10 Reasons the Irish Contracts Were Targeted
Who is benefiting from their Departure?
The Irish expatriates working in law enforcement had their budgets cut by the National Assembly because they were achieving unprecedented levels of success in stopping criminals, and their facilitators, from benefiting through crimes and the international facilitation of crime. Under the administration of President James Michel, the rule of law could be enforced as he would tolerate no interference with due process. But once he was gone, the old political dogs reverted to old tricks in a weakened political environment and the Irish, who were well-known to refuse to entertain interference with investigations, had to go. In fact members from both sides wanted the Irish out; their well-publicised National Assembly vendetta and campaign of incitement against the Irish was launched to smear them because:
1. They were intercepting too much heroin being imported into Seychelles.
In 2015 the NDEA stopped a total of 39 kg of heroin from being trafficked into Seychelles. In 2016, the NDEA and the Seychelles Coastguard intercepted over 90kg of heroin at sea in Seychelles waters. These seizures were costly losses for key drug traffickers and their patrons.
2. They were achieving unprecedented levels of criminal assets seizures:
In 2016 alone, 110,000,000 SCR (110 million) was transferred to the Republic of Seychelles from Proceeds of Crime cases brought by the FIU, with more cases ever completed in a single year than in any previous year since it began work in 2009.
3. Prominent Drug Dealers in Seychelles were suffering major asset losses:
In 2016, there was a major increase in the seizure by the State of Seychellois drug trafficker assets and we also witnessed a number of new cases against major drug dealers brought jointly by the NDEA and FIU to the courts, thanks to improvements brought in by the Rules of Court for Proceeds of Crime/AML cases.
4. They Exposed Links between Corrupt Foreign Regimes and the offshore sector
The FIU had recently exposed systemic links and exchanged intelligence with international investigations on links between a small but influential number of practitioners in the Seychelles offshore sector and current and former kleptocratic regimes in Malaysia, Equatorial Guinea, Ukraine and Nigeria. This greatly upset those involved in the offshore industry and their supporters in the Ministry and FSA.
5. They exposed Links between Breaches of International Nuclear / Weapons Sanctions and the Offshore Sector:
The FIU had detected and shared internationally information in relation to the use of Seychelles offshore companies and bank accounts to conceal breaches of UN, US and EU nuclear and weapons-proliferation sanctions involving North Korea, Syria, Iran, and a number of African countries. These exposures more than any other case-type placed the ambitions of the rogue offshore service providers at risk….
6. They were Preparing Prosecutions against Three Major Offshore Providers:
They were Service Providers in Seychelles who are linked to the Panama papers and to major international frauds and breaches of sanctions perpetrated by Russian organised crime using Moldovan, Russian, Latvian and Cypriot banks. These practitioners had to get rid of the Irish to prevent themselves being prosecuted.
7. The NDEA had disrupted the provision of drugs in exchange for votes:
During the 2016 elections despite canvassing by certain politicians to release the arrested dealers the NDEA stood their grounds. The drug traffickers and their patrons needed to ensure the Irish in NDEA is gone before the next elections which could be at any time.
8. They had advised government against approving a minority of investments and land sanctions:
Because the proposed investors had criminal links or were linked to entities sanctioned by the UN, US or EU. This upset political prominent persons who would have benefited from the investments or sale of property but it was advised to protect the safety and reputation of the country.
9. They were in the habit of Bringing Unwelcome Intelligence
In 2010, the FIU first warned that the OECD would rate Seychelles as non-compliant but warnings to stakeholders were ignored until the country was rated non-compliant in 2013. In early 2014 the FIU began advising key stakeholders that our corresponding banking facilities were at risk but it took the collapse of BMI bank and the loss of a number of correspondent banking relationships before people took note.
In 2016 the FIU warned that it had detected possible financing of terror attacks in Paris and foreign fighter transits through Seychelles and urged government to update its legislation and implementation in this regard before it was sanctioned but this too was treated as unwelcome intelligence and a threat to Seychelles “Panama-model for the offshore”. The industry and its supporters in the Assembly needed to get them out before the FATF arrived to inspect the country in 2017.
10. They refused to bend to interference from the political patrons of crime.
Ask yourself: Who is benefiting from their departure? What has happened to the funds and bank accounts which were under investigation? Who has been paid off to ensure that over US$ 20 million dollars of suspected criminal proceeds which has been frozen by the Supreme Court is released because of crazy changes to the law? Where is the heroin that should have been intercepted since the beginning of the year?
Only the drug dealers, the crooked offshore service providers and their political patrons are smiling. They are the ones who have benefitted and who will continue to benefit more and more as the country once more descends into a heroin-swamp and dirty money haven. While once again, the ordinary people of Seychelles suffer and have to live with the consequences.
