Last Updated on December 14, 2022, 12:44 PM AST by Anthony Morris
St Kitts and Nevis: In a recent development, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis asked Les khan to resign from his position as the head of the country’s Citizenship by Investment Unit following the various accusations by several developers not being satisfied with his performance.
Les Khan is originally from Trinidad and has been the CEO of the CBI Unit of St Kitts and Nevis since 2015. It was reported that during his tenure as the head, the country had not observed the completion of even a single project using the CBI funds. Khan reportedly held the post of clerk for IPSA International (Investigative Due Diligence Practice) for St. Kitts and Nevis and was not competent to hold the job of CEO of the CBIU. He was able to advance at CBIU, nonetheless, thanks to his relationship with the former Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris.
Not only this, but Les Khan is also blamed for using the funds for personal benefits and purchasing properties in various nations such as the US, Spain and Europe.
On the other hand, he was also involved in a multi-billion prison project in St Kitts and Nevis, that too under the leadership of former Prime Minister Timothy Harris.
This highly controversial prison project led to the defeat of Timothy Harris’ Peoples Labour Party because Les Khan stayed in the headlines for months following this scam and received huge limelight during the general elections of St Kitts and Nevis.
As per the sources, it was also said that Les Khan spent most of his time in the US than in the CBI Unit during the last 18 months.
All these allegations and accusations have led the newly formed Government of St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party to demand Les Khan step down from his position.
Furthermore, international agents and developers have asked for a thorough investigation of the prison project.
Les Khan was alleged to be involved in an alleged scam worth US $165 million from a prison construction project in St Kitts.
A construction firm based in St Kitts and Nevis – Caribbean Galaxy was awarded a prison contract. The government provided the company with around 5,500 citizenship applications as compensation fees for the construction of the prison project with applicable government fees, as per an agent based in Dubai.
He further revealed that in a bid to get this contract, Ying Jin, Caribbean Galaxy’s CEO and CEO of CIU Les Khan, had an agreement that on the sale of every citizenship, Ying Jin would pay US $10,000 to CEO Les Khan, which he will be sharing with the former PM Timothy Harris, amounting over the US $55 million and his company (Caribbean Galaxy) will subsequently generate revenue of US $20,000 on sale of each citizenship which totals to around the US $110 million.
The revenue of each citizenship application under the prison project equals Applicable government fees + $10,000 share of Timothy Harris and Les Khan + $20,000 share to Caribbean Galaxy, meaning that the scam would cost more than US $165 million to the people of St Kitts and Nevis.
On the other hand, a Barbados-based company had given the bid to build a prison in St Kitts with an expense of around US $30 million ($87 million in Eastern Caribbean currency). Still, the question was how the government was fooling the general public. The money, which should have been used for people’s betterment, was snatched away by Les Khan and Ying Jin.
Dubai-based agents disclosed that Ying Jin held several meetings with famous citizenship consultants and offered them the given prices. This is where the agents came around the massive scam in St Kitts and Nevis under the name of “new prison”.
The federation’s government has reassured that such behaviours are intolerable and will take necessary actions while ensuring the “Platinum Standard of Citizenship by Investment” Programme.
This move of St Kitts and Nevis government is appreciated by several industry leaders who define it as the best outcome for the country and its CBI programme.
Dwyer Astaphan, a former politician and renowned lawyer, has also come to the forefront to thrash Les Khan with his statements.
In a radio show, Astaphan said that a few years ago, he talked to Khan and expressed his concerns about transacting Citizenship applications at minimum legal investment, to which Khan replied that the department is not involved directly in the details of private transactions.
“I reminded him of the minimum legal investment, and he was the sector’s regulator, and it was his responsibility the transactions would comply with the law that got no further, and that was the red flag for me,” added the lawyer.
While appreciating the present Government of the Federation, Astaphan highlighted that the country is no longer under the leadership of Team Unity and no private company can govern this nation and hinted about a developer who was favoured under Khan’s administration of CIU.
He said, “Dr Drew’s government have a major issue to deal with, but they have to do so in the country’s best interest.”
Dwyer also said that this topic of concern would continue until the Citizenship by Investment Programme fully complies with the laws of St Kitts and Nevis and with worldwide best practices as expected from the nation of integrity and platinum brand, which they declared to be in this CBI industry.
He also said that this topic will continue till the CBI sector comes under the proper control of the people of St Kitts and Nevis, which is where it is supposed to be, and becomes completely transparent both locally as well as internationally.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
