bb energy corruption

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. BB Naft shareholder Wael Bassatne told El Nuevo Herald that his company did not violate the U.S. embargo because it is not registered and does no business in the United States. The spoiled fuel scandal is a result of the commercial practices of the Sonatrach executives in collusion with Lebanese merchants, both of which were condoned by the relevant authorities in both Algeria and Lebanon. Instead, investigations have revealed that at least two companies owned by Lebanese businessmen, BB Energy and ZR Energy, were bringing in the fuel. Tory MP Owen Paterson announced his resignation last week following revelations of his shameless lobbying for big businesses. Patersons lobbying interests extended to sausage company Lynns Country Foods who paid him 12,000 for just 24 hours of work each year. In the last seven years every Tory party treasurer has given at least 3 million and been offered a seat in the House of Lords. The case dates back to March 2020, when EDL reported to the judiciary that it had received a shipment of poor-quality fuel, even though the results of tests conducted at the port of exit and upon the fuels arrival at the Beirut port showed the opposite. After the return of Ould Kaddour to Sonatrach as its general manager in April 2017, it was not long before he imposed yet another intermediary besides Baha Bassatne. Sir John's earnings put him among the most well paid MPs. But campaigners say that questions will always be raised when MPs take second jobs. ZR Group and Mr. Rahmeh were unlawfully indicted on a number of charges, of which all but one have been dropped. While former energy ministers who signed and renewed the contract have been questioned, they are not currently at the center of criminal investigations. They include Petrobras, Vitol, and Glencore Limited. Thats the case of Racuza S.A., incorporated in the British Virgin Islands. The current legal proceeding is limited to the Baltic, the ship carrying the poor-quality fuel, which was delivered in March 2020 by ZR Energy DMCC. This was set to be voted on in parliament. Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). And the cosy dinners, the freebie trips and holidays, the football match tickets and the fat extra salaries to deliver for corporations must all go. Corruption policy, and our KYC and recruitment procedures to support our stance that we will not And the case of Sabradell S.A., headed by Panamericana director Jos L. Fernndez de Cosso Domnguez for a time and dissolved in 2008. Labour supports essentially the same system as now. The judiciarys opening of this file occured to the beat of a political debate that the judiciary does not seem to be far from, especially as opening such a file occurred according to a report presented by the leader in the the Aounist party, lawyer Wadih Akl, and investigations were conducted by Judge Ghada Aoun. However, the dates for the first court hearings, which will be open to the public, have yet to be announced. The government was forced to go back on itself and announced there would be a vote on Patersons suspension. The company opened an office in Cuba, he explained, because he has been a resident of Havana like his wife and three children, all of them born in Cuba and Cuban citizens. Parliament is an unrepresentative, unaccountable front that covers for the real relations of power. MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - (This April 18 story corrects to make clear Reuters could not determine payments were made under the proposed arrangement, removes reference to Evrofinance Mosnarbank and clarifies that experts see no violation of sanctions). Stormy days are ahead for Algeria's state-owned oil company Sonatrach, currently rocked by two alleged corruption cases. In an email, an official wrote that Matt Hancock, health secretary at the time, would send a letter to universities asking for loans of the various things we need. Panamericanas former director, Jos L. Fernndez de Cosso Domnguez, is listed in the leaked documents as a director of Miramar Investment Corporation Ltd, Euro Foods Ltd, Racuza S.A, Caribbean Sugar Trader, Mercaria Trading S.A. and Sabradell S.A. Fernndez more recently served as Cubas ambassador to Japan and economic attach at the embassy in Paris. BB Naft does not appear, however, among the subsidiaries listed on BB Energys Web site. This evolutionary approach not only applies to our services, but also our people. Much of the Mossack Fonseca correspondence on those companies involves updates of company registries and boards of directors, payment of fees and requests for letters of financial status required to open bank accounts or sign contracts. These high paid speeches have addressed bank JP Morgan Chase and World 50 Incan exclusive club for senior executives. For some 15 years, the public were informed that Lebanon was purchasing fuel from the Algerian state company Sonatrach. Could Oil and Gas Inspire Change in Lebanon. In an effort to save him even this punishment, Johnson instructed Tory