DailyPost Administrator posted on January 19, 2010 08:31
How former Vanuatu Honorary Consul to Thailand Amarendra Nath Ghosh obtained his Vanuatu passport in 2000 as well as being granted a Vanuatu diplomatic passport is a reason why authorities are hesitant in renewing his Vanuatu passport.
“I have not decided anything about his Vanuatu passport as I am still studying the evidence,” the Immigrations Department Principal Passport Officer, Mr Henri Tamashiro told Daily Post Monday.
Secretary of Vanuatu Citizenship Commission, Mr Eloi Leye told Daily Post they were advised by the Attorney General’s office, after it conducted several investigations, that the alleged fraudster Ghosh was never a Vanuatu citizen. And how could he have obtained a Vanuatu passport if he is not a citizen.
After the advice from the AG’s office the Commission wrote to the office of the principal electoral officer late last year advising them not to renew the passport of the self-acclaimed businessman who brought to Vanuatu a ruby valued at US$175 million in 2000.
The Vanuatu government had intended to use the ruby as collateral but the deal never materialised and the Daily Post has been told the ruby was collecting dust at a government department has since been removed, and its whereabouts is unknown.
Mr Leye explained that when an honorary citizenship is awarded to a Vanuatu honorary consul the recipient forfeits that citizenship once he no longer serves as Vanuatu honorary consul.
The Citizenship Commission secretary said according to their own investigations Mr Ghosh never applied to become a Vanuatu citizen yet he was granted a Vanuatu passport in 2000.
“How could someone have a diplomatic passport as well as a Vanuatu passport and the person is not a Vanuatu citizen,” My Leye said.
The Commission has written to the Immigration Department late last year and early this year not to re-new the passport of Mr Ghosh, who owes some established Vanuatu businessmen money, after he donated two garbage trucks to the Port Vila Municipality in 2000.
The Daily Post understands that the Immigration Department has delayed its decision on the renewal or the revocation of the controversial Asian businessman’s passport could be due to conflicting reports from the Citizenship Commission about the status of Mr Ghosh.
A foreigner can become a naturalised citizen after living in Vanuatu for 10 years.
- Ricky Binihi