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Tuesday, April 12, 2016

Panama Papers: How the Seychelles saved Syria

Against the backdrop of recent territorial gains, the cessation of hostilities and a peace process in Geneva that is rumbling along, President Bashar al-Assad seems more secure than ever after five years of conflict in Syria.
When people ask how he managed to stay in power despite the country having its economy collapse in half, hundreds of thousands killed, one in two Syrians being forced from their homes and the conflict dragging in four of the five UN P5 members of the Security Council, you wouldn't necessarily think about the Seychelles.
Yet as the Panama Papers, the biggest leak in global history, has shown, the idyllic archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean off East Africa has played its part in keeping Assad in the Presidential Palace in Damascus.
Inside Panama Papers: How the rich hide their money
What this demonstrates is that what appears from a distance to be an insular, authoritarian regime far more proficient in the tools of medieval warfare than modern capitalism, has actually used the levers of globalisation well to protect its interests.

Evasion of sanctions 

What the 11.5 million leaked documents reveal is that three Syrian companies close to the government - Maxima Middle East Trading, Morgan Additives Manufacturing and Pangates International - used the already infamous Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca to create shadow or shell companies in the Seychelles to avoid the increasing pressure of global sanctions.
Considering how near the regime was to collapse before the Russian intervention, this evasion of sanctions is fairly significant. The Panama Papers suggest it paid for fuel that kept Syria's Air Force helicopters and airplanes in the air.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Where is paul,Chow hidding?Was Michel off shore company directly invovled?What knowledge had or did pl government played?where is FIU,ehy it,has never opened any money launderying against anyone so far,though the various claims that,Seychelles via its government is,involved in money laundering?

Anonymous said...

A decade ago,pl was involved in the Rwanda genocide by supplying arms to one clan,today we are discovering that pl through its service to Assad,is being involve in the genocide being perpetuated by Assad.while the same pl past law to supposedly fight illegal terrorists,drug traffickers money,here we are,pl is deliberately helping State Terrorist Assad hidding millions of syrian tax payers that is,then used to financing the butchering of Syria.
Should the ICC considers going after helpers of those comitting genocide on their people,just as it is the case for those who help terrorist groups like Aikada etc....?
Michel should give his demmission and investigated...........this guy actions are destroying Seycheles image abroad,,those causing the damage to our country should be apprenhended and jail,starting with,Chief~of~thug Michel.

Anonymous said...

I heard Guy Adam is having sleepless nights.

Anonymous said...

The Lynion Demokratik sesselwa,chose R .Mancienne as leader.......Is Ram out?

Anonymous said...

Mossack and Fonseca offices have been raided in Panama.
In Seychelles it is business as usual?
We do not want this type of business in Seychelles - PL do you understand this language?

Anonymous said...

Noraid in the Fonseka branch in seychelles through the leak shows seychelles is involved.

Anonymous said...

10,13 AM
Pl would blah blah one or two words on the issue to make us believe pl is serious,about fighting corruption,but we all know pl is so adficted to comitting crimes that pl would stay as quiet as they can be for i.most cases of dirty money plmembers are i.volvedd.

Since the Panam Papers came public,we heard pl passing Anti~corruption law,but did pl passed a similar law in 2010,and created FIU..........?Since FIU was created not a single corruption case has been presented by this pl built and controled organization though the many corruption cases reaised............for instance,the 2,4 bilions in swiss bank,or the 50millions gifted to Seychelois but has ben illigally banked in UK....etc.....and when it comes to anti~corruption laws,they are just for window dressing and to fool internationsl donors...........
HO many anti~corruption must pl passed before a single clause is implemented?Each time pl is exlposed,pl passed an anti~corruption law but never implement.......
We believe the new building going to be built where Pirate arms was,is over budget by over SR 150 million rupees.....should Fiu be alerted by it and at least get SPF explain itself...........?

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