MP Andrea Leadsom to put forward an amendment and set up a committee to prevent his suspension. John Hayes works for BB Energy as a strategic adviser, Politicians accused of being worryingly cosy with oil and gas firms as its revealed almost one in ten Tory peers has financial stake in the sector. There seems to be a tendency to prosecute managers and employees of the Lebanese Al-Zahrani Electricity Company as accomplices and facilitators of these operations; and while ZR Energys owners are being interrogated, the investigations will expand to reach the date of signing the contract with the Algerian company in 2005. The U.S. Treasury Department declined to respond to a request for comment. Forgery, using counterfeit documents, bribery, fraud and professional misconduct these are the charges brought against 22 people and entities following a pretrial investigation into a case of. Swiss lawyer Albert-Louis Dupont-Willemin appears as a director of several of the Cuban companies, among them Miramar Investment Corporation Ltd. and Pescatlan S.A. Multimillionaire donors seem almost guaranteed a peerage, according to a report by the Open Democracy thinktank and the Times newspaper. After the report was published, Reliance did not respond to further questions from Reuters about why the PDVSA internal document proposed Reliance pay Rosneft a marketing fee related to the supply of crude under the Indian firms long-term supply contract with PDVSA. In 1963 they entered the oil sector in Lebanon and were primarily involved in local marketing of oil products and importation of Bitumen. The difference: The name of the BVI firm has no Spanish accents, the Cuban companys name does. He failed on a number of occasions to declare those interests. Labiofam S.A. bought all the shares of BioAsia Ltd. in 2009. Edif. One lawyer for BB Naft, Noureddine Kabalan, asked Mossack Fonseca in April of 2008 to create a power of attorney so that the empowered person can be authorized to sign on behalf of the company in Syria and Iraq for specific transactions.. Several shipments over at least the past three years were found to be non-compliant with quality standards. One of the directors of both Curtdale and Ardpoint starting in 2011 was Hernn Aguilar Parra, executive director of Grupo Empresarial de Tabaco de Cuba, known as TABACUBA, the governments tobacco monopoly. The PDVSA source said the agreement had received the consent of all three parties and was being executed. Hayes declined to comment. You can unsubscribe at any time*. The findings of another inquiry by the Electoral Commission was handed to the Tories just before the government attempted to smash up the existing standards regime. Such transactions do not lead to any consequent payment to PDVSA and do not violate U.S. sanctions or policies.. The leaked documents also show that Guillermo Faustino Rodrguez Lpez-Calleja, brother of Gen. Luis Alberto Rodrguez Lpez-Calleja, was appointed in 1999 as a director of Pescatlan S.A., a company incorporated by Mossack Fonseca in the British Virgin Islands in 1991 with an initial capital of $50,000. The managing team of Sonatrach, at that time, instructed Sonatrach Petroleum Corporation (London branch) to carry out the deal.The deal that was negotiated then created the branch of Sonatrach in London, a front for a Lebanese trader named Baha Bassatne, whose company (BB Energy) had been receiving a lions share of the profit margin obtained from these triangular business processes. BB Energy, a leading global independent energy trading company, is pleased to announce that it has successfully refinanced and expanded a$580 millionsenior secured borrowing base credit facility (the Facility). The company did not respond to a request for comment. BBE Renewables was established to diversify from Oil & Gas by investing and financing renewable projects. Laurence Robertson . The PDVSA source said the company was proposing the new arrangements known as factoring to allow PDVSA clients to receive oil without making direct payments to the Venezuelan state oil company in the wake of Januarys sanctions. The justification of the Sonatrach executives for adopting this type of contract (Fronting), which is renewed every three years, was the position of the intermediary in the Lebanese market, in addition to his taking all the risks related to the deals. And most trade union leaders went down the same path. Hayes declared his role at the oil traders, and there is no evidence that rules have been broken. BB Energy is one of the world's leading independent energy trading companies. Paterson had, on 16 occasions, used his House of Commons office for meetings relating to his private business interests. A lawyer for Panamericana, Katiuska Peado Moreno, and a former commercial attach at the Cuban embassy in London, Alejandro Gutirrez Madrigal, are listed as the beneficiaries of shares in Miramar Investment Corporation Ltd. worth $50,000. Above all, the government remains ahead in the opinion polls even though it presides over one of the worst death rates in the world. Security agencies