Vanuatu PM orders cancellation of Lalit Modi’s passport: ‘…attempting to avoid extradition’

“While all standard background checks, including Interpol screenings, conducted during his application showed no criminal convictions, I have been 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,” he said.

Napat said any such “alert” would have triggered an automatic rejection of Modi’s citizenship application.

The “Prime Minister emphasised that holding a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right, and applicants must seek citizenship for legitimate reasons,” the statement said.

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

It is learnt that the Indian High Commission in New Zealand, which manages India’s ties with Vanuatu, had reached out to the authorities in Vanuatu about Lalit Modi’s passport and had made them aware about his antecedents and the economic offences pending against him in India, and that Indian investigative agencies have described him as an economic offender.

Last week, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said: “Lalit Modi has made an application for surrendering his passport in the High Commission of India, London. The same will be examined in light of extant rules and procedures.”

“We are also given to understand that he has acquired citizenship of Vanuatu. We continue to pursue the case against him as required under law,” he said.

Meanwhile, Lalit Modi, in a post on X, cited a media report from Vanuatu, which stated: “The chairman of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission said his office would wait for the outcome of the court before making a decision on Mr Lalit Modi as a Ni-Vanuatu. Chairman Charles Maniel was speaking following an order issued by Prime Minister Jotham Napat today to the Citizenship Commission to start the process of cancelling the passport of Mr Modi following some allegations… Chairman Maniel said that if the court finds that Mr Modi is guilty, the commission will start the process of cancelling his passport and citizenship as a Ni-Vanuatu.”

He also posted photographs and said, “Vanuatu a beautiful country. You must put on your bucket list. Away from all the pollution and noise. Truly heavenly country.”

He has been under investigation for alleged forex violations and a Rs 425-crore TV rights deal for the 2009 IPL with the World Sports Group. After attending only one interrogation session with Income Tax and Enforcement Directorate officials in Mumbai regarding these alleged violations, he fled to the United Kingdom in May 2010.

Vanuatu is a group of over 80 islands located in the southern Pacific Ocean, with a population of approximately 300,000 people. The country gained independence from France and Britain in 1980. Vanuatu offers citizenship through its Citizenship by Investment programme, which requires a non-refundable donation or investment.

According to the Capital Investment Immigration Plan, the amount required for single applicants is $1,55,000 (approximately Rs 1.3 crore), making it one of the most affordable options for acquiring citizenship.

The Vanuatu Prime Minister suggested that the application for citizenship by Lalit Modi should not have been accepted by authorities in his country.

Napat’s office said the government of Vanuatu has significantly strengthened the due diligence aspect of its ‘Citizenship by Investment Programme’ over the past four years, resulting in a marked increase in applications failing the enhanced scrutiny undertaken by the country’s financial intelligence unit.

The improved process implemented several years ago includes triple-agency checks, including Interpol verification, it said.