‘Fire in Babylon’ financing examined

Ben Elliot, the Conservative party’s embattled co-chair, jointly owned a secret offshore film financing company that indirectly benefited from more than £120,000 of UK tax credits. The revelation Elliot has a British Virgin Islands-based company – which he owns with Ben Goldsmith, the brother of the Tory peer and minister Zac – will raise fresh questions for the businessman, whose courting of ultra-wealthy but controversial political donors has already provoked widespread criticism.

On Monday, the Pandora papers – the largest leak of offshore data in history, which has been shared with the Guardian and other media by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists – helped expose how a series of substantial Conservative party funders are facing a range of allegations about their links to offshore finance.

Today, the same leak shines a light on a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company Elliot and Goldsmith created to fund the making of Fire in Babylon, the pair’s 2010 documentary film about the great West Indies cricket team of the 1970s and 80s.

Analysis of financial disclosures suggests the duo’s BVI company held a controlling stake in a British subsidiary that made the film. The UK company received a £600,000 loan from its BVI parent in 2008, plus £121,000 from a government scheme designed to incentivise film production in the UK between 2009 and 2011.

The film made a small loss, and without the tax credits the subsidiary would not have been able to fully repay its offshore creditors, the largest of which was Elliot’s and Goldsmith’s BVI company, which had loaned the UK business most of its funds.

While the arrangement does not appear to have breached any tax regulations or laws, it does raise questions about whether government film schemes should be helping to fund projects that are controlled in a tax haven.

If Fire in Babylon had become profitable, then the structure might also have provided some tax advantages. Neither Elliot nor Goldsmith answered the Guardian’s questions about whether any loan interest was paid by the UK production company to their offshore company, nor why the pair’s names were initially kept off publicly available Companies House filings, which would have shown how they had a controlling stake in the UK production company via their BVI company.

The connection only formally emerged in 2016, when Elliot and Goldsmith were registered as “persons of significant control” of the UK firm, WIB Productions Ltd, which made the film. They said the idea they “might have attempted to conceal our involvement in the making or financing of Fire in Babylon is patently absurd, given our names were all over it from the start, in the credits, on the invitations, in newspaper and radio interviews and so on”. Goldsmith added: “It is a love letter to one of the great sporting stories of all time.”

Here are responses, some of them edited, received from three offshore services providers – Alcogal, Asiaciti Trust and Fidelity – whose information appears in the Pandora Papers, and who were invited by the Guardian to comment on their activities and those of their clients.

“Alcogal refuses and, where appropriate, ceases to act for clients it suspects are involved in money laundering, terrorism financing or other illicit activities. It will also not act where it is unable to carry out the required customer due diligence in respect of ultimate beneficial owners of companies it is asked to register.”

The Guardian has asked Alcogal to respond to allegations of serious wrongdoing. As the Guardian knows, Alcogal is unable to respond to those allegations in detail since it is under a duty of confidentiality to its clients. It would appear that the Guardian has been provided with information about the firm that is simply false.

Asiaciti Trust

“Asiaciti Trust provides fiduciary services to clients around the world. Our work is subject to stringent law and regulation by the relevant authorities in each jurisdiction in which we operate. We are committed to the highest business standards, including ensuring that our operations fully comply with all laws and regulations.

“We maintain a strong compliance programme and each of our offices have passed third-party audits for anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism practices in recent years, which reflects our intense focus on this area. No compliance programme is infallible – and when an issue is identified, we take necessary steps with regard to the client engagement and make the appropriate notifications to regulatory agencies.

“The regulatory and industry landscape has evolved over the course of our 45-year history, and we have worked diligently to comply with prevailing regulations through this passage of time. Compliance is core to our business and we have adapted our company to meet the changing requirements. Any organisation operating over such a length of time is likely to have legacy matters that do not reflect the current business. We recognise there have been isolated instances in the past where we have not kept pace, and in these situations we have worked closely with regulatory authorities to address any deficiencies and quickly updated our policies and procedures.

