IIP | Business Post

Government accused of ‘washing its hands’ of cash-for-visa scheme, denies ‘facilitating fraud’

SInn Féin TD accuses Department of Justic of ‘hogging a comfort blanket’ in declining to answer specific questions

Kai Dai blocked from setting up international bank in 2020

Kai applied for an international banking licence in Vanuatu in 2018, which was declined by the country’s central bank two years later

Current cash-for-visa applications may be worth €2bn

Department of Justice says ‘rigorous checks’ are conducted on individual applicants to the contentious immigrant investor programme

Kai Dai accused of netting cash-for-visa investors in loan trap

In a High Court case, an investor alleged that the founder of the Huawen Foundation knowingly loaned money in order to later threaten any disgruntled investors with the loss of their visas

Nuremore chef alleges electricity cut off and hotel’s assets seized by Revenue

Liga Kondrate, a former chef de partie at the hotel, has initiated a winding up petition under the Companies Act in the High Court against Nuremore Hotel Management Limited

Staff at shut Nuremore Hotel take case as absent owner Kai Dai is ‘not contactable’

Workers at the Monaghan business, which was funded by one of Ireland's biggest cash-for-visa brokers, have endured months of missed payments

Immigrant Investor Programme

‘Golden visa’ broker behind shut Monaghan hotel launches new firms in Latvia

Kai Dai’s business, which has significant investments in Ireland, has published a brochure promoting Latvia to investors as a ‘rising EU star’

Immigrant Investor Programme

‘Cash for visa’ scheme raised €1.25 billion but was fraught with controversy

Immigrant Investor Programme had been under review for years due to concerns over volume of Chinese applicants and possible fraud, before government moved to close it down

Matt Cooper: Our relationship with an increasingly dominant China demands scrutiny

The Minister for the Environment’s upcoming state visit to China – a country that has been expanding its influence globally, amid growing security concerns in the West – provides an opportunity for some much-needed public discussions

Elaine Byrne: Why the notion of ‘Chinese surveillance’ is not so incredible after all

Its embassy may make light of it, but China has past form when it comes to the monitoring of people, governments and its own nationals abroad

Higher Education

Universities warn taxpayer funding needed to plug gap left by ‘golden visa’ scheme

Trinity College Dublin has taken in at least €17 million from wealthy overseas investors since 2018 to fund capital projects

Irish Diaspora Fund says scrapping golden visas is ‘potentially disastrous’ for hotels

The immigrant investor programme offered residency in exchange for investment in local businesses

‘Golden visa’ programme for foreign investors scrapped

Ireland’s Immigrant Investor Programme has come in for increasing scrutiny and criticism in recent months

'Golden visas' for foreign investors could be suspended after Monaghan hotel shuts

Officials are worried about a surge in the number of Chinese applicants to the initiative

Golden visa-funded Monaghan hotel closes over cash flow problems

Nuremore hotel and leisure centre is owned and controlled by Kai Dai, one of Ireland’s biggest cash-for-visa brokers, who is facing legal and regulatory issues

Investor cleared to pursue Chinese entrepreneur behind cash for Irish visas

The High Court granted an execution order against a firm founded by Kai Dai, who has raised €50m through Ireland’s Immigrant Investor Programme

Carthy asks for clarity on future of Nuremore hotel

The Sinn Féin TD has asked for a meeting with Kai Dai, one of Ireland’s most prominent cash-for-visa brokers

Lawyers for cash-for-visa broker Kai Dai have been unable to contact him since July

Lawyers told the High Court that they had not received instructions for several months from the founder of the Huawen Foundation, who is being sued by one of his investors, Beijing designer Xi Zhiming

ECB blocked cash-for-visa broker from buying Slovenian bank

Assessors were concerned at ‘inconsistent and contradictory information’, and at buyer Kai Dai’s inability to explain the source of his net worth

University challenge: Trinity’s €400m revamp at risk as projects hit by delays, cuts and inflation

Board documents show Ireland’s oldest university is pursuing Chinese investment and hiking international student fees, as spiralling costs pose major challenges to its planned modernisation of the campus