How the Blair family rented property to arms firm
The Times has a detailed round up today of how Thales, one of the arms firms set to benefit from the dropping of the Al Yamamah corruption probe, rented flats owned by the Blairs via a family trust.
Whilst the SFO inquiry into Al Yamamah was axed in Britain, The Times goes on to point out that the SFO is helping further corruption investigations in South Africa:
Thales faces allegations that it paid Jacob Zuma, former vice-president of South Africa, to stop an investigation into another multi-billion-pound arms deal.
South African prosecutors suspect that a £69,000 bribe allegedly paid to Zuma was channelled through a bank account belonging to Berwin Leighton Paisner (BLP), a London legal firm. Coincidentally, Martin Paisner, a BLP partner, is one of two trustees who run the Blair trust.
There is no suggestion that Paisner or his law firm has done anything improper or was aware of any wrongdoing; but sources disclosed this weekend that the SFO has sought access to BLP’s bank accounts to trace any payments possibly made through them to Zuma.
Whitehall officials said the SFO was following international protocol in helping the investigation by the South African police.
Posted in Al Yamamah, Tony Blair |
December 1st, 2007 at 1:50 pm
“Jon Mendelsohn and the Secret Tape”
“Unfortunately, for Jon Mendelsohn and his partners, the “businessman” was, in fact, an undercover reporter for The Observer of London”
http://tinyurl.com/2ykpzj
December 9th, 2007 at 9:10 pm
“Outlaw US Insurance multinational driving U.K Government welfare policy”
“07 Nov 2007 by jase”
“On Tuesday 6th November, the BBC Ten Oclock news broadcast a report about the massive US multinational UnumProvident and how it is driving UK welfare reform policy. Fronted by the Secret Policeman investigative journalist, Mark Daly: the report uncovered documents from Unum in the UK boasting that they were, and are, influencing Government policy. Policies influenced included the assessment of ability to work, the ending of G.Ps sicknotes and the Welfare Reform Act. The insurance giant has been described in the US as a an outlaw company that for years has operated in an illegal fashion. and been accused of racketeering and cheating tens of thousands of insured Americans out of their claims. Currently a BBC Scotland programme and a Radio 4 programme on the issue are planned.”
http://tinyurl.com/2vqj2l
“Now, to understand the sequence of events, you can Read the Case file of UNUM?s massive cheats as they unfolded, or Read the Lawsuit as filed against UNUM for Racketeering, Extortion, and Murder. You can also Download the Zip file of the suit since this is a very large page”
http://tinyurl.com/ynnhxs
December 9th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
“US Arms company to run UK census?”…
“Could Lockheed Martin, the US arms manufacturer be paid to run the next UK census? Siân Berry, Green candidate for London Mayor, explains how it could happen, and how we can stop it”…
http://tinyurl.com/2gwkql
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to stop the involvement of arms company Lockheed Martin in the 2011 Census for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, because this company’s history of working in American military intelligence will undermine public confidence in the Census process. More details”
“Submitted by Siân Berry of Green Party – Deadline to sign up by: 15 June 2008 – Signatures: 1,201″…
http://tinyurl.com/294m88
December 15th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
“Browell Smith, Newcastle Solicitors - huge beneficiaries of miners claims are donors to Nu Labour”…
http://tinyurl.com/yrt3yg
December 15th, 2007 at 7:50 pm
“For those interested in this sort of thing the firm of Thompsons, Solictors who were the major company dealing with these miners claims nationwide record at Electoral Commision is here …… they donated £ 121,990.00 in 55 items since March 2001″…
http://tinyurl.com/yrt3yg