“We take this opportunity to inform you that your allegations about us are premised on inaccuracies and incomplete information. You are undoubtedly aware that the same stringent law and regulation requires us to strictly maintain confidentiality and protect personal data. We are therefore unable to comment further on specifics.”

Fidelity

“As a licensed registered agent, we are precluded from disclosing any legally privileged information in respect to the companies under our administration, which includes information on its owners.

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NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS — The Nevis Water Department (NWD) honoured three of its retirees who have given collectively more than 100 years of dedicated service at a Retirement Cocktail celebration at the Nevis Performing Arts Centre (NEPAC) on September 30, 2021.

Mr. James “Tin Tin” Caines; Mr. Carlton “Cherry” Williams; and Mr. Conrad “Monks” Huggins were presented with plaques and tokens of appreciation by Hon. Spencer Brand, Minister of Water Services in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) on behalf of the management and staff of the NWD.

Mr. Caines joined the Public Service in August 1977 and retired in May 2021 after giving 44 years of dedicated service.

He was employed under the NWD where he initially worked at Stoney Grove. In January 1999, Mr. Caines became the Maintenance Supervisor, a position he held till August 2021. During that time, he led teams engaging in work throughout the island.

He was appointed to the Civil Service on September 2001 and advanced in rank in the ensuing years to the position of Inspector of Works.

In 2014, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB)-funded Nevis Water Enhancement Project commenced with the erection of a number of storage tanks and the installation of a 10-inch transmission line from Maddens to Camps Estate and on to Spring Hill. 

Mr. Caines managed a team of workers on that aspect of the project. Other areas of the project he was involved in included the installation of lines from Stoney Hill to Fothergills, from Morgan Estate to Hamilton, and Spring Hill to Westbury and through to Cotton Ground. 

He expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Water Services, and the Nevis Island Administration generally, for allowing him the opportunity to prove himself.  He is thankful for the experiences gained while working on many projects for the NIA.

Mr. Caines stated that his experience with the NIA has been a wonderful journey.  One in which he loved to serve and he enjoyed meeting people, interacting with them and assisting them.

Mr. Williams joined the NWD in 1989 as a Pump Operator at Fothergills and Zion and retired on September 20, 2021.

When he began working at the department only the Zion pump was operational then. There were no water tanks at Fothergills and the crews were required to work on a shift system with personnel from both the Zion Pump Station and at the Fothergills Booster Station. He would also accompany the production crews when a pump needed to be serviced.

He was described as a generally friendly individual, who expressed himself in an unorthodox manner when he believed the time is right; and a reliable worker who loved his job.

The other retiree Mr. Huggins, worked at NWD in a career which spanned 40 years. He joined the department in 1981 as a Maintenance Crew member, and retired in September 2021 as the Foreman of Works.

When he began the job, worked at the “Source” with the now-deceased William “Willynatta” Archibald.

In 1999 he was appointed in the Civil Service as a Maintenance Supervisor, an area in which he helped to train and work with new maintenance staff. In 2021 he was promoted to Foreman of Works, a position he held for 20 years until his retirement.

Mr. Huggins is described as one known for his exceptionally hard work and dedication in all areas he was assigned during his tenure. Even as a non-established worker for 18 years, he showed love and passion for what he did on a daily basis. Anyone could have called him to fix a leak and he was ready and willing to assist.  He was also characterised as a serious individual who had a real passion for his work.

During his tenure at the department, Mr. Huggins supervised several maintenance teams on missions throughout Nevis.

