FINANCIAL CRIME DIGEST April 2020
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Mystery on Baker Street
MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET BRUTAL KAZAKH OFFICIAL LINKED TO £147M LONDON PROPERTY EMPIRE Big chunks of Baker Street are owned by a mysterious figure with close ties to a former Kazakh secret police chief accused of murder and money-laundering. JULY 2015 1 MYSTERY ON BAKER STREET Brutal Kazakh official linked to £147m London property empire EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The ability to hide and spend suspect cash overseas is a large part of what makes serious corruption and organised crime attractive. After all, it is difficult to stuff millions under a mattress. You need to be able to squirrel the money away in the international financial system, and then find somewhere nice to spend it. Increasingly, London’s high-end property market seems to be one of the go-to destinations to give questionable funds a veneer of respectability. It offers lawyers who sell secrecy for a living, banks who ask few questions, top private schools for your children and a glamorous lifestyle on your doorstep. Throw in easy access to anonymously-owned offshore companies to hide your identity and the source of your funds and it is easy to see why Rakhat Aliyev. (Credit: SHAMIL ZHUMATOV/X00499/Reuters/Corbis) London’s financial system is so attractive to those with something to hide. Global Witness’ investigations reveal numerous links This briefing uncovers a troubling example of how between Rakhat Aliyev, Nurali Aliyev, and high-end London can be used by anyone wanting to hide London property. The majority of this property their identity behind complex networks of companies surrounds one of the city’s most famous addresses, and properties. -
Managed Leadership Succession in Kazakhstan: a Model for Gradual
MARCH 2020 279 MANAGED LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION IN KAZAKHSTAN A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEPARTURE? Kristiina Silvan MARCH 2020 279 MANAGED LEADERSHIP SUCCESSION IN KAZAKHSTAN A MODEL FOR GRADUAL DEPARTURE? • In March 2019, Kazakhstan’s authoritarian leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, stepped down after three decades of rule and yielded power to his nominated successor, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev. However, Nazarbayev has paradoxically remained the most powerful political actor in Kazakhstan. • Kazakhstan’s model of gradual leadership succession could serve as an example to authoritarian states around the world, but it is particularly significant in the post-Soviet context. • Institutional and constitutional changes that took place in the 1990s were aimed at concentrating power in the presidency. • Modifications initiated by Nazarbayev in the 2000s and 2010s sought to weaken the Kazakh presi- dency while strengthening power vested in himself personally, in order to ensure the continuation of a political status quo and his family’s well-being after the transfer of power. • Despite the careful preparation and Tokayev’s relatively smooth ascension to power, it is still too early to evaluate the success of the transfer due to the vast powers retained by Nazarbayev. The transition of power in Kazakhstan remains an ongoing process and, as such, unpredictable. KRISTIINA SILVAN Research Fellow EU's Eastern Neighbourhood and Russia research programme Finnish Institute of International Affairs ISBN 978-951-769-631-9 ISSN 1795-8059 Language editing: Lynn Nikkanen Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons/Ken and Nyett. CC BY 2.0. The Finnish Institute of International Affairs is an independent research institute that produces high-level research to support political decisionmaking and public debate both nationally and internationally. -
Freedom in the World 2009
Freedom in the World 2009 Freedom in the World - Kazakhstan (2009) Capital: Astana Political Rights Score: 6 * Population: Civil Liberties Score: 5 * 15,700,000 Status: Not Free Overview Kazakhstan’s government failed to implement democratic reforms in 2008 despite pledges it made as part of a successful campaign for the 2010 chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Elections to the upper house of Parliament took place without any opposition candidates; the polls came a year after lower house elections left only the ruling party represented in that chamber. Meanwhile, beleaguered independent media continued to face harassment during the year. Kazakh Communist Party leader Nursultan Nazarbayev won an uncontested election that confirmed his position as president in December 1991, two weeks before Kazakhstan gained its independence from the Soviet Union. The country’s first legislative polls, in 1994, were invalidated by the Constitutional Court a year later because of numerous irregularities. Nazarbayev subsequently dissolved the legislature and in April 1995 called a referendum on extending his five-year term, due to expire in 1996, until December 2000. A reported 95 percent of voters endorsed the move. An August 1995 referendum that was boycotted by the main opposition parties approved a new constitution designed to strengthen the presidency. Nazarbayev’s supporters captured most of the seats in December 1995 elections for a new bicameral Parliament. In October 1998, Parliament amended the constitution to increase the presidential term from five to seven years and moved the presidential election forward from December 2000 to January 1999. The main challenger was disqualified on a technicality, and Nazarbayev was reelected with a reported 80 percent of the vote. -