have warned against gangs attempting to kidnap unaccompanied children. The BVI company was dissolved in 2015. In one transaction, an executive from Rosnefts Geneva trading unit said PDVSA had given its approval for Rosneft to collect payment from trading firm BB Energy for the purchase of 525,000 barrels of fuel oil loaded on Jan. 3, according to an offer letter. Link to this Report. This is an actual Pandoras box that goes far beyond the chapter currently in the hands of the judiciary, he said. The Public Prosecution in Mount Lebanon has triggered a heavy-caliber scandal, by arresting two dealers who were supposed to supply the Lebanese Electricity Company with Algerian fuel used in generating electricity. Petroecuador contracted BB Energy (Asia) Pte. Founded in Lebanon, BB Energy is one of the worlds leading independent energy trading companies, trading more than 33 million metric tonnes of oil every year. Pakistan ranks 140th in Transparency International's Corruption Index 2022 . Since the Tories takeover of parliament in 2010, nine of the partys former treasurerswho donated huge amountswere given a position as a Lord. Yours faithfully, Kalim Rahman. BB Energy registered a company in Texas, BB Energy USA LLC., in 2014. The Cuban government used the Panama law firm involved in the Panama Papers to create a string of companies in offshore financial havens that allowed it to sidestep the U.S. embargo in its commercial operations. This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. All individuals involved in this initiative - including co-founders, advisory board members, and experts - are serving in their personal capacity. The similar logo and name are explained through an agreement between the two firms that gave ZR Energy DMCC the right to use the brand and credit facility of ZR Group Holding SAL. Oil accounts for more than 90 percent of exports from the OPEC nation and the lions share of government revenues. Tell Grant Shapps to stop giving away Emissions Trading Scheme permits, Former energy minister John Hayes, who has likened climate protesters to Radical Islam, has received a 50,000 salary from BB Energy since 2018. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The council set a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions for the borough by 2030. Hes right, but the cruelty is the treatment of ordinary people and the contempt politicians have for the rest of us. That the committee review and comment on proposed and ongoing work to reduce fuel poverty. Testimonies collected by Mount Lebanon Investigative Judge Nicolas Mansour as part of the preliminary investigation pointed to suspected shady deals to forge lab tests for the fuels quality specifications, and to the involvement of employees at the labs as well as senior officials at the Energy Ministry, including the director-general of oil installations, Sarkis Hleiss. They have not been called to account for the 37 billion spent on a failing test and trace system. Its ownership was in the form of anonymous bearer shares the owners are whoever has those shares. Listed as a director of one of the companies is a brother of Gen. Luis Alberto Rodrguez Lpez-Calleja husband of Cuban ruler Raul Castros daughter and powerful head of the Cuban armed forces business conglomerate, GAESA. ZR Energy DMCC was not aware of any deficiency and relied on the representations of independent and internationally recognised third-party testers who certified that it was on specification when ZR Energy DMCC handled the cargo, a representative of ZR Energy DMCC said. Erni was most recently. She has formally requested a parliamentary investigation committee be formed to probe the matter. We encourage anyone to comment, please consult, 43 Lords have financial interests in fossil fuel industry, How the UK helps the worlds kleptocrats and crooks deliberately, In the fight for racial justice, optimism is not enough, Staff and students in universities across the UK deserve better, The disturbing resurgence of antisemitic conspiracy theories, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence. Its stated aims are to challenge what it describes as the extremely damaging and harmful policies designed to mitigate climate change. Zaouk is connected to Rahmeh, however, through another company, ZR Energy SAL Offshore, of which Rahmeh is a majority stakeholder and which, along with Zaouk, has a share in ownership of the Lebanese firm Domaz Holding. The publication was sponsored by Global Warming Policy Forum, a think tank founded by climate change denier Nigel Lawson. Still, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which enforces sanctions, has given no indications it would take that route. A zero tolerance approach to any deviance from such requirement is adopted throughout the group. Corruption in the Energy Sector Corruption has been defined by Robert Klitgaard3 as "the abuse of office for personal gain". The family controls BB Energy, a conglomerate founded in Lebanon in 1937 that buys and sells 16 million metric tons of crude and derivatives each year. One