The United Workers Party (UWP) has filed its civil lawsuit against the government of Dominica, seeking, among other things, a declaration that the contract/agreement between the Government of Dominica and Montreal Management Company Est (MMCE) involving the establishment of a housing programme project in Dominica was and/or “continues to be illegal and unconstitutional.”
THE CLAIMANT SEEKS THE FOLLOWING RELIEF AGAINST THE DEFENDANT:
1. A determination of the Supreme Court, by way of Declaration or otherwise, of the following issue and questions: a) Whether the contract/agreement between the Government of Dominica and Montreal Management Company Est (“MMCE”) which involves the establishment and operation of a housing programme/project in Dominica is or was in breach of or inconsistent with the Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship By Investment Regulations, the Constitution, the Finance Administration Act, the Financial Regulations and Procurement and Contract Act; b) Whether the MMCE Contract which allows for the payment of money into and out of private accounts instead of into the Consolidated Fund is or was contrary to the Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship By Investment Regulations, the Constitution, the Finance Administration Act, the Financial Regulations and Procurement and Contract Act.
2. A declaration that the contract/agreement between the Government of Dominica and the MMCE which involves the establishment and operation of a housing programme/project in Dominica was or is and continues to be illegal and unconstitutional;
3. A declaration that the payment of money into and out of private accounts instead of into the Consolidated Fund under the MMCE contract was, and continues to be illegal and unlawful because it was/is in breach of and contrary to the Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship By Investment Regulations, the Constitution, the Finance Administration Act, the Financial Regulations and Procurement and Contract Act.
4. Costs; and any other relief as the court sees fit.
BRIEF FACTS UPON WHICH THE CLAIM FOR RELIEF IS BASED
1. The Claimant is a long-standing social and political activist with a keen interest in the national affairs of the Commonwealth of Dominica.
2. He is a businessman and contractor, well known throughout the island as the principal of Ryan and Son’s Construction. He is also an avid cricket fan and regularly promotes cricket tournaments and other sports-related activities. He is a longstanding member of the United Workers’ Party and has served as chairman of the St Joseph constituency for the past three years.
3. The early 1990s marked a period of economic hardship for many Caribbean nations, including Dominica. The island’s small population and limited natural resources made it vulnerable to global economic shifts, particularly in agriculture. The collapse of the banana industry, once the backbone of Dominica’s economy, led to widespread unemployment and poverty. The increasing cost of development capital and the scarcity of financing for the economic development of small island states sparked a desire for Dominica and its regional neighbours to source development capital and attract foreign investment in innovative ways. It was in this context that the idea of the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program emerged.
See attached the full documents of the claim form filed in court.