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TRAVEL by Eric Mackenzie Lamb

About six years ago, I motorcycled across several Balkan countries, heading northward from Turkey and finishing in Italy. One of the area’s most fascinating countries I visited was Bosnia Herzegovina, especially the city of Sarajevo. I knew then that I’d someday return.
And I did, just over a month ago this year. The changes I saw from the last time I was there were nothing short of dramatic. But they were also subtle. New modern style buildings, numerous five star hotels, tree-lined streets, and amazing local handicraft shops. Yet everything blended together. History had been preserved. And, most important of all, the city was obviously thriving. There were hordes of tourists, top class restaurants, wine shops, guided tours, and river cruises. Mosques and churches were just as busy, a shining example of mutual respect no matter what one’s religious beliefs.
Even so, the past is there for anyone to see, a reminder of the city’s darkest days.
But today, just like the bridge, hatred is a thing which belongs to the past. We can all learn from Sarajevo.

The post HOW A EUROPEAN CITY WITH A TRAGIC HISTORY WAS BORN AGAIN. AND BECAME A SHINING EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS. appeared first on The St Kitts Nevis Observer.

Ali did not give specifics on the threats, which he noted were made around the time he was in New York City to participate in the UN General Assembly.

“This is coming on the heels of threats made from New York. This is not the first time [that threats were made] and I’m not going to take this lightly,” he said. Ali did not explain if ‘threats from New York’ referred to the US or UN.

“I’m going to ask for international support to investigate, to follow any lead and to ensure that our capital remains safe and stable,” he said.

An investigation into the Brickdam Police Headquarters is ongoing.

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CNW- The senior management team of Royal Caribbean International, the world’s second-largest cruise line, informed Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett that they will resume limited operations to Jamaica in November of this year.

The senior Royal Caribbean executives also stated that once a number of logistical issues – some of which are outside of Jamaica’s purview – are effectively resolved, they will be able to significantly increase cruises to Jamaica, bringing in tens of thousands of fully vaccinated cruise visitors.

The senior executives also reiterated their strong desire to hire thousands of Jamaicans across a wide range of job functions, and they are awaiting regulatory changes from the government to make this a reality.

Minister Bartlett expressed delight that the cruise line will resume calls to Jamaica after a year and a half hiatus.“After a year and a half hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Royal Caribbean will resume sailings to Jamaica.

We have a few pressing issues to address right away in order to increase cruises to Jamaica and, as a result, the economic and social livelihoods of thousands of Jamaicans who rely on the cruise industry directly and indirectly. Beyond that, the Government will move speedily in facilitating the cruise line’s efforts to employ thousands of Jamaicans, for what are truly exciting job opportunities that will have a positive impact for many. Our people are in demand and the cruise lines are fully cognizant of this,” Bartlett stated.

The new developments follow another meeting in Miami led by Minister Bartlett and his team with Arnold Donald, Chief Executive Officer of Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, and other senior company executives, where they informed of plans for 110 or more cruises with more than 200,000 fully vaccinated visitors for Jamaica in the coming months.

The goal is contingent on continued close logistical collaboration between Jamaican authorities and Carnival.

Bartlett was joined by John Lynch, Chairman of the Jamaica Tourist Board; Donovan White, Director of Tourism; Delano Seiveright, Senior Strategist in the Tourism Ministry; and Donnie Dawson, Deputy Director of Tourism for the Americas.

The Royal Caribbean International engagement is part of a series of meetings with travel industry leaders, including major airlines and investors, in Jamaica’s two largest source markets, the United States and Canada. This is being done to encourage more visitors to the destination in the coming weeks and months, as well as to secure additional investment in the local tourism sector.

The cruise industry was among the hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut it down for more than a year. However, the industry has gradually resumed operations to multiple destinations, including Jamaica, using the most stringent health and safety protocols in the global travel industry, including fully vaccinated passengers and crews.