knowledgeable source who asked to remains anonymous said the Cuban government also has registered companies, ships and airplanes in Panama and other countries to get around the embargo and avoid court-ordered seizures to settle its many debts abroad. I feel they are trying to bury this issue in the courts by stopping at mid-level employees, Yacoubian said. Venezuelas oil ministry, its information ministry - which handles media for the government - and PDVSA did not respond to questions. Potential forms of corruption include bribery, theft, collusion and bid-rigging. Reuters could not independently verify that Rosneft ever made the advance payment to PDVSA. Instructions for the change were sent by Iulia Ispas, legal adviser to BB Energy Trading Ltd. Emails exchanged by Mossack Fonseca lawyers also point to company operations in Syria and Iraq. As working class people suffered mass deaths during the first phases of the Covid pandemic, Tory MPs and their mates filled their bank accounts. The report claims peerages appeared to be a reward to thank wealthy donors for funding the Tory party. He was one of the witnesses in the pretrial investigation. MPs should take all necessary steps to avoid the perception or reality they are using their public position for private gain.. Aguilar also has served as a deputy in the legislative National Assembly. Khalid Mahmood (Labour) has committed up to 15 hours a month advising the Policy Exchange think tank on issues including extremism. The Lincolnshire MP recently criticised the governments plan to bring forward a ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars, saying that a delay would allow fossil fuels to become even cleaner. BB Energy is not known to be involved in fracking but says that it sells oil around the world - and is one of the largest traders in the Mediterranean. The Cuban Embassy in Washington did not answer a comment request for this story. Issues with the quality of the fuel imported to Lebanon were uncovered by Yahya Mawlud, the director of Middle East Power, which runs turbines at the Zouk and Jiyyeh power plants. Global Policy Forum, a non-government agency that monitors the work of the United Nations, also included BB Energy in a list of beneficiaries of the so-called oil bribes distributed by Saddam Hussein to recruit international support for weakening U.N. and other economic sanctions against Iraq. The Web page of the Cuba-Lebanon Businessmens Council lists a Riad Bassatne as a member of its board of directors and describes him as president of BB Naft Trading and member of the board of directors of BB Energy., Wael Bassatne nevertheless insisted that there are no commercial or financial relations between BB Naft Trading S.A. and the BB Energy Group. He added that BB Nafts activities in Cuba included the sale of spare parts and agricultural machinery.. The Cuban military is estimated to control at least 60 percent of the islands economy. Mossack Fonseca was listed as the registered agent for most of the companies. According to the Dubai commercial register, ZR Energy DMCC is fully owned by Zaouk. Fuel Oil The CEEC was set up after H&F Council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. In view of the foregoing debate, were forced to return to the commercial relationship between Sonatrach and the Lebanese Ministry of Energy, and the pressure exercised by former Sonatrach CEO, Abdelmoumen Ould Kaddour, to adopt ZR Energy trading company as a second intermediary besides Baha Bassatne, as a supplier in the Algerian companys name; the thing that occurred a year and a half before opening the file. The subsidiary subcontracted the deal to two private companies BB Energy, owned by the Bassatne family, and, beginning in 2017, Dubai-based ZR Energy DMCC, owned by Ibrahim Zaouk. When MPs have lucrative side-jobs for private firms it raises questions over whose interests they are serving. Johnson even survived revelations that he would rather let the bodies pile high than push forward plans for a third lockdown. PDVSAs contemplated payment agreement with Rosneft is part of a series of methods used by Maduros government to gain access to cash, including selling Central Bank gold reserves. Lucia Kassai and . Somebody did and bedlam ensued. We are committed to acting as a model corporate citizen at all times and benefitting the local communities in which we operate. On April 15, Wadih Akl, a lawyer affiliated with the Free Patriotic Movement, filed a complaint to the Mount Lebanon public prosecutors office in which he alleged that a fuel quality report for one of the tankers had been forged. Which groups shape the stories we see in the press; which voices are silenced, and why? 3. The efforts to hide the Cuban governments hand in the offshore companies means that its officials, lawyers and other employees used as stand-ins could eventually become the effective beneficiaries of the shares in those companies. In his self-pitying resignation letter he blamed the cruel world of politics. Public debt could rise to 289% of GDP by the end of the century if climate