Latest news with #KieryManassah
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Vanuatu says it has no plans to revoke Andrew Tate's golden passport after review
Vanuatu has decided not to revoke Andrew Tate's citizenship after reviewing his application, a government spokesperson is reported to have said. The government initially responded to a report that Tate secured a 'golden passport' in December 2022 – the same month he was arrested in Romania for human trafficking and rape charges – by saying it was considering rescinding it. But Vanuatu government spokesperson Kiery Manassah told The Guardian on Thursday that the country's citizenship office had found no fault with Tate's application and would not rescind his passport. 'They've found the files and according to the records, at the time when Mr Tate was granted the citizenship, he was cleared by Interpol, and the UK, so that was the decision at the time,' he said. He told the outlet: 'The chairman [of the citizenship office] confirms that the way it is at the moment he [Tate] remains a citizen and for Vanuatu there are no further actions to be taken.' Mr Manassah admitted that, had they known about the allegations at the time, Tate wouldn't have been granted citizenship. 'If the government had been aware of this at the start, and our processes were working, we should have not allowed him in the first place,' he said. 'We can't just go back and revoke based on information that is discovered later.' Earlier, an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) had found that the self-proclaimed misogynist influencer secured a Vanuatu passport through a fast-track investment scheme requiring a minimum outlay of $130,000 (£96,000). Vanuatu doesn't have an extradition treaty with Romania. The controversial programme has fuelled security concerns and prompted the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free access in late 2024. After the report was published by OCCRP, Mr Manassah had told ABC News that they would look into Tate's citizenship application. 'Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship,' he said earlier. 'The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship,' he added. 'Those who are wanted by their countries or who are investigated by police authorities from overseas are not welcome to be part of the citizens of Vanuatu,' he told the outlet. The Tate brothers, who were raised in Luton in the UK, have been under criminal investigation in Romania since April 2022. If convicted, Tate's citizenship could still be revoked in the future, Mr Manassah said. 'If he has been convicted then definitely measures to revoke his citizenship, that can be determined later. That would be something the government could consider in future.' He told The Guardian: 'New regulations have been signed off by the prime minister and the current chairman under [citizenship commissioner] Charles Maniel, is trying to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again and that we our improve our due diligence processes.' Aubrey Belford, OCCRP's Pacific editor, said the team was investigating Vanuatu's golden passport scheme when they stumbled upon the name Emory Andrew Tate — and then set out to confirm it was the same individual as the controversial online influencer. 'The [golden passport] system has been abused by oligarchs, organised criminals, intelligence agents, and it's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of these loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement,' he told ABC News. Former UK home secretary Suella Braverman said in 2023 that close consideration of Vanuatu's golden passports had revealed 'clear and evident abuse of the scheme, including the granting of citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK'. Last month, UK prosecutors filed charges against Tate and his brother Tristan Tate for rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking, linked to alleged incidents between 2012 and 2015. Tate also faces an additional charge of controlling prostitution for financial gain. Both brothers, who hold dual US and UK citizenship, deny all allegations from both Romanian and British authorities. Jotham Napat, who took office as Vanuatu's prime minister earlier this year, has pledged to overhaul the country's controversial economic citizenship programme — a key source of government revenue. The pledge followed revelations that Vanuatu had granted a golden passport to fugitive former Indian cricket chief Lalit Modi, who moved to renounce his Indian citizenship after acquiring Vanuatu nationality.
