The UK’s anti-corruption policy was under scrutiny on Tuesday after the government failed to implement a promise to suspend a widely criticised “golden visa” scheme.

Just five days ago, in a 500-word press release, the Home Office announced that the UK’s Tier 1 Investor programme, whereby UK visas are sold to wealthy foreign citizens, would be suspended at midnight last Friday, 7 December, as part of a sweeping “crackdown on financial crime”.

“The Home Office has suspended the Tier 1 (Investor) route as it prepares for sweeping reforms in 2019, as part of its ongoing efforts to tackle serious organised crime and money laundering,” it said.

The immigration minister, Caroline Nokes, said in the statement: “I have been clear that we will not tolerate people who do not play by the rules and seek to abuse the system.”

However, a Home Office spokesperson on Tuesday issued a statement of less than 30 words – only on request – confirming that the promised change in policy had not been implemented.

“The Tier 1 (Investor) visa is not currently suspended, however we remain committed to reforming the route. A further announcement will be made in due course,” the spokesperson said.

The Home Office refused to offer any further explanation when approached by the Guardian.

Golden visas have been heavily criticised over concerns that they are vulnerable to exploitation by the corrupt. In the aftermath of the Skripal poisoning, the Home Office announced that it would review 700 golden visas issued to wealthy Russians.

In 2015, Transparency International UK reported that 3,000 golden visas had been issued without any checks on the source of the funds used to acquire them.

Anti-corruption campaigners, who had welcomed the original announcement that the scheme would be suspended, were enraged.

“This ludicrous U-turn is keeping Britain’s doors open to the super-rich, who can continue to buy residency for £2m, which they get back with interest,” said Naomi Hirst, a senior campaigner at Global Witness.

“The corruption risks inherent in these schemes was serious enough for Caroline Nokes to suspend them last week, so what’s changed? For a government so keen on taking back control of its borders, this is not just an embarrassment, it’s shameful,” Hirst said.

“We call on the government to urgently clarify its policy towards the Tier 1 visa scheme, as well as set a timetable for when and how the promised review of previous recipients will be carried out,” said Rachel Davies Teka, head of advocacy at Transparency International UK.

“Any individuals found by this review to have brought suspicious money into the UK should be subject to police investigation into the provenance of all their UK assets.”