Kazakhstan Page 1 of 26
Kazakhstan Page 1 of 26 Kazakhstan Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2003 Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor February 25, 2004 The Constitution of Kazakhstan concentrates power in the presidency. President Nursultan Nazarbayev was elected to a 7-year term in a 1999 election that fell far short of international standards. President Nazarbayev was the dominant political figure. The Constitution permits the President to control the legislature and judiciary, as well as regional and local governments; changes or amendments to the Constitution require the President's consent. The law allows the President to maintain certain policy prerogatives and a seat on the Security Council after he leaves office. The Constitution limits Parliament's powers by precluding it from appropriating state money or lowering taxes without executive branch approval, although Members of Parliament (M.P.s) have the right to introduce legislation. Parliamentary elections in 1999 were an improvement over the presidential election, but fell short of the country's commitments as a member of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Maslikhat elections in September and October were marked by irregularities, and most analysts agreed that non-OSCE compliant electoral legislation disadvantaged opposition candidates. The judiciary remained under the control of the President and the executive branch, and corruption remained deeply rooted. The Committee for National Security (KNB) is responsible for national security, intelligence, and counterintelligence. The Ministry of Interior (MVD) supervises the police. In September, the President appointed a civilian as Interior Minister for the first time in the country's history. -
The Re-Mediation of José Redinha's Paredes Pintadas Da Lunda
Accessing the Ancestors: the re-MediAtion of José redinhA’s PAREDES PINTADAS DA LUNDA Delinda Collier, School of the Art Institute of Chicago Alguém varreu o fogo “virgin discs” was saving the Chokwe culture from a minha infância demise at the hands of the Chokwe themselves, e na fogueira arderam todos os ancestres. who, according to him, were discarding their heritage in favor of “newer” musical forms. They (Some fire swept through were denying the traditions of their ancestors, an my childhood ironic characterization of the upheavals that took 1 and the fire burned all of the ancestors.) place in the Lunda region during the rise of the —“Terra Autobiográfica” mining industry and colonial conflict—after all, by Francisco Fernando da Costa 80 percent of Diamang’s workforce was Chokwe, Andrade a large portion of whom were conscripted by the colonial government.3 Vilhena explains that the Dundo Museum was the first line of defense in saving tangible and intangible Chokwe culture. Júlio Vilhena, scholar and son of the then The company’s last resort, he says, was the use Delegate Administrator for the Companhia de of phonographic discs and other media objects Diamantes de Angola (Diamang), wrote an article to record analogical information that could pass for the Journal of the International Folk Music Council through and out of these tropical conditions in 1955, in which he presented a folklore project and into the ether—the non-place safety zone of the Dundo Museum in Lunda North, Angola. of storage media. He comments on the logistics of -
Angola's Foreign Policy
ͻͺ ANGOLA’S AFRICA POLICY PAULA CRISTINA ROQUE ʹͲͳ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paula Cristina Roque is currently finalising her PhD on wartime guerrilla governance (using Angola and South Sudan as case studies) at Oxford University. She is also a founding member of the South Sudan Centre for Strategic and policy Studies in Juba. She was previously the senior analyst for Southern Africa (covering Angola and Mozambique) with the International Crisis Group, and has worked as a consultant for several organizations in South Sudan and Angola. From 2008-2010 she was the Horn of Africa senior researcher, also covering Angola, for the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria. ABOUT THE EGMONT PAPERS The Egmont Papers are published by Egmont – The Royal Institute for International Relations. Founded in 1947 by eminent Belgian political leaders, Egmont is an independent think-tank based in Brussels. Its interdisciplinary research is conducted in a spirit of total academic freedom. A platform of quality information, a forum for debate and analysis, a melting pot of ideas in the field of international politics, Egmont’s ambition – through its publications, seminars and recommendations – is to make a useful contribution to the decision-making process. Table of Contents Introduction . 2 Operating Principles: permanent interests and shifting levers . 4 Bilateral Miscalculations in Guinea-Bissau and Cote D’Ivoire . 8 Democratic Republic of Congo and Republic of Congo: National Security Interests. 11 Multilateral Engagements: AU, Regional Organisations and the ICGLR . 16 Conclusion . 21 1 INTRODUCTION Angola is experiencing an existential transition that will change the way power in the country is reconfigured and projected. -
