Call for the International Criminal Court to Commence an Investigation of Financial Piracy in the Republic of Seychelles
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Craig Weiner, Esq. of Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP and Avi Pawar of
Aspect Law, on behalf of multiple clients they are representing in
lawsuits alleging financial piracy by the Republic of Seychelles, today
released the text of a letter sent to the Office of the Prosecutor of
the International Criminal Court. The letter calls for an investigation
into the Republic of Seychelles sponsorship of “international financial
piracy on a massive scale.”
The complete text of the letter to the International Criminal Court follows below. A copy of the letter, in addition to three Complaints filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to this matter have been provided to the International Criminal Court and also forwarded to the International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank.
To Whom It May Concern:
This communication requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violating the Rome Statute.1 See Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, art. 5, opened for signature July 17, 1998. Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP has been engaged by numerous parties that have been subjected to outrageous conduct in Seychelles. We write to you on behalf of our clients.
The Republic of Seychelles (“Seychelles”) is currently sponsoring international financial piracy on a massive scale. Since 2008, Seychelles has been robbing the bank accounts of legitimate businesses and law abiding citizens from around the world. Seychelles has resorted to extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and threatening children to prevent anyone from challenging its bid to rebuild its foreign reserves through state-sponsored piracy.
The Seychelles and its Financial Intelligence Unit (the “FIU”) have seized over 100 bank accounts from foreign depositors in the last three years. The FIU is purportedly tasked with protecting the financial system of the Seychelles. Instead, it uses its authority to rob foreign depositors of their money. The FIU is staffed by former Irish police and military officers who have been specially hired by the Seychelles for this task and purportedly receive substantial commissions on all monies seized. Specifically, Liam Hogan, Barry Galvin, Declan Barber and Joe Cully staff the FIU.
The modus operandi of the FIU is simple. First, the FIU scouts bank accounts held by foreign depositors in the Seychelles. Next, it uses its authority to freeze and then rob target accounts -- without any justification. Indeed, on more than one occasion, the FIU has frozen account withdrawals, while allowing deposits to continue, in a surreptitious bid to increase the funds the FIU can to confiscate. Last, if an account holder tries to recover his money, the FIU will go to great lengths to stop him.
We are aware of numerous cases in which the FIU has robbed or attempted to rob the bank accounts of innocent businesses and individuals -- three of which have thus far resulted in lawsuits in the U.S.
For example, in the Scholes case, two Britons named Steven Scholes and Terence Stewart were arrested on false charges, kidnapped by the FIU, and ransomed for the money held in their Seychelles based bank accounts. The FIU held them for over three months and threatened them with fabricated drug charges. The FIU repeatedly menaced and interrogated the 14 year old daughter of Mr. Scholes to further intimidate him and his family. The FIU even threatened to imprison Mr. Scholes’ wife, so that his two young daughters would be placed under the custody of the Republic of Seychelles. Under this relentless pressure, Mr. Scholes and Stewart gave in, paid their ransom, and left the Seychelles.
Given these nature of these allegations, the undersigned respectfully requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violations of the Rome Statute. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this matter and/or need further supporting documentation.
The complete text of the letter to the International Criminal Court follows below. A copy of the letter, in addition to three Complaints filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to this matter have been provided to the International Criminal Court and also forwarded to the International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank.
| International Criminal Court |
| Office of the Prosecutor |
Communications
|
| Post Office Box 19519 |
| 2500 CM The Hague |
| The Netherlands |
Re:
|
Financial Piracy in the Republic of Seychelles:
|
||
Call for an Investigation
|
This communication requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violating the Rome Statute.1 See Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, art. 5, opened for signature July 17, 1998. Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP has been engaged by numerous parties that have been subjected to outrageous conduct in Seychelles. We write to you on behalf of our clients.
The Republic of Seychelles (“Seychelles”) is currently sponsoring international financial piracy on a massive scale. Since 2008, Seychelles has been robbing the bank accounts of legitimate businesses and law abiding citizens from around the world. Seychelles has resorted to extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and threatening children to prevent anyone from challenging its bid to rebuild its foreign reserves through state-sponsored piracy.
The Seychelles and its Financial Intelligence Unit (the “FIU”) have seized over 100 bank accounts from foreign depositors in the last three years. The FIU is purportedly tasked with protecting the financial system of the Seychelles. Instead, it uses its authority to rob foreign depositors of their money. The FIU is staffed by former Irish police and military officers who have been specially hired by the Seychelles for this task and purportedly receive substantial commissions on all monies seized. Specifically, Liam Hogan, Barry Galvin, Declan Barber and Joe Cully staff the FIU.
