greatly enhanced the due diligence process within its citizenship by investment program. The Prime Minister’s office noted that this has led to a significant rise in applications being denied after undergoing thorough scrutiny by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit. “The enhanced process established several years ago includes checks by three agencies, including Interpol verification,” it noted.
Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed that Lalit Modi has applied to relinquish his Indian passport. “He has submitted a surrender application to the Indian high commission in London,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated. “This will be evaluated based on existing rules and procedures. We also understand that he has obtained citizenship in Vanuatu. We are continuing to advance the case against him as per legal requirements,” he added.
Lalit Modi departed India in 2010 and is sought in connection with allegations of embezzling large sums during his tenure as IPL commissioner.