Timothy Harris, prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, says Hushpuppi became a legal citizen of the country by marrying another citizen.
In a statement on Monday, Harris said claims that the alleged fraudster used the citizenship by investment option is false.
The prime minister said Hushpuppi, whose real name is Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, married Shawana Nakesia Chapman, a 32-year-old citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis by birth and the United States of America.
“Ms Chapman, a resident of North Carolina, USA, married Mr Abbas in Nigeria in October 2018, thereby conferring him with the right to St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship,” the prime minister said.
“Any suggestion that citizenship was obtained through means other than marriage – such as the country’s citizenship by investment program, is therefore utterly false and willfully misleading.”
Hushpuppi is currently being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), a US prison in Chicago, was arraigned and charged with “conspiracy to commit money laundering”.
Although the money laundering charge brought against Hushpuppi doesn’t make him a convict, lawyers involved in the case say he risks a statutory maximum of 20 years jail if adjudged guilty.
UAE authorities shared footage of his arrest in a special operation dubbed ‘Fox Hunt 2’ over cyber-fraud involving 1.9 million victims to the tune of N168 billion.
With his St. Kitts passport, he would have been able to gain visa-free access to 156 countries and territories.
The countries are:
Asia
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- Hong Kong (SAR China)
- Indonesia
- Laos *
- Macao (SAR China) *
- Malaysia
- Maldives *
- Nepal *
- Pakistan **
- Philippines
- Singapore
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka **
- Taiwan
- Timor-Leste *
- Uzbekistan
Europe
- Albania
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Gibraltar
- Greece
- Greenland
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Ireland
- Italy
- Kosovo
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Monaco
- Montenegro
- Netherlands
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russian Federation
- San Marino
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Vatican City
- Africa
- Botswana
- Cape Verde Islands *
- Comores Islands *
- Egypt *
- Gambia
- Guinea-Bissau *
- Kenya
- Lesotho
- Madagascar *
- Malawi
- Mauritania *
- Mauritius
- Mayotte
- Mozambique *
- Reunion
- Rwanda
- Senegal
- Seychelles *
- Sierra Leone *
- Somalia *
- St. Helena *
- Tanzania
- Togo *
- Tunisia
- Uganda *
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
Oceania
- Cook Islands
- Fiji
- French Polynesia
- Kiribati
- Micronesia
- New Caledonia
- Niue
- Palau Islands *
- Samoa *
- Solomon Islands *
- Tonga *
- Tuvalu
- Vanuatu
Caribbean
- Anguilla
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Aruba
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bonaire; St. Eustatius and Saba
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Curacao
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- French West Indies
- Grenada
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Montserrat
- St. Lucia
- St. Maarten
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Turks and Caicos Island
Americas
- Argentina
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia *
- Brazil
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- French Guiana
- Guatemala
- Guyana
- Honduras
- Nicaragua
- Panama
- Peru
- Suriname
- Uruguay
- Venezuela
Middle East
- Armenia *
- Georgia
- Iran *
- Israel
- Jordan *
- Lebanon *
- Palestinian Territory
- Turkey
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