The modus operandi of the FIU is simple. First, the FIU scouts bank accounts held by foreign depositors in the Seychelles. Next, it uses its authority to freeze and then rob target accounts -- without any justification. Indeed, on more than one occasion, the FIU has frozen account withdrawals, while allowing deposits to continue, in a surreptitious bid to increase the funds the FIU can to confiscate. Last, if an account holder tries to recover his money, the FIU will go to great lengths to stop him.
We are aware of numerous cases in which the FIU has robbed or attempted to rob the bank accounts of innocent businesses and individuals -- three of which have thus far resulted in lawsuits in the U.S.
For example, in the Scholes case, two Britons named Steven Scholes and Terence Stewart were arrested on false charges, kidnapped by the FIU, and ransomed for the money held in their Seychelles based bank accounts. The FIU held them for over three months and threatened them with fabricated drug charges. The FIU repeatedly menaced and interrogated the 14 year old daughter of Mr. Scholes to further intimidate him and his family. The FIU even threatened to imprison Mr. Scholes’ wife, so that his two young daughters would be placed under the custody of the Republic of Seychelles. Under this relentless pressure, Mr. Scholes and Stewart gave in, paid their ransom, and left the Seychelles.
Given these nature of these allegations, the undersigned respectfully requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violations of the Rome Statute. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this matter and/or need further supporting documentation.
| Very truly yours, | ||||||
| (signed) | ||||||
| Craig Weiner | ||||||
Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP
|
||||||
| (signed) | ||||||
| Avi Pawar | ||||||
| Aspect Law http://www.businesswire.com/ |
Were opposition like Ram,Pierre Volcer,Boulle on this scandal its seem they have gone quite in their hole,because those opposition are on the same wagon with pp continue to promote corruption, this kind of stuff had been going seen Michel took office.E corruption in vin pi lo sa zil avek sa ban politichien who come in politic just to take and get big like a fat rat and poor man and woman feel it everyday.
ReplyDeleteThey don't want to upset Irish Republicans, make them angry and you are dead!
DeleteAs the saying goes"if you live in denial reality comes back to hunt you at some point and bite you in the heart".Of course,pp criminals would tell you they are quilty,it is not them,but someone else,the problem pp has a long list of criminals activities known to both Seychellois and the world.In 2011 already Two USa companies namely Comperhil investment Ltd and Kazou BV filed a lwasuit in the District of New York seeking to recover u$ 10.8 millions robbbed by PP,we donot forgwet the US NAtional MR LEEE who was robbed in the daylight by PP criminals ans many other cases.PP/FUI is alleged having robbed an estimated of over 100 foreign comapnies so far.
ReplyDeleteSFP has long been calling on Interantional organizations to check on PP illicit activities ,fianally things are moving quite fast and PP can be sure that in cases invovling US lawyers and frims or individuals their fight won^t end until victims rights are restored.That Mr Craig is also putting pressure on ICC to open an investigation aginst Pp criminals,is quite significant,Pp thugs must be having sleepness nights and nightmares are the moment.
These cases confirmed that PP is a state organized criminal system,and it has no legitimacy,thus now that Seychelois have the support of Interantional organizations and countires,it is up to Seychellois to act ,and namely by ensuring that PP thugs to do rob their votes in the next elections.Partilepep has brought lots of curses on our Nation,has made Seychelles once known as a unique TOursim destination under has made itself a name i in Interantional Communittee as State organized crminals ,which is ashame for our people ,who has nothing to do with all those crimes.The damge made by PP on our country,would surely affect our tourism industry and it would take quite a long time to restore our reputation as a Honest people.
A country with such negative publicity would struggle to retore its reputation on World stage and might take long to polish this tarnished image ,PP crimnals have brought to our country.
Get rid of those monkeys.Monkeys belong in the bushes or ZOOS not at the helm of a Nation or state.
The pressure will continue on both National level by SFP and Interantional level by interantional organizations and vicitms such as US NATIONAL MR LEE and others.
Get rid of those monkeys Seychellois.
!
Jeanne D'Arc
ICC is a powerful symbol of the urle of International humanitarian law.For African Dictators,ICC has become a symbol of accountability,thus this scare them.Just as the sign of the cross is siad to put blood thirty vampires to flight,the ICC's insignia represented by the scales of justice strikes fear and rtepidation in the hearts of vampiric African Dictators.Michel and ilks may thumb their noses at their people and sneer at the rule of law;but they tremble standing ICC's long shadow of justice.
ReplyDeleteMichel is having unless sleeps,shiitng in his pant.Your pant in on fire donkey!
Better do what FAR,told you to od--RECONCILE DONKE--it might save your arse from ICC should the peole accept your reconciliation.if not ICC courtroom in the HAAG seems inevitable.why RECONCILIATION MIGHT SAVE YOUR ASRSES pp?fOR ITSELF WOULD TAKE YEARS TO COME TO AN END.tHUS WITHOUT COMPLETING nATIONAL RECONCILIATION icc MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT.
