Former Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, leader of the New National Party (NNP) who served as Prime Minister from 1995 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2022, has been accused of being involved in a series of corruption scandals that have tarnished his reputation and legacy.
Two of the most controversial projects that he initiated and supported was the shrimp and chicken farm projects in St. Mark’s Grenada, which was supposed to create hundreds of jobs and boost the agricultural sector of the island nation. However, the project turned out to be a failure and a fraud, as millions of dollars from the sale of Grenadian passports under the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program were allegedly diverted to offshore accounts controlled by the foreign developer Soren Dawody, who never delivered on his promises.
The project also raised questions about the transparency and accountability of the CBI program, which allows wealthy foreigners to obtain Grenadian citizenship in exchange for investing in approved projects or donating to a government fund. The former PM has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he was unaware of Dawody’s activities, but many critics and observers have challenged his credibility and called for a thorough investigation into his role and responsibility in the scandal.
The corruption of former Grenada Prime Minister Keith Mitchell has been a subject of controversy and investigation for his entire political career. According to various sources, Mitchell allegedly accepted bribes from offshore banks, fraudsters, and businessmen in exchange for diplomatic passports, political favors, and government contracts. Here are some of the main allegations against him:
In 2004, Offshore Alert revealed that Mitchell had received a cash bribe of $500,000 from US conman Eric Resteiner in return for appointing him to a diplomatic position. Mitchell admitted to receiving cash from Resteiner but claimed that it was only about $14,000 and it was for reimbursement of expenses. A US Department of Justice source told Offshore Alert that Resteiner had shown US agents a video recording of him bribing Mitchell in the hope of receiving leniency on fraud charges that he faced at federal court in Massachusetts. A Commission of Inquiry was set up in Grenada to look into the allegation but it appeared to be as corrupt as the conduct it was supposed to be investigating and Mitchell was cleared.
In 2019, Al Jazeera exposed politicians in Dominica and Grenada willing to accept secret campaign contributions from wealthy foreign businessmen in exchange for diplomatic passports. The investigation revealed that Mitchell allegedly took hundreds of thousands of dollars for his 2014 election campaign from an Iranian businessman named Alireza Monfared in exchange for an ambassadorship. Monfared also allegedly provided Mitchell with T-shirts and other paraphernalia for his 2014 campaign. Monfared was eventually arrested by his own government and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment for stealing over a billion dollars in oil revenues.
In 2023, The New Today reported that there were calls for forensic experts to investigate public impropriety and corruption by the Keith Mitchell regime, which was voted out of office in June after two consecutive terms. The calls came after Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell leveled allegations of public impropriety and corruption against his predecessor, accusing him of misusing public funds, awarding contracts to cronies, and engaging in nepotism.
These are only a few of the most prominent cases of corruption involving former Grenada PM Keith Mitchell. We will publish more of the many allegations involving Mr. Keith Mitchell.
By T.L. Neckles
