PEP ALERT ... PHILIPPINE PEPS IN KICKBACK PROBE

For the past month an inquiry by Philippine authorities into a corruption scandal involving the awarding of an internet broadband contract worth more than $300 million, has been in progress. The President’s husband Jose Miguel Arroyo (UID 35971) has reportedly been asked to explain his part in the contract being awarded to a China state enterprise ZTE Corp. The former election commissioner Benjamin Abalos (UID 211821) has been accused of seeking kickbacks from the China Corporation for himself and Arroyo. World-Check’s team of research analysts are currently monitoring developments and will update as more information becomes available.

Early in March Viktor Bout (UID 9398) was detained by Thai authorities in Bangkok on an international arrest warrant requested by the US government. Reportedly Bout was lured out of his native Russia to Bangkok on the pretext of an arms deal involving the Colombian narco-terrorist group FARC. Bout appears on numerous sanction watch lists but was first profiled in World-Check more than seven years ago, that is more than three years before the US Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) listed him under their Liberian sanctions programme for his association to the former Liberian President Charles Taylor (UID 3232). Thai authorities have stated that Bout, who is being held in custody, will be tried under Thai law even though the US has requested his extradition. His first application for bail was denied as authorities view him as a flight risk. Nicknamed the ‘Merchant of Death’ for his alleged role in the illegal global arms trade, Bout has operated his fleet of cargo aircraft in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. To read more about Bout, his numerous heightened risk associates as well as his many enterprises, check out his extensive profile on our database.

MUSIC MAGNATE IN US$300M FRAUD CASE

Lou Pearlman (UID 200084) the music entrepreneur who introduced boy bands the Backstreet Boys and INSYNC to the industry has admitted to defrauding investors out of millions of dollars in financial scams. This month Pearlman pleaded guilty to conspiracy, money laundering and making false statements. Pearlman has agreed to co-operate with authorities to bring his co-conspirators to justice. He will also be required to forfeit assets for restitution. Pearlman was arrested in July 2007. He will be sentenced at a later date. Follow the case on our profile and adverse risk specific search engine News Check.

SICILY SEIZE MAFIA ASSETS

The alleged frontman for the Cosa Nostra, Andrea Impastato (UID 535433) has had more than US$150m of assets seized by Sicilian courts. The assets which Impastato was allegedly ‘looking after’ are purported to be those of Bernando Provenzano (UID 15119) who was arrested in 2006 after more than 40 years on the run from authorities, and his successor Salvatore Lo Piccolo (UID 138961) who was detained in November last year. All three are currently serving lengthy jail sentences in Italy.

BRAZILIAN BANK ROBBER BEHIND BARS

Antonio Jussivan Alves dos Santos (UID 375569) was the leader of a gang who in August 2005 pulled off Brazil’s biggest bank robbery. This month authorities sentenced Santos to 49 years and two months in jail. The gang is alleged to have made off with more than US$70 million. Even though a dozen members of the gang have now been sentenced only half of the stolen money has been found. Check out the Graphic Display on Santos’ profile to reveal his network of associates.

Poland's former Ambassador to Belarus, Mariusz Maszkiewicz, has accused the government of Belarus of using the state-owned oil company, Belneftekhim, to commit money laundering for Petroleos de Venezuela, also known as PdVsa, Venezuela's state-owned oil company. …read more

In 2003 Inderjit Singh Reyat (UID 259069) was convicted of supplying the materials for the bomb which exploded on the 1985 Air India flight killing 329 passengers and crew. This month having served out his five year sentence in prison Reyat appeared in court again. The judge ordered that Reyat will go on trial in January 2009 on perjury charges. It is alleged that he lied whilst testifying for the Crown against two other individuals who were accused of involvement in the Air India bombing.

The trial of Mohammed Mahmout (UID 707043) and his spouse Mona Achmed Salem (UID 707044) has started in Vienna. They are accused of being part of a terrorist organization – Al Qaida (UID 7246). In March 2007 the couple purportedly posted a statement on the Internet under the name of a group called ‘Voice of the Caliphat’ threatening to attack targets in Germany and Austria unless the two countries withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. The couple were arrested in September 2007. Mahmout and Salem are also charged with plotting bomb attacks to take place at the venues of the European soccer championships to be held in June 2008.

In 1983 Brendan McFarlane (UID 818835 ) a member of the IRA (UID 1437) escaped from the Maze prison in Northern Ireland where he had been serving life imprisonment for a 1976 bomb and gun attack on a bar in Belfast’s Shankill Road. In 1986 he was arrested in the Netherlands and returned to Northern Ireland to serve his sentence. During his period of ‘freedom’ he was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of a businessman in the Republic. McFarlane was released from the Maze on parole in 1997 and was a year later charged with the unlawful imprisonment and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life. He has mounted a 10 year legal battle against these charges. His most recent appeal in March 2008 was rejected. A date will now be set for his trial before the non-jury Special Criminal Court.

This month a court in Rabat increased the jail time to be served by two of the terrorists who appealed their sentences. Hassan Khattab (UID 599252) the alleged head of Ansar El Mahdi (UID 586234) had his sentence increased by 5 years to 30. Khattab was accused of planning to set up an Islamist state in the mountains of northern Morocco. Khattab’s compatriot Yassine Ouardini’s (UID 776364) also had his sentence increased by five years he will now stay behind bars for 25 years

In February 2008, World-Check research analysts created more than 19,000 new profiles of heightened risk individuals and entities and updated almost 30,000 existing profiles.
Check out the latest news about World-Check in our Press Articles section; English, Spanish and Portuguese news articles have recently been added.
Read our latest Expert Talk written by former deputy assistant secretary of the US Treasury for intelligence and analysis Matthew Levitt, entitled Is Combating the Financing of Terrorism Worthwhile?

For information and frequently asked questions please visit our website by clicking here.