Kazakhstan: Overview of Press Articles
KAZAKHSTAN: OVERVIEW OF PRESS ARTICLES Kazakhstan Could Lead OSCE In 2009 March 27, 2006 The chairman of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) told Kazakhstan that it has a better chance of leading the organization in 2009 than any other Central Asian state. However, Belgian Foreign Minister Karel De Gucht told Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev that, for that to happen, key political reforms must be undertaken. De Gucht said he put "a lot of emphasis" on the need for far-reaching reforms during his talks with Nazarbayev. De Gucht is due to travel to the country's economic capital Almaty for talks with opposition representatives. Source: AFP Kazakh President Calls For Larger Parliament March 24, 2006 Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev suggested that the country's parliament should be expanded. At the moment, there are 116 members of parliament, 77 in the lower house, the Mazhilis, and 39 in the upper house, the Senate. Nazarbayev was speaking at the first session of a state commission convened to formulate democratic reforms. Nazarbayev called on the commission to analyse all proposed constitutional amendments closely. On March 23, Minister of Culture, Information and Sport Yermukhamet Yertysbayev suggested that the constitutional reforms would result in early parliamentary elections. Source: Interfax Central Asia: Uzbek And Kazakh Presidents Boost Cooperation March 21, 2006 Uzbek President Islam Karimov said his March 20 meeting with his Kazakh counterpart Nursultan Nazarbayev has "an unprecedented significance". Nazarbayev arrived in Tashkent on March 19 for the first state visit between these two countries. It is also the first state visit since Nazarbayev was re-elected in last December's presidential polls. -
Risky Business: the Political Economy of Chinese Investment in Kazakhstan
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Elsevier - Publisher Connector Journal of Eurasian Studies 5 (2014) 145–156 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Eurasian Studies journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/euras Risky business: The political economy of Chinese investment in Kazakhstan Daniel C. O’Neill* School of International Studies, University of the Pacific, 3601 Pacific Avenue, Stockton, CA 95211, USA article info abstract Article history: Kazakhstan lacks the democratic institutions that have been shown to protect foreign Received 22 December 2013 investors (Jensen, 2008; Li & Resnick, 2003). Nevertheless, as latecomers to globalization, Accepted 21 April 2014 China’s resource-seeking state-owned enterprises (SOEs) must go, not only where re- sources are, but also where they are available. These are often less than ideal investment Keywords: environments, such as Kazakhstan, where they are confronted by high corruption, weak Kazakhstan rule of law, and political risk. Focusing on investments by the China National Petroleum China Corporation (CNPC), this study analyzes how Chinese foreign economic policies, such as FDI Corruption aid and loans, assist Chinese SOEs in securing protection for their investments. They do so Political risk by making key members of the Kazakh government stakeholders in the success of the Foreign aid investments. In addition, the study details how Chinese government strategy has evolved from one of simply buying off key members of the Kazakh government in order to gain approval for investments to one of making institutions in the Kazakh state, such as Kaz- MunaiGas, stakeholders in the long-term success of the investment in order to secure protection for investments in a climate of political uncertainty. -
Angola Ex-First Daughter Isabel Dos Santos Charged with Fraud
12 Friday International Friday, January 24, 2020 Angola ex-first daughter Isabel dos Santos charged with fraud Portuguese banker named in probe found dead LUANDA: Angola’s billionaire former first but poor southern African country and moving said Gros. Angola is still reeling from dos San- daughter Isabel dos Santos has been charged it abroad with the help of Western firms. tos’s kleptocratic rule during which key positions with money laundering and mismanagement The “Luanda Leaks” scoop, published on were awarded to his cronies and wealth amassed during her stewardship of state-owned oil firm Sunday by some of the world’s top media out- in the hands of a select few. Lourenco has vowed Sonangol, as Luanda moves to try and bring her lets, has put pressure on the government of Por- to crack down on corruption and launched a home to face trial for looting the country’s cof- tugal, Angola’s former colonial ruler, and some large-scale purge of the dos Santos administra- fers. Documents leaked this week alleged the major corporations to explain what they know tion. He removed Isabel dos Santos from her top daughter of ex-president Jose Eduardo dos and what they did. Dubbed “the princess” by job at Sonangol shortly after he came to power. Santos plundered state revenues to build her Angolans, Isabel dos Santos was named Africa’s Prosecutors last month froze bank accounts fortune, estimated at $2.1 billion. richest woman by Forbes in 2013. She stopped and assets owned by Isabel dos Santos and her “Isabel dos Santos is accused of mismanage- living in Angola after her father stepped down in husband Sindika Dokolo as part of the probe. -
