Vanuatu authorities have launched a major probe into four agents of the Citizenship by Investment Program (CIIP), accused of submitting forged payment receipts to secure citizenship for clients.
One of the suspects, an Indian agent operating under the name Vanuatu Sky, fled the country just days before police conducted search raids. Authorities allege the agents altered official government receipts to create fraudulent documents.
During parliamentary debates on the Citizenship Amendment Bill, Prime Minister Jotham Napat revealed that one agent replaced the official invoice code “25” with a fake code “26” to issue counterfeit receipts. These actions allegedly allowed clients to obtain citizenship unlawfully.
Search warrants were executed across multiple properties, and counterfeit stamps and letterheads linked to the scam were seized. Charles Maniel, Chairman of the Citizenship Commission, confirmed that two of the four suspects had warrants served, while the remaining two are still under investigation. A Ni-Vanuatu citizen implicated in the case has been barred from leaving Port Vila.
Martin St Hilaire, Director at EC Holdings and ACJ Vanuatu, explained that agents were supposed to submit genuine receipts issued by the Government Cashier to the Citizenship Commission as proof of payment. “The suspicion is that some agents, including the Indian agent, were creating fake receipts, and some citizenship might have been granted based on these counterfeit documents,” he said.
St Hilaire also clarified that legitimate clients are unlikely to face penalties unless they were complicit in the scheme. The scandal has accelerated Prime Minister Napat’s push for the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which requires all CIIP agents to register as public companies and submit regular reports to the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission.
The proposed reforms aim to ensure the full independence of the Citizenship Commission and prevent political interference. Opposition Leader Alatoi Ishmael Kalsakau stressed that reforms should block influence from any source, including the Prime Minister’s office.
Vanuatu currently licenses 11 CIIP agents and 59 Development Support Program agents, though 14 DSP agents are inactive. Government sources report nearly VT13 billion collected from both programs this year. MP Jay Ngwele has also filed a police complaint alleging illegal sales of diplomatic passports.
St Hilaire warned that the investigation could expand further, with “all agents operating in the program,” including other foreign nationals, potentially coming under scrutiny.
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