EMBATTLED FOREIGN MINISTER ACCUSED OF CHINESE VISA

S E C R E T NASSAU 000523

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR RCBUDDEN, INR/B

E.O. 12958: DNG: CO 04/18/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KCOR CH BF
SUBJECT: EMBATTLED FOREIGN MINISTER ACCUSED OF CHINESE VISA
FRAUD

REF: NASSAU 435

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires D. Brent Hardt for reasons 1.4(b) and
(d)


1. (S) SUMMARY: Bahamian Consular Affairs Chief Dorothea
Lafleur in a private lunch with Embassy's Consular Chief
accused Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell of complicity in
pressuring consular officers to issue visas to patently
ineligible applicants. She further alleged that Mitchell was
involved in a fraudulent visa scam to bring into a large
group of Chinese nationals. According to the Lafleur,
Mitchell attempted to pressure consular officers to issue the
visas and, when unsuccessful, attempted to bypass Bahamian
consular law and division leadership. In response, staff
walked out on strike, forcing Mitchell to back down. Lafleur
said Mitchell was likely receiving financial kickbacks for
the visas that were issued, though she said she had no hard
proof of this. She also said that Mitchell will not return
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs even if he and his party
win reelection, noting that he has already completely cleaned
out his office. Whether or not the allegations are true,
Mitchell does face a tough battle for reelection, and there
may be a new Foreign Minister in May. END SUMMARY.


2. (S) Consular Chief met with Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Senior Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Dorothea
Lafleur on April 12 at Lafleur's invitation. During the
lunch meeting, Lafleur accused Foreign Minister Fred Mitchell
of complicity in visa fraud by pressuring his staff to issue
visas to ineligible visa applicants and, specifically, to
unqualified Chinese nationals. According to Lafleur,
Mitchell directly ordered her to issue visas to thirty
Chinese nationals whose applications were sponsored by a
Member of Parliament, Sidney Stubbs. (NOTE: Sidney Stubbs is
a notorious local politician often accused of corruption.
END NOTE.) Lafleur forwarded the applications to her visa
security staffer Sands to investigate the suspicious looking
cases, who subsequently deemed them fraudulent. Lafleur then
refused to issue the visas.


3. (S) When Mitchell insisted Lafleur issue the visas, she
requested more information on the Chinese applicants. She
was informed by Mitchell and Stubbs that they all were
high-level managers at large, multinational Chinese companies
in China and were coming to the Bahamas at the invitation of
Stubbs for business related travel. Lafleur sent the
documents to the Chinese Embassy in Nassau to ascertain
whether the companies listed were legitimate. The Chinese
Embassy in Nassau, after a week-long review, stated that they
had no record of any of the companies listed by the Minister,
with the exception of one company which they characterized as
a small "mom and pop operation" in China. Lafleur again
refused to issue the visas.


4. (S) Lafleur claims that as a result of her refusals,
Mitchell appointed another official above her in the Consular
Affairs Office, who would have the authority to issue over
Lafleur's denials. This unlawful appointment provoked the
entire consular division to go on strike. (Comment: the
strike was widely reported in the news, but it was attributed
to administrative issues in the consular division.) Mitchell
was forced to remove his appointee from the oversight
position to end the strike. He then tried to get the Chinese
visas approved by assigning issuing power to the Bahamian
Embassy in Beijing, staffed by an Ambassador. That idea was
squashed when the Permanent Secretary asked Consular Affairs
about idea, and was told that the Ambassador had no consular
training and that the UK Embassy in Beijing was more
qualified by virtue of language and cultural familiarity to
issue visas on behalf of The Bahamas. LaFleur also stated
that Mitchell had sent another Bahamian to China to promote
travel (and visas) to the Bahamas, but that person lacked
diplomatic status there and had been removed from the country
as a visa overstay.


5. (S) Asked why Mitchell would be personally interested in
facilitating fraudulent visa issuance to Chinese nationals,
Lafleur alleged that Mitchell received a portion of whatever
fee the Chinese nationals paid for the visa. While lacking
hard proof, Lafleur cited the lack of support for the visas
from the Chinese Embassy and the involvement of the notorious

Sidney Stubbs. Lafleur also expressed relief that Mitchell
would not be returning as Foreign Minister. Citing internal
sources, and noting that Mitchell had already completely
cleaned out his office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(reftel),Lafleur said that regardless of which party wins
the election, Minister Mitchell would not be returning.
LaFleur noted that she favored the governing PLP in the
upcoming election, as long as the PLP does not reappoint
Mitchell as Foreign Minister.


6. (S) COMMENT: Lafleur's bribery allegation adds credence
to allegations that have long been circulating in The Bahamas
regarding Minister Mitchell, and which are being used by the
opposition to discredit Mitchell, who faces a tight race
against a formidable opposition candidate for his
parliamentary seat (reftel). The allegation also fits with a
number of events that took place and suspicions that have
been suggested by MFA contacts. For example, a staff walkout
did take place within recent months that was poorly
understood and explained in the media. Newspaper reports
have, however, hit around the edges of this scandal, and
Mitchell is squarely in the cross hairs of the Free National
Movement and its anti-corruption "It is About Trust" election
theme. In fact, FNM leader Ingraham has privately pledged to
devote whatever resources it takes to defeat Mitchell. The
fact that Mitchell now also appears to be a target of his own
senior staff -- even staff that supports his party's
re-election -- adds more credibility to the view that
Mitchell may not keep his Foreign Affairs portfolio even if
he and the PLP are able to win re-election.
HARDT