I expect IMF and the World Bank to finally stop feeding pp dictatorship by pouring mulit-million of dollar into Pp's pocket without a single sign of accountability and transparency.This would make the people poorer ,thus pave the way l for them to finally wake up and take over their country from the hands of PP's Ali baba and its fourty thieves such as RAM,VOLCERE,and the rest.The people would then have two oppssible options:either do nothing and starve or stand up,get up for the rights by toppling the handful of PP criminals enslaving ,robbing,selling,dispossessing,destroying them.
ReplyDeleteEven RAM and VOlcere ,i was told ,are asking what to do.Stick to partilepep criminals and be seen as complice by Inrerantional organizations and ICC,or change their way,that would provide them with a slight space of survival.
ReplyDeleteRAm can be a little wiser than Michel ,and take the unilateral decision by simply saying good bye to Michel, and finally joint the Opposition,unite it,which would speed up Partilpep falls,and therefore get them faster to the Hague for judgement,on the same length it would save RAm's arsehole.
Ali BAba and the four thieves.Jam,Ram,Volcer,Pierre.
ReplyDeleteThere is a different with partielepep thieves and ali Baba,the later robbed the robbers,while partilepep rob the poor and the country and give it to not even Seychellois ,but rich foreigners to the likes of despot Khalifa.
ReplyDeleteJudge Karunakaran the R4.000.000 they gave to you from this criminal Andrey Nabilevich Taame.What you do with this money KARUNAKARAN?and your name don't sound like a Seychellios.Seychellios have a right to know were those dirty cash goes a lots of cash been taken by court from criminals, but were it goes?back in pp hands!.
ReplyDeleteThe Chinese governemnt is probably happy to see Seychelles turn to them for PR.Seychelles becomes the second country after North Korea to turn to Chinese for help.But the problem in that Chinese governemnt itself has a bad image abroad,from annexation of Tibet and for military provocation and attempt to annex others land in the Asien sea.
ReplyDeleteWhy opted for CHina and not western countries ,those we have historical connections with etc....Well Pp searches the same communssit ideology as Communist China and have omre or less the same recrods on Huamn rights abuses,corruption,embezzelement and other atrocities against Huamn beings. seychellls thugees think that now that the USA,UN anthoer western countires arre exposing and preuusring Pp thugees,China could be a protection shield for PP regime in the same way as North Korea.The alter could useits VOeto pwoer to protect for instance,any ICC investigation against PP,and other legal actions,thus give pp thugees away from ICC's cells in the Hague.
PP is probably expecting to have the same cover as North Korea dictators have had to this date.What protection?
--Help sustain the dictatorial regime though fiancail help(and in return China expect to be given unconditional access to our EEZ ,might be possibel only with a dictaotrial system for no demcratic elected regime would ever tollerate such thing,and hopw that Seychelles teorrirsts should CHina invade,annex others land in the future Pp would rally behind China crimes when face with International pressures and sanctions.Seychelles hopes that should IMM and World Bank stop feeding them with mullions in foriegn aids then it could turn to CHina to bail PP dictaotrial regime.etc
China ,Pp's luminary PR stunt --thus represnting Seychelles despot.CHina can crunk the PR stunt and speak the lanugage of development and investmement thus hide the other issues such as Human righrs,Sex slave,huaman trafficking etc.. perpetuated by PP for the last 4 decades.
Morevoer,China led none interventions in internal affiars of Authoritarians ruled Nations(Of course not for Dictators understand each other better and csahre the same traits)It is a PR stunt to position thmelseves as better altenatives to legitimize Africnas Despots' corruptions.PP can enjoy the access to CCTV(,CHinese new propaganda Machine) as most African despots, such as interiview with BONGO;MUGABE;SUDAN PRESIDent etc.-- give them access to promote themsleves.China is the new found wisdom for Africa despots to compliment their the devils.
Jeanne D'Arc
China/seychelles relationship is steril,unreal,fabricated by PP,not Seychellois people.China ,Like Seychelles public diploamcy coincides with a state-cetered approach
FInally,i could imagine seeing an eskomo appointed Seychelles ambassador in the North POle to represent Seychelles in the pinguins ?Nation,or maybe a taliban toerrist as our Amdassador in Afghanistan.
Seychelles has fake Ambassadors in over 150 pluc countires, some countires we have nothing to do with,be it on cultural,historical,etc.and where we should have no ambassadors for it is costly,it is useless and unimportant.Why ambassodr in Uzbekistan PP?TO do what.Why not one Ambassador In EUROPE where by most EUROEPANS countRIES are members of SHENGEN.iN AOTHER WORDS ,THERE ARE MANY AMBASSIES THAT pP HAD OPENDED IN THE WORLD THAT HAVE NO PURPSOES AND SHOULD BE CLOSED,iT IA WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY.
jEANNE d?ARC