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Vanuatu not planning to revoke Andrew Tate's citizenship, government spokesperson says
Vanuatu is not planning to revoke the citizenship of Andrew Tate, with a government spokesperson confirming that the influencer remains a Vanuatu citizen, and the government is not taking any steps to reverse that. This week investigative outlet, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) revealed that Tate obtained Vanuatu citizenship around the time of his 2022 arrest by Romanian authorities on charges including rape and human trafficking. In the wake of the report, Vanuatu government spokesperson Kiery Manassah said the South Pacific country was looking to rescind Tate's citizenship. However, on Thursday he told the Guardian that the country's citizenship office had subsequently reviewed Tate's documents and found no fault with them. 'They've found the files and according to the records, at the time when Mr Tate was granted the citizenship, he was cleared by Interpol, and the UK, so that was the decision at the time,' he said. The review, he said, meant the government was not currently taking any further steps to revoke Tate's citizenship. 'The chairman [of the citizenship office] confirms that the way it is at the moment he [Tate] remains a citizen and for Vanuatu there are no further actions to be taken,' he said. Manassah said that Tate would never have been granted citizenship if the government had been aware of the allegations he faced at the time. 'If the government had been aware of this at the start, and our processes were working, we should have not allowed him in the first place,' he said, adding that: 'We can't just go back and revoke based on information that is discovered later.' Tate, a 38-year-old misogynist influencer reportedly secured a 'golden passport' through a citizenship-by-investment programme that allows foreign nationals to buy citizenship for $130,000 (£96,000), according to the OCCRP and Intelligence Online. In 2021 the Guardian detailed in a months-long investigation how Vanuatu sold passports – and with them visa-free access to the UK and EU – to thousands of individuals. Buyers included people linked to sanctions, or facing serious allegations, or with warrants out for their arrest. Acknowledging that Vanuatu's citizenship program has a 'very bad reputation overseas' Manassah said the government would strengthen its 'due diligence processes so that such instances do not happen again'. Tate, a former professional kickboxer who has amassed more than 10 million followers on X, runs an online academy where he says he teaches young men how to get rich and attract women. He was granted citizenship to Vanuatu in December 2022, the OCCRP reported, the same month that he and his brother Tristan, 36, were arrested by Romanian authorities on charges of human trafficking and forming an organised crime group. Andrew Tate was also accused of rape. The Tate brothers, who grew up in Luton in the UK, have been under criminal investigation in Romania since April 2022. Tate's spokesperson declined to comment to the Guardian earlier this week on the reports of his Vanuatu citizenship. According to Manassah, Tate's citizenship could be revoked if he was found guilty. 'If he has been convicted then definitely measures to revoke his citizenship, that can be determined later. That would be something the government could consider in future,' he said. For now he said: 'New regulations have been signed off by the prime minister and the current chairman under [citizenship commissioner] Charles Maniel, is trying to ensure that similar incidents do not happen again and that we our improve our due diligence processes.' The Tate brothers deny the allegations they face in Romania, and an appeals court said in December that a human trafficking case could not proceed because of legal and procedural irregularities. The case has been sent back to prosecutors. The pair are due to be extradited to the UK after the conclusion of proceedings in Romania. UK prosecutors confirmed last week they had authorised 10 charges against Andrew Tate, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking and controlling prostitution for gain, and 11 charges against Tristan Tate, including rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. They deny the charges. The brothers would return to Britain to defend themselves, their UK lawyer said last week.
BBC News
6 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Vanuatu looks into revoking Andrew Tate's golden passport
Vanuatu authorities are looking at revoking Andrew Tate's citizenship after it was revealed that he acquired a golden passport at around the same time as his 2022 arrest in Romania for rape and human trafficking. The self-described misogynist influencer acquired citizenship under a fast-track scheme for those who invest at least $130,000 (£96,000) in the tiny Pacific archipelago, according to an investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The scheme has raised security concerns, and led the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free privilege in late 2024. A Vanuatu government spokesman said authorities were "definitely looking into" Tate's citizenship. "Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship," Kiery Manassah told ABC News. "The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship," he added. "Those who are wanted by their countries or who are investigated by police authorities from overseas are not welcome to be part of the citizens of Vanuatu." Passports-for-sale or citizenship by investment schemes are a source of income for countries like Vanuatu. But they have also been abused by organised crime suspects, oligarchs and even intelligence agents, said Aubrey Belford, Pacific lead editor at OCCRP. "It's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of those loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement," Belford told ABC News. Vanuatu granted Tate citizenship in December 2022. That same month, Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania and have since largely been under travel restrictions in the country. Vanuatu does not have a formal extradition treaty with Romania. It is unclear if Tristan Tate also acquired Vanuatu citizenship. In recent years, Andrew Tate has built a massive online presence, including more than 10 million followers on X, sharing his lifestyle of fast cars, private jets and yachts. He has also gained global notoriety for his views towards women, proudly proclaiming himself a "misogynist" and also using extreme language relating to acts of violence against women. He has also been singled out for the effect he has had in spreading misogyny online among boys and young men by authorities in the UK. The Tate brothers were both born in the US but moved to Luton in the UK with their mother after their parents divorced. They have denied allegations of criminal wrongdoing. Separately, the UK is seeking their extradition from Romania after they were charged in 2024 of rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking. Lawyers for the brothers have said that they will return to the UK to face those charges, that stemmed from allegation between 2012 and 2015. A Romanian court has ruled that the brothers could be extradited to the UK following the end of any trial there.