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Records show slow response to report of California oil spill

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard received the first report of a possible oil spill off the Southern California coast more than 12 hours before a company reported the major leak in its pipeline and a cleanup effort was launched,…Read More

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Ex-Facebook employee bringing sharp criticisms to Congress

WASHINGTON (AP) — A former Facebook data scientist has stunned lawmakers and the public with revelations of the company’s awareness of apparent harm to some teens from Instagram and her accusations of dishonesty in its fight against hate and misin…Read More

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French report: 330,000 children victims of church sex abuse

PARIS (AP) — An estimated 330,000 children were victims of sex abuse within France’s Catholic Church over the past 70 years, according to a major report released Thursday that is France’s first major reckoning with the devastating phenomenon….Read More

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Biden eager to get out of DC, push benefits of spending plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is shifting strategy to sell his ambitious social spending plans by traveling outside Washington and courting Democrats who have complained they felt left out of the process. …Read More

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UK urged to tackle ‘dirty money’ after leaked Pandora papers

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Conservative government is facing calls to tighten the country’s defenses against “dirty money” after a massive leak of offshore data showed how London, in particular, is the destination of choice for some of the world’s ri…Read More

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WASHINGTON, Oct 4 (Reuters) – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday warned against travel to Armenia, Austria, Barbados, Croatia and Latvia because of COVID-19 concerns.

The CDC raised its travel recommendations to “Level 4: Very High,” telling Americans they should avoid travel to the five countries.

The CDC also lowered its travel recommendations to “Level 3” to Morocco, Argentina, France, Iceland, Lesotho, Nepal, Portugal and South Africa, which urges travelers to be fully vaccinated before visiting.

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‘The republic will be crushed’

Henry assumed the premiership with international backing a few weeks after Moise’s death, after a brief standoff with the previous Prime Minister. In the absence of a president, he will now lead Haiti until its long-overdue elections — which have been postponed again, until sometime next year.

The Prime Minister has often described solving the murder case as a personal mission. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No political maneuver, no media campaign, no distraction can deter me from this goal to bring justice for President Moise,” Henry told world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly last week.

According to Henry’s office, both Vincent and Claude were fired for breaking the law, which forbids prosecuting top officials without permission from the head of state — currently Henry himself.

Migration will continue as long as inequality persists, says Haiti’s prime minister as Del Rio bridge crisis ends

But Vincent says he was sacked for refusing to fire Claude, which he describes as an ethically impossible demand given the ongoing investigation. “I told [Henry], ‘This is not possible.e are going to have problems. The republic will be crushed if you dismiss the public prosecutor,” Vincent said.

In the end, Haiti’s Interior Minister Liszt Quitel stepped in to fire Claude.

Quitel, an engineer by training, was also given Vincent’s job — and is now doing double-duty as head of both Haiti’s interior and justice ministries.

Speaking to CNN this weekend, Quitel dismissed the phone calls in question as insufficient for a warrant against the Prime Minister, and noted that the investigation under Vincent’s leadership had led to no clear answers.

“I don’t see what would be the motive to ask the Prime Minister to appear before a judge, just because he had a phone call,” he said.

“This is obviously something that’s politically motivated,” he said — a claim Vincent rejects.

A troubled investigation

The probe into Moise’s death has long been troubled by allegations of obstruction and missing pieces.

In July, sources close to the case told CNN they were troubled by the fact that Justice Ministry staffers had not been given immediate access to crime scenes and key evidence, including surveillance footage from inside and around the president’s mansion during the attack.

Clerks involved in the case also received death threats, forcing some to flee the capital.

At the time, Vincent did not respond to requests for comment. Now, however, he defends his oversight of the months-long probe, insisting investigators were free to work as they needed.

He says he too receives death threats from the armed groups that control large parts of Port-au-Prince.

The assassination probe is currently with an independent investigating judge, who has not publicly called for the Prime Minister’s testimony.

Additional foreign support will also be needed to close the case, according to Henry and Vincent — a rare point of agreement.

The US and Colombia did send investigative teams to assist in the early days of the investigation. But with fingers now pointing in all directions, potential foreign partners in Haiti’s intrigue-plagued investigation may feel wary of getting involved.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the first name of Justice Minister Rockfeller Vincent.

Reporting contributed by CNN’s Matt Rivers in Mexico City and Melissa Bell in Paris.

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