NASSAU, Bahamas (CMC) — The Bahamas Government has described as an “absolute lie” reports that it had agreed to sell or grant citizenship to 500 Chinese investors.

“Bahamian citizenship is not for sale at any time at any price to anybody. This is a non-negotiable position of my Government. Moreover, it is for me, personally, a matter upon which no compromise is possible,” Prime Minister Perry Christie said in a statement, after the reports surfaced that the citizenship was being granted to the Chinese nationals as a result of their connection to the multi-billion-dollar Baha Mar project.

“I can therefore assure the Bahamian people, without any equivocation whatsoever, that no deal offering Bahamian citizenship in return for an investment in The Bahamas will ever be entered into while I head the Government of The Bahamas.

“I find the very idea of citizenship for sale to be repugnant to all that I believe in and to all that I stand for as a Bahamian. It will never happen on my watch,” Christie said.

Prime Minister Christie said that the grant of Bahamian citizenship is subject to strict eligibility requirements and qualifications under The Bahamas Nationality Act.

“The suggestion that just because you buy Bahamian real estate or make an investment you somehow qualify for Bahamian citizenship is complete and utter nonsense. Not only is it as a complete non-starter from the standpoint of the Government’s immigration policy, it is not even legally possible.”

He said he would be making a more comprehensive statement in Parliament later this week to the misleading information presently circulating on social and electronic media concerning Baha Mar.

The construction of the US$3.5-billion Baha Mar, with more than 2,000 hotel rooms, has been stalled for months, as the project missed December and March opening deadlines, after running out of money.

Last June, Baha Mar had to file for bankruptcy protection in Delaware, blaming the Chinese contractor China Construction America (CCA) for the delays. The CCA stated that it wasn’t responsible for the delays and put it down to poor planning by the developer.

The bankruptcy filing was dismissed and provisional liquidators for the project were appointed last year. Deloitte & Touche was subsequently appointed as a receiver for the China Export-Import Bank.