Independent
The Irish expatriates working in law enforcement had their budgets cut by the National Assembly because they were achieving unprecedented levels of success in stopping criminals, and their facilitators, from benefiting through crimes and the international facilitation of crime. Under the administration of President James Michel, the rule of law could be enforced as he would tolerate no interference with due process. But once he was gone, the old political dogs reverted to old tricks in a weakened political environment and the Irish, who were well-known to refuse to entertain interference with investigations, had to go. In fact members from both sides wanted the Irish out; their well-publicised National Assembly vendetta and campaign of incitement against the Irish was launched to smear them because:
1. They were intercepting too much heroin being imported into Seychelles.
In 2015 the NDEA stopped a total of 39 kg of heroin from being trafficked into Seychelles. In 2016, the NDEA and the Seychelles Coastguard intercepted over 90kg of heroin at sea in Seychelles waters. These seizures were costly losses for key drug traffickers and their patrons.
2. They were achieving unprecedented levels of criminal assets seizures:
In 2016 alone, 110,000,000 SCR (110 million) was transferred to the Republic of Seychelles from Proceeds of Crime cases brought by the FIU, with more cases ever completed in a single year than in any previous year since it began work in 2009.
3. Prominent Drug Dealers in Seychelles were suffering major asset losses:
In 2016, there was a major increase in the seizure by the State of Seychellois drug trafficker assets and we also witnessed a number of new cases against major drug dealers brought jointly by the NDEA and FIU to the courts, thanks to improvements brought in by the Rules of Court for Proceeds of Crime/AML cases.
4. They Exposed Links between Corrupt Foreign Regimes and the offshore sector
The FIU had recently exposed systemic links and exchanged intelligence with international investigations on links between a small but influential number of practitioners in the Seychelles offshore sector and current and former kleptocratic regimes in Malaysia, Equatorial Guinea, Ukraine and Nigeria. This greatly upset those involved in the offshore industry and their supporters in the Ministry and FSA.
5. They exposed Links between Breaches of International Nuclear / Weapons Sanctions and the Offshore Sector:
The FIU had detected and shared internationally information in relation to the use of Seychelles offshore companies and bank accounts to conceal breaches of UN, US and EU nuclear and weapons-proliferation sanctions involving North Korea, Syria, Iran, and a number of African countries. These exposures more than any other case-type placed the ambitions of the rogue offshore service providers at risk….
6. They were Preparing Prosecutions against Three Major Offshore Providers:
They were Service Providers in Seychelles who are linked to the Panama papers and to major international frauds and breaches of sanctions perpetrated by Russian organised crime using Moldovan, Russian, Latvian and Cypriot banks. These practitioners had to get rid of the Irish to prevent themselves being prosecuted.
7. The NDEA had disrupted the provision of drugs in exchange for votes:
During the 2016 elections despite canvassing by certain politicians to release the arrested dealers the NDEA stood their grounds. The drug traffickers and their patrons needed to ensure the Irish in NDEA is gone before the next elections which could be at any time.
8. They had advised government against approving a minority of investments and land sanctions:
Because the proposed investors had criminal links or were linked to entities sanctioned by the UN, US or EU. This upset political prominent persons who would have benefited from the investments or sale of property but it was advised to protect the safety and reputation of the country.
9. They were in the habit of Bringing Unwelcome Intelligence
In 2010, the FIU first warned that the OECD would rate Seychelles as non-compliant but warnings to stakeholders were ignored until the country was rated non-compliant in 2013. In early 2014 the FIU began advising key stakeholders that our corresponding banking facilities were at risk but it took the collapse of BMI bank and the loss of a number of correspondent banking relationships before people took note.
In 2016 the FIU warned that it had detected possible financing of terror attacks in Paris and foreign fighter transits through Seychelles and urged government to update its legislation and implementation in this regard before it was sanctioned but this too was treated as unwelcome intelligence and a threat to Seychelles “Panama-model for the offshore”. The industry and its supporters in the Assembly needed to get them out before the FATF arrived to inspect the country in 2017.
10. They refused to bend to interference from the political patrons of crime.
Ask yourself: Who is benefiting from their departure? What has happened to the funds and bank accounts which were under investigation? Who has been paid off to ensure that over US$ 20 million dollars of suspected criminal proceeds which has been frozen by the Supreme Court is released because of crazy changes to the law? Where is the heroin that should have been intercepted since the beginning of the year?
Only the drug dealers, the crooked offshore service providers and their political patrons are smiling. They are the ones who have benefitted and who will continue to benefit more and more as the country once more descends into a heroin-swamp and dirty money haven. While once again, the ordinary people of Seychelles suffer and have to live with the consequences.
Independent
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