The Comoros passport sales scandal is a corruption, public funds embezzlement, bribery, and money laundering scheme in connection with a citizenship by investment program launched by the government of the Comoros Islands.[1] Proceeds from the program were intended to finance development in the country but were instead embezzled by the perpetrators of the scheme, which include Syrian fugitive businessman Bashar Kiwan and two former Comorian Presidents.[2]
The 2008 Comoros Economic Citizenship bill that established the citizenship by investment program was originally marketed to the Comoran National Assembly by the perpetrators as an opportunity to draw inbound investment into the Comoros from wealthy Gulf investors, but after its passage was promoted to the governments of UAE and Kuwait as a deal to sell Comoran citizenships en masse so they could be freely distributed among the bedoon (stateless) residents of those countries. Additionally, thousands of passports were alleged to have been sold outside formal channels by 'mafia' networks,[1] to individuals including Iranians who were involved in sectors that had been targeted by international sanctions against Iran,[3] prompting concerns amongst diplomats and security officials in the west that the program was used by Iranians to evade sanctions.[4]
In 2018, the Comoros government announced in an official statement that Comorian citizenship had been sold to 52,000 foreigners, and that the government should have received $260 million in revenues, a sum equivalent to 40% of its gross domestic product. To date, large amounts of cash cannot be accounted for.[5]
The passports were printed in Belgium by Semlex Group, a Belgian biometric document-maker owned and operated by Syrian-Belgian businessman Albert Karaziwan.[6]
The program was suspended by Comoros President Azali Assoumani following his victory in the 2016 Comorian presidential election.[2]
In August 2018, Comoros ex-president Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed Sambi, Syrian-French businessman Bachar Kiwan, and several other associates were formally charged with corruption and embezzling public funds in connection with the Comoros passport sales scheme.[3]
From 21 to 24 November 2022, Ahmed Abdullah Sambi, Bashar Kiwan, Majd Suleiman, and other directors of Comoro Gulf Holdings were tried for high treason, embezzlement and money laundering of Comorian public funds allegedly diverted from the economic citizenship program.[7][8] Sambi was found guilty and sentenced to life in imprisonment, former Vice President Mohamed Ali Soilihi was sentenced to 20 years, and Bashar Kiwan was sentenced to 10 years.[9]
- ^ a b "Exclusive: Comoros passport scheme was unlawful, abused by 'mafia' networks - report". Reuters. 2018-03-23. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ a b "Comoros ex-presidents embroiled in passport sale scandal". France 24. 4 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Ex-Comoros president charged with graft in connection to passports scheme". Reuters. 2018-08-21. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ "As sanctions bit, Iranian executives bought African passports". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
- ^ "Comoros says abuse of passports-for-cash scheme worries Gulf allies". Reuters. 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2022-09-30.
- ^ Bussche (Apache), Mark Anderson (OCCRP), Khadija Sharife (OCCRP) and Steven Vanden. "The Optimist Without Borders: Inside the Semlex CEO's Empire of Influence". OCCRP. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
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