Caribbean: Due Diligence Firm Under Fire for Lax in Vetting CBI Applications

A legal dispute between two due diligence firms SR-M Intelligence & Risk Consulting and Chorex Consultants Limited has brought renewed attention to weaknesses in the Caribbean’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes. According to court documents, Chorex alleges that SR-M paid commissions to officials inside a CBI unit to secure due diligence contracts. The case is currently being heard in the London Circuit Commercial Court.

A legal dispute between due diligence firms SR-M Intelligence & Risk Consulting and Chorex Consultants Limited has drawn renewed attention to weaknesses in the Caribbean's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programmes. Court documents reveal that Chorex alleges SR-M paid bribes to CBI unit officials to secure due diligence contracts. The case is currently being heard in the London Circuit Commercial Court.

The dispute has raised concerns about the integrity of vetting procedures for applicants seeking second citizenship through investment in several Caribbean nations. Due diligence firms are responsible for checking the backgrounds of applicants, but sources say some companies are cutting costs by skipping key verification steps.

In some cases, firms reportedly avoid site visits, fail to confirm documents with issuing authorities, and rely heavily on online searches and artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT to prepare reports. These shortcuts, experts warn, could allow individuals with criminal backgrounds or false information to obtain citizenship.

St. Lucia, which heavily depends on passport sales for government revenue, is among the countries under scrutiny. A recent article by The Guardian (1 December 2025) highlighted how weak vetting procedures could damage the island’s international reputation and risk visa waivers with partner countries.

Dr. Richard Hanley, an expert in risk and compliance, said: “Proper due diligence must include field investigations, document authentication with original sources, and confirmation from people who know the applicant.”

Authorities across the region have pledged to strengthen oversight. However, concerns remain that some CBI programmes prioritise speed and revenue over thorough vetting.

Experts emphasize that thorough due diligence can’t be done solely from behind a desk. Michael Renwick, a former international fraud investigator and due diligence expert, explains that real vetting means doing the gritty, real-world checks. “You can’t just run a name through a computer and call it a day,” Renwick says. International best practices demand multiple layers of scrutiny. According to Renwick, a proper investigation should include:

●     On-site investigations – sending trained personnel to an applicant’s declared addresses and businesses to see if they exist and observe operations firsthand.

●     Document verification with issuing authorities – confirming each submitted record (for example, verifying birth certificates, passports, academic degrees or police clearance certificates with the official sources) to ensure they are authentic and unaltered.

●     Background interviews – discreetly talking to people who know the applicant, such as former colleagues, neighbors or local officials, to corroborate the person’s story and reputation.

●     Financial and legal checks – digging into the source of the applicant’s wealth, checking for any hidden business interests or litigation, and cross-referencing against international watchlists and databases for sanctions or criminal records.

This kind of boots-on-the-ground approach is costly and time-consuming, often running into the thousands of dollars per applicant, but it is widely seen as the only way to uphold the integrity of CBI programmes. “Shortcuts save money, not security,” Renwick notes, warning that any CBI unit that accepts cut-rate due diligence “risks inviting wolves into the fold.” International observers agree: if one country’s screening falters, the fallout can tarnish the entire region’s reputation, even prompting visa crackdowns by global powers.