GSE CONFISCATES AMCIT PASSPORT AND $9,000

C O N F I D E N T I A L ASMARA 000394 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/07/2018 TAGS: CASC CPAS PREL PGOV ER SUBJECT: GSE CONFISCATES AMCIT PASSPORT AND $9,000 REF: ASMARA 376 Classified By: Ambassador Ronald K. McMullen for reason 1.4(d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: On August 4, an American citizen reported that the Government of the State of Eritrea (GSE) confiscated from him $8,550 of undeclared funds and $700 of declared funds at the Asmara airport. Officials later informed the AmCit that one of his $100 bills was counterfeit; they then confiscated his U.S. passport as well. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The AmCit reported that on his July 9 arrival into the Asmara airport, he declared $700 on official forms and failed to declare the rest. He told PolOff that the additional funds were to purchase construction materials so that his mother could build a house. (Note: according to the AmCit, his friends told him that construction materials must be purchased in dollars rather than local currency. End Note.) When queried further, he admitted to having an additional $8,550 on hand. The Customs Office immediately confiscated both the undeclared amount and the declared amount, in contrast to the experience of another AmCit (reftel). At one point during the month-long process of attempting to get the money back, the GSE informed the AmCit that one of his $100 bills was a counterfeit. As a result, the Ministry of Finance allegedly confiscated his U.S. passport. The Ministry of Finance informed the AmCit that it would release his passport on bail, provided that the bail be paid by an Eritrean who holds an Eritrean business license. ¶3. (C) The AmCit, who is staying in Keren (approximately 40 miles NW of Asmara),says his in-country travel is now severely restricted without his passport, which would prove his status as an expatriate and allow him greater range of movement. The AmCit also states that his friends advised him to resolve the issue personally with the GSE rather than to raise the profile of his situation by seeking assistance from the U.S. government. ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Post has advised the AmCit to contact his travel agent and have his return to the U.S. moved up to as soon as possible (he was originally scheduled to depart in mid-September). If the AmCit is unable to retrieve his passport from the MOF, Post will issue a limited-validity passport to allow his re-entry into the United States. Post will ask the GSE about the AmCit's passport after the AmCit has left Eritrea. Beginning inquiries beforehand may bring undue attention on the AmCit, and lead to a variety of potential punishments, including fines, imprisonment, or an inability to leave the country. End Comment. MCMULLEN