Reputational fallout will follow CIU resignations, says UPP

The main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) has warned that the sudden and unexpected resignation of Thomas Anthony from the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) will ultimately undermine confidence in the Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP).
The UPP’s spokesman and sitting Senator Damani Tabor said, “Contrary to what the prime minister says of course it damages confidence.”
He pointed to the fact that word of Anthony’s resignation as Deputy Chief Executive Officer (CEO) came a mere two weeks before the CIU’s CEO Chisanga Chekwe’s resignation was supposed to take effect on April 7, 2017.
“The way in which Mr Chekwe resigned – it was under a cloud of consternation and then you had the open rebuke of Mr Chekwe in parliament just because he wanted things to be done meticulously and in a certain way. And now you have the deputy resigning,” Tabor said.
He was speaking on OBSERVER Radio yesterday. Browne has refused to explain why the two executives resigned but has placed his confidence in the woman selected to replace Chekwe – Charmaine Quinland-Donovan.
He told OBSERVER media, “There is nothing that they brought to the table that our new CIU CEO cannot do better.”
It remains unknown when Anthony’s resignation will take effect or whether it has already. On March 17, 2017 Anthony confirmed to OBSERVER media that the resignation of the outgoing CEO – Chekwe – would take effect from April 7.
But since then it has been said that Quinland-Donovan will take up the post of CEO on March 27 – two days from today.
At the same time the CIP faces harsh criticism from the United States (US) government which called its review system “lax” in a recent US State Department report on narcotics control and money laundering. Tabor said, “Internationally it doesn’t look good. Our programme has taken too many hits to its credibility.”