Vanuatu PM Cancels Lalit Modi’s Passport After Interpol Alert Rejected

Vanuatu Prime Minister Jotham Napat has directed the Citizenship Commission to revoke the passport of Lalit Modi, the founder of the Indian Premier League (IPL), following the rejection of India’s request for an Interpol alert due to lack of sufficient evidence. “I have instructed the Citizenship Commission to initiate the process of canceling Mr. Modi’s Vanuatu passport immediately,” Napat said in a statement.

He mentioned that although background checks showed no criminal records, he recently learned that Interpol rejected India’s requests for an alert on Lalit Modi due to insufficient evidence. This would have led to the rejection of his citizenship application.

He emphasized that a Vanuatu passport is a privilege, not a right, and applicants must provide valid reasons for citizenship.

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“None of those valid reasons include attempting to evade extradition, which recent facts clearly suggest Mr. Modi intended,” Napat added.

PM Napat also mentioned that in recent years, the Vanuatu government has strengthened the due diligence process for its citizenship-by-investment program, leading to more applications failing enhanced scrutiny by the Vanuatu financial intelligence unit.

The updated process includes triple-agency checks, including Interpol verification, the statement added.

Vanuatu is an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising an archipelago of 83 islands, 65 of which people inhabit.

Located to the east of Australia and north of New Zealand, Vanuatu lies midway between Australia and Fiji. Its capital and largest city is Port Vila, situated on Efate Island.

The national language of Vanuatu is Bislama, a Creole language, with English and French serving as official languages.

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