Revitalising Oilfields Luanda's Arts Festival
SONANGOL UNIVERSO UISSUE 49 | APRILn 2016 iverso www.universo-magazine.com 40 Years of Success UPSTREAM CULTURE SOCIAL ACTION ISSUE 49 – REVITALISING LUANDA’S CHEVRON’S APRIL 2016 OILFIELDS ARTS FESTIVAL CSR EXPERIENCE Board president Francisco de Lemos José Maria at the anniversary event CONTENTS Universo is the international magazine of Sonangol President Francisco de Lemos José Maria Endiama Executive administrators: Anabela Soares de Brito da Fonseca, 4 3 NEWS BRIEFING Ana Joaquina Van-Dúnem Alves da Costa, Fernandes Gaspar Bernardo Mateus, Fernando Joaquim Roberto, A roundup of national and international news concerning Mateus Sebastião Francisco Neto, Sonangol and Angola Paulino Fernando Carvalho Jerónimo Non-executive administrators: Albina Assis Africano, José Gime, 4 André Lelo, José Paiva 10 3 PUMPING IS UP Sonangol Department for Communication & Image Director Angola output reaches 1.78 million bopd José Quarenta Mateus Cristóvão Benza SONANGOL: Shutterstock Corporate Communications Assistants Nadiejda Santos, Paula Almeida, FOUR DYNAMIC DECADES Hélder Sirgado, Kimesso Kissoka 12 3 SONANGOL RETROSPECTIVE Publisher: Sheila O’Callaghan he fortunes of Angola and Sonangol have been intimately Looking back on four decades of success 12 Editor: John Kolodziejski entwined over the past 40 years. Since its foundation on Managing Editor: Mauro Perillo February 25, 1976, the company has been the mainstay of T Shutterstock Art Director: Tony Hill the country’s economy. The oil industry that Sonangol leads so 22 3 WEATHERFORD WATCHING Sub Editor: Brian MacReamoinn dynamically has accounted for more than 90 per cent of export Profile of a leading oil services company Proofreading: Gail Nelson-Bonebrake earnings during the past four decades. -
Kazakhstan by Bhavna Dave
Kazakhstan by Bhavna Dave Capital: Astana Population: 16.6 million GNI/capita, PPP: US$11,250 Source: The data above are drawn from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators 2013. Nations in Transit Ratings and Averaged Scores 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Electoral Process 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 Civil Society 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 5.50 5.50 5.75 5.75 6.00 6.25 Independent Media 6.50 6.50 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.50 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 Governance* 6.25 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a National Democratic Governance n/a 6.50 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 6.75 Local Democratic Governance n/a 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.50 6.50 Judicial Framework and Independence 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.25 6.00 6.25 6.25 6.50 6.50 Corruption 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 6.50 Democracy Score 6.25 6.29 6.39 6.39 6.39 6.32 6.43 6.43 6.54 6.57 * Starting with the 2005 edition, Freedom House introduced separate analysis and ratings for national democratic governance and local democratic governance to provide readers with more detailed and nuanced analysis of these two important subjects. -
Public Annex A
ICC-01/04-02/06-2008-AnxA 11-08-2017 1/76 NM T Public Annex A 11/08/2017 OHCHR | Statement of the High Commissioner to the Interactive dialogue on the DeICC-01/04-02/06-2008-AnxAmocratic Republic of the Congo, 3 5 11-08-2017th session of t h2/76e H… NM T 中文 | اﻟﻌرﺑﯾﺔ | Go to navigation | Go to content English | Français | Español | русский WHAT ARE HUMAN RIGHTS? DONATE HUMAN RIGHTS WHERE WE HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS AND PUBLICATIONS AND HOME ABOUT US ISSUES BY COUNTRY WORK BODIES EVENTS RESOURCES English > News and Events > DisplayNews 14 15 0 Statement of the High Commissioner to the Interactive dialogue on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 35th session of the Human Rights Council 20 June 2017 Excellencies, Just three months ago, my Office reported to this Council serious concerns about the human rights violations and abuses committed by the Congolese army and police, and the Kamuina Nsapu militia, in Kasai, Kasai Central and Kasai Oriental. Subsequently, when the two UN experts were killed, the Minister for Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of the Congo called for a joint investigation to bring the perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses to justice. Since then the humanitarian and human rights situation has deteriorated dramatically and various actors are fuelling ethnic hatred, resulting in extremely grave, widespread and apparently planned attacks against the civilian population in the Kasais. Last week, given the gravity of the allegations received and restricted access to parts of the greater Kasai area, and in line with my statement to this Council on 6 June, I deployed a team of OHCHR investigators to interview recent refugees from the Kasais.