Why did the Vanuatu PM order cancellation of Lalit Modi's passport?

Former Indian Premier League (IPL) commissioner Lalit Modi's Vanuatu passport was cancelled on Monday after the island nation's Prime Minister, Jotham Napat, issued a direction to the Citizenship Commission.

Various enforcement agencies are investigating Lalit Modi for alleged foreign exchange regulation violations related to a telecast deal linked to the conduct of the 2009 edition of the IPL. During his stint as chairman of the IPL governing body, he is also accused of embezzling crores of rupees.

The issue came to light when Modi filed an application with the Indian High Commission in London on March 7 to surrender his Indian passport. Living in London, he is believed to have acquired Vanuatu's citizenship.

The island nation's citizenship-by-investment program demands a non-refundable ‘donation’ of at least $130,000 (around ₹1.3 crore) to the government. The concerned individual need not stay in the country and can also hold dual citizenship.

Prime Minister Jotham Napat said he issued instructions for cancelling Modi's passport after he became aware of “recent revelations” in the international media. His statement asserted that all standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, conducted during the application stage did not show a record of Modi's criminal conviction.

However, Napat added that he was “made aware in the past 24 hours that Interpol twice rejected Indian authorities' requests to issue an alert notice on Lalit Modi due to lack of substantive judicial evidence.”

Not a right, but a privilege

Emphasising that applications seeking citizenship must be for legitimate reasons, Napat said that “holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right.”

“None of those legitimate reasons include attempting to avoid extradition, which the recent facts brought to light indicate was Modi’s intention,” the statement said.

The prime minister suggested that his country's authorities should not have accepted Modi's application. However, he claimed that scrutiny of applicants under the 'Citizenship by Investment Programme has increased in recent years, and many individuals have failed such stringent checks, which included an Interpol verification.

(With PTI inputs)