MCALPIN CONFRONTS LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATING COMMISSION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP09-00956R000105640027-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 4, 2013
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: March 27, 1973
• Content Type: MISC

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDP09-00956R000105640027-0
GOVERNMENT USE ONLY
McALPIN CONFRONTS LEGISLATIVE INVESTIGATING COMMISSION
LiTticle; San Jose, La Nacion, Spanish, 27 March 1973, p 173
Mutual funds investor Clovis MeAlpin stated before the legislative
commission investigating the funds, that he had no nationality.
Representative Dr Longino Soto Pacheco asked why Mr MeAlpin had told
the commission that he was North American while in a sworn statement in the
United States he had claimed to be Costa Rican. "I meant to say I was a
resident of Costa Rica. I regret the error and ask you to excuse it."
He continued, qtdon't think I understood the question." Soto Pacheco
then inquired: "Can you tell us now what your nationality is?" "I have
no nationality. I renounced my American citizenship in London," was McAlpin's
answer. He admitted he was traveling on a Costa Rican diplomatic passport,
on assignment as attache to the Costa Rican embassy in Brussels. "If
President Figueres would see fit to extend my passport from Trejos' administra-
tion, I believe that I would have reciprocated this honor more than adequately
.by my many efforts in Europe on behalf of Costa Rica..
Passport Not Conditioned on San Cristobal Investment
Later in his statement, and in answer to representative Guillermo
Jimenez Ramirez' inquiry, Mr McAlpin stated "that the passport was never
conditioned upon investment in capital growth in San Cristobal. It was my
brother Gordon who made the decision during a trip of mine to Africa, as he
declared in the hearings in Costa Rica."
Representative Jimenez Ramirez indicated "that in his brother Gordon
McAlpin's statement before the delegates of the investigating commission in
Mexico, he had stated that the passport was conditioned upon such an in-
vestment."
"Two million dollars is a lot of money for a passport," answered Clovis
McAlpin. "It's not necessary to make such a heavy investment to obtain one
in another country. At the time it was issued to me everyone was asking
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Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/09/04 : CIA-RDP09-00956R000105640027-0
GOVERNMENT USE ONLY
me to come to Costa Rica to invest. 'Stay here, they said, 'it's good for
the country.' Now it seems that things have changed."
$400,000 Investment by Costa Ricans in Capital Growth
When representative Edgar Arroyo Cordero asked how much stock had been
bought by Costa Ricans in the fund managed by Mr McAlpin, he said he could
not give an exact figure, "but it was definitely under half a million
dollars throughout Central America -- 75 percent or $400,000 coming from
Costa Rica." He continued, "some lost their money when the stock went down
in the stockmarket, but the country has gained because since the funds were
established in Costa Rica, approximately 11 million dollars have been in-
vested here."
Opening European Markets for Costa Rican Meat
When delegate Jimenez Ramirez asked him if he thought it was right to
use a Costa Rican passport, he replied: "Oh yes! Last month, together with
the Ambassador in Brussels, we met with health officials from Holland and
Finland and other countries to arrange for them to inspect the local
slaughter houses so that they can open up European markets for Costa Rican
meat. Everything is moving well, and both President Figueres and Minister
Batalla are supporting this plan. It is risky to depend solely on the
United States as a market for the meat."
Later McAlpin indicated that he did not remember if the passport issued
during Trejos administration had been arranged by Mr Jose Figueres. Pre-
viously, in answer to representative Arroyo Cordero's inquiry, he had stated
that his credentials had been extended by attorney Fernando Lara Bustamante
and Diego Trejos, minister and minister of public security,: 'respectively,
at that time.
8146
'CSO: 4200-W
GOVERNMENT USE ONLY
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/09/04: CIA-RDP09-00956R000105640027-0