News18
6 days ago
- Business
- News18
Not Welcome: Vanuatu May Revoke Andrew Tate's Fast-Tracked Citizenship. Here's Why
Last Updated: Andrew Tate acquired Vanuatu citizenship in December 2022 through an investment-based fast-track program. Vanuatu announced that they are examining the possibility of revoking influencer Andrew Tate's citizenship, after revelations that he obtained a so-called 'golden passport" around the time of his 2022 arrest in Romania on serious criminal charges. The controversial online figure, who has openly described himself as a misogynist, acquired Vanuatu citizenship in December 2022 through an investment-based fast-track program. The scheme, which offers citizenship in exchange for a minimum investment of $130,000, has been criticized for lax background checks and misuse by criminal elements. Kiery Manassah, a spokesperson for the Vanuatu government, told ABC News that officials are 'definitely looking into" the case. 'Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship. The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship," he said. Vanuatu Golden Passport Program Sparks EU Concern Vanuatu's 'passports-for-sale" scheme has long been a source of income for the island nation but has attracted controversy over national security risks. In late 2024, the European Union revoked Vanuatu's visa-free access due to concerns over the program's abuse by criminals, oligarchs, and even foreign intelligence operatives. Andrew Tate's Citizenship Timing Raises Red Flags The timing of Andrew Tate's citizenship- awarded the same month he and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania on charges of rape and human trafficking- raised eyebrows. Romania and Vanuatu do not have a formal extradition treaty. It remains unclear whether Tristan Tate also obtained Vanuatu citizenship. The Tate brothers, who were born in the US and later moved to the UK, deny any wrongdoing. However, UK authorities are also seeking their extradition on separate charges, including rape, human trafficking, and actual bodily harm, relating to incidents between 2012 and 2015. Romanian courts have ruled that extradition to the UK could proceed after any domestic legal proceedings are concluded. First Published: June 04, 2025, 17:23 IST
RNZ News
6 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Vanuatu to review citizenship after Andrew Tate reportedly bought 'golden passport'
Andrew Tate talks to reporters outside the Court of Appeal on October 15, 2024 in Bucharest, Romania. Photo:via CNN Newsource By Vanuatu reporter Lillyrose Welwel , Max Walden and Doug Dingwall of ABC Vanuatu says it is looking to revoke citizenship granted to misogynist influencer Andrew Tate after it was revealed he allegedly received a Vanuatu passport around the time of his arrest in Romania on charges of rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to exploit women. Mr Tate reportedly purchased a fast-tracked Vanuatu passport through the country's so-called Development Support Program, under which applicants can be granted citizenship for a minimum investment of $US$130,000 (AU$201,000). The passport was granted in December 2022, the same month of Tate's arrest in Romania, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), a non-profit organisation headquartered in Amsterdam. There was no indication that Mr Tate's brother Tristan, who was also arrested in 2022, had received Vanuatu citizenship, its report said. Vanuatu government spokesperson Kiery Manassah told the ABC it was investigating the matter. "We're definitely looking into it and once we have the files, definitely the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship," he said. The government definitely does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship. "Of course, those that are wanted by their country or are being investigated by police authorities from overseas are not wanted, not welcome to be part of the citizenship of Vanuatu." OCCRP's lead editor for the Pacific, Aubrey Belford, said they had been investigating golden passports in Vanuatu when they came across the name Emory Andrew Tate. They then worked to establish it was the same person as the online influencer. "The [golden passport] system has been abused by oligarchs, organised criminals, intelligence agents, and it's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of these loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement," he told the ABC . The Tate revelations are the latest in a string of controversies surrounding the lucrative citizenship-by-investment scheme that have led to both the European Union and the United Kingdom removing Vanuatu's visa-free travel status . Then-British home secretary Suella Braverman said in 2023 that close consideration of Vanuatu's golden passports had revealed "clear and evident abuse of the scheme, including the granting of citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK". Last month prosecutors in the UK brought charges of rape, actual bodily harm and human trafficking against both Andrew and Tristan Tate, relating to alleged offences that took place between 2012 and 2015. Andrew Tate faces the additional offence of controlling prostitution for gain. The brothers, who are both citizens of the US and UK, deny all allegations brought by Romanian and British prosecutors. Port Vila Council of Women president Jane Iatika said individuals with reputations like that of Mr Tate should not be issued Vanuatu passports. "[They] will teach the other males here in Vanuatu to do the same thing," she told the ABC . "It's better that we review everyone's information before we give out the passports or citizenships to people like that." Photo: 123rf Jotham Napat, who became Vanuatu's prime minister earlier this year, has vowed to reform the troubled economic citizenship program, which is one of the government's major sources of revenue. Earlier this year it was revealed that Vanuatu provided a golden passport to fugitive Indian ex-cricket boss Lalit Modi , who applied to officially renounce his Indian citizenship after acquiring citizenship of the Pacific nation. OCCRP's Belford said that Vanuatu granted golden passports "because it's a nice little money maker". For a small country like Vanuatu it's very tempting to accept that money, especially since most of the people who will get a Vanuatu passport will never set foot in Vanuatu. Documents from the International Monetary Fund show the scheme provided about 9 per cent of Vanuatu's government revenue in 2024 - down from 33 per cent in 2020. Mr Manassah, the government spokesperson, said the Tate case was a "lapse" in the scheme but that the government would make changes to improve background checks and close loopholes exploited by some applicants to gain citizenship. "The government needs to tighten it," he said. "These are things that will take time, especially to put back the confidence and the credibility of our travelling documents." - ABC
