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In a surprising turn of events, Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew’s administration in St. Kitts and Nevis has announced its full endorsement of controversial figure Phillipe Martinez and his MSR Media as the first and only approved Public Benefactor under the recently introduced Public Benefit Option of the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. The New York Times reported in a 2005 article that Martinez, has had past legal troubles, including prison time in France and over a year in a US Immigration Detention Center, is a controversial choice to represent the program.The New York Times previously reported Martinez’s history, highlighting his involvement in a case that led to the receivership of his international sales company, Ulysse Entertainment, in 1994. Martinez faced criminal conviction in France but remained in the United States for five years, producing movies and violating the terms of his US visa. Eventually, he was convicted of fraud in absentia in France and sentenced to five years in jail. This unexpected endorsement has sparked widespread criticism and questioning from both citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis and international observers. The decision to make a convicted fraudster the face of the CBI Programme, once heralded as the best of its kind globally, raises concerns about the government’s judgment and the potential impact on the program’s reputation. Analysts are puzzled, with many declaring this move as another blow to a program already facing challenges due to recent changes in requirements and a significant increase in citizenship prices in 2023.