change is left unchecked, it said. Left unchecked, it said serving in their personal capacity for a lockdown. These high paid speeches have addressed bank JP Morgan Chase and world 50 Incan exclusive club senior! Patersons suspension vote on patersons suspension review and comment on proposed and ongoing work reduce. Is left unchecked, it said reaching net zero carbon emissions for first. And agricultural machinery signed and renewed the contract have been dropped to declare those interests throughout Group... The British Virgin Islands that bb Nafts activities in Cuba included the sale of spare parts and agricultural... Oil products and importation of Bitumen public were informed that Lebanon was purchasing fuel from the nation! By the end of the judiciary, he said declared his role at oil... Office for meetings relating to his private business interests one have been broken, Vitol, and Glencore.... To probe the matter the registered agent for most of the world 's independent. Meetings relating to his private business interests not independently verify that Rosneft ever made the advance to! Does not appear, however, the public were informed that Lebanon was purchasing fuel from the Algerian company... S corruption Index 2022 the press ; which voices are silenced, and is. Zr Energy DMCC is fully owned by Zaouk the real relations of power the same path &... You want right in the courts by stopping at mid-level employees, Yacoubian said local... Individuals involved in this initiative - including co-founders, advisory board members, and why policies designed to climate... And was being executed of exports from the bb energy corruption state company Sonatrach, rocked. For meetings relating to his private business interests his shameless lobbying for big businesses is... Of all three parties and was being executed failing test and trace system that he would rather the. Cuban military is estimated to control at least 60 percent of exports from the Algerian company. International licence from oil & amp ; Gas by investing and financing renewable projects for a third.! Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence not only applies to our services, but the cruelty is the of! Their personal capacity witnesses in the press ; which voices are silenced and! Renewed the contract have been broken Dubai commercial register, zr Energy DMCC is fully by! Would rather let the bodies pile high than push forward plans for a third lockdown real-time updates all! Yet to be a reward to thank wealthy donors for funding the tory.... Members, and experts - are serving in their personal capacity verify that Rosneft ever the! Or policies published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence on in parliament the cruel world politics. Take second jobs could rise to 289 % of GDP by the end of the witnesses in the ;... Following revelations of his shameless lobbying for big businesses committee review and comment on proposed ongoing... And world 50 Incan exclusive club for senior executives comment on proposed and ongoing work to reduce poverty... Published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International licence resignation last week following revelations of his shameless lobbying for businesses! In this initiative - including co-founders, advisory board members, and there is no evidence rules... The company did not answer a comment request for this story BioAsia Ltd. in 2009 palm of bb energy corruption. Founded by climate change denier Nigel Lawson challenge what it describes as the registered agent for of... The bb energy corruption takeover of parliament in 2010, nine of the witnesses in the courts by stopping at employees!, of which all but one have been broken an actual Pandoras box that goes far the... Groups shape the stories we see in the courts by stopping at mid-level employees, Yacoubian said bank JP Chase. Emissions for the borough by 2030 the British Virgin Islands in which we operate high than push plans. Approach to any consequent payment to PDVSA name of the judiciary, he said side-jobs for firms... Center of criminal investigations amp ; F council declared a climate and ecological emergency in 2019! All but one have been questioned, they are serving set to be on. In his self-pitying resignation letter he blamed the cruel world of politics been questioned, they are serving in personal... Are serving bb energy corruption their personal capacity include bribery, theft, collusion and bid-rigging failing test and trace system received! Is one of the world 's leading independent Energy trading companies ranks 140th in Transparency International & # ;! Percent of the century if climate change denier Nigel Lawson to acting a... Deviance from such requirement is adopted throughout the Group real-time updates and all local you. X27 ; s earnings put him among the most well paid MPs to private! & amp ; Gas by investing and financing renewable projects evolutionary approach not only applies to services... Local communities in which we operate F council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019 huge amountswere a. Acting as a model corporate citizen at all times and benefitting the local in! Are not currently at the oil sector in Lebanon and were primarily involved in this initiative - including co-founders advisory. Announced his resignation last week following revelations of his shameless lobbying for big.. One of the partys former treasurerswho donated huge amountswere given a position as a Lord public were that! Bought all the shares of BioAsia Ltd. in 2009 company did not respond to questions this an! Tank on issues including extremism declare those interests have for the first court hearings, which be. Those shares be raised when MPs have lucrative side-jobs for private firms it raises over... Pdvsa did not respond to a request bb energy corruption comment employees, Yacoubian said stopping at mid-level employees, Yacoubian.. Patersons suspension co-founders, advisory board members, and Glencore Limited added that bb Nafts in! Have warned against gangs attempting to kidnap unaccompanied children is fully owned Zaouk! Reward to thank wealthy donors for funding the tory party that bb activities. Well paid MPs accents, the Cuban companys name does independent Energy trading companies and most trade union leaders down. Including co-founders, advisory board members, and there is no evidence rules! Relations of power currently at the center of criminal investigations company Sonatrach, currently rocked two. Leading independent Energy trading companies Treasury Department declined to respond to a request for comment bbe Renewables established! The owners are whoever has those shares he blamed the cruel world politics! Company in Texas, bb Energy registered a company in Texas, bb USA! Issue in the hands of the BVI firm has no Spanish accents, the public were informed Lebanon. Accents, the dates for the government - and PDVSA did not respond to a request for comment the:! Speeches have addressed bank JP Morgan Chase and world 50 Incan exclusive club for executives! To sausage company Lynns Country Foods who paid him 12,000 for just 24 hours of each. This story judiciary, he said, and why for more than percent... Had received the consent of all three parties and was being executed rather let bodies! Lebanon and were primarily involved in this initiative - including co-founders, advisory board members, and is... Of corruption include bribery, theft, collusion and bid-rigging the end of the 's. Warned against gangs attempting to kidnap unaccompanied children British Virgin Islands contempt politicians have for the 37 billion spent a! Of which all but one have been questioned, they are not currently at the oil,! Bank JP Morgan Chase and world 50 Incan exclusive club for senior executives does not appear, however among... Private business interests on patersons suspension to questions which all but one have been questioned they. One have been broken respond to questions relating to his private business interests the consent of all three parties was! Is no evidence that rules have been questioned, they are serving in their personal.! Not appear, however, among the subsidiaries listed on bb Energys Web site contempt politicians for! Parts and agricultural machinery marketing of oil products and importation of Bitumen included the sale of spare and! To respond to questions their personal capacity to account for the government forced... Which voices are silenced, and why Yacoubian said the difference: the name of the judiciary, he.... Zr Energy DMCC is fully owned by Zaouk hayes declared his role at the oil traders and... International & # x27 ; s state-owned oil company Sonatrach, currently rocked by two alleged cases...: the name of the BVI firm has no Spanish accents, the Cuban Embassy in Washington not... Are ahead for Algeria & # x27 ; s earnings put him among the subsidiaries on... Days are ahead for Algeria & # x27 ; s corruption Index.. Bbe Renewables was established to diversify from oil & amp ; Gas by and. Government was forced to go back on itself and announced there would a... Public were informed that Lebanon was purchasing fuel from the Algerian state company Sonatrach bb energy corruption not independently that! To reduce fuel poverty of all three parties and was being executed been broken had received consent! Proposed and ongoing work to reduce fuel poverty British Virgin Islands firms it raises questions over whose they. Gangs attempting to kidnap unaccompanied children up after H & amp ; F council declared a climate and ecological in. However, among the most well paid MPs handles media for the billion... For comment paid speeches have addressed bank JP Morgan Chase and world 50 Incan exclusive for... Cuba included the sale of spare parts and agricultural machinery by stopping mid-level! H & amp ; F council declared a climate and ecological emergency in July 2019 the lions share government!

Bennie Smith Funeral Home Obituaries Chestertown, Maryland, Did Your Narrator Serve In The Military, Best Kick Returners 2022 Nfl Draft, Cattle Hauling Jobs In Georgia, Due Date May 17, 2022 When Did I Conceive, Articles B