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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
@OCCRP
Sep 18, 2020 • 5 tweets • 2 min read • Read on X
NEW: Starting with a meeting the day before Trump’s inauguration, here’s the true story behind the "bromance" between President Trump and Turkey’s Erdoğan.

Starring: Trump’s top lobbyist, a Russian oligarch, a jailed shipping tycoon, and Lev Parnas. 1/
occrp.org/en/investigati…
The meeting led to two multi-million dollar contracts for the firm of Brian Ballard, a lobbyist with ties to Trump. It helped build a relationship btw. the two leaders, in which the US president has made foreign policy moves that have baffled both his adversaries and allies. 2/
Involved in setting up the deals was Lev Parnas, whose work with Rudy Giuliani led to Trump’s impeachment.

Also involved were Mübariz Mansimov, a Turkish shipping tycoon accused of terrorism, and Farkhad Akhmedov, a Russian oligarch listed by the US as a Kremlin ally. 3/
Parnas awaits trial on campaign finance charges, and was hit with fresh fraud charges by US prosecutors yesterday. He has since turned on his former allies in Trump’s circle, offering up evidence of int'l deal-making.

Read more about his journey here. 4/
occrp.org/en/investigati…
This investigation was a collaborative effort with our US media partners, @CourthouseNews and @NBCNews 5/

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More from @OCCRP

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Feb 20
As Secretary General of the @oscepa, Roberto Montella observed last year’s pivotal election in Georgia and took part in a closed-door meeting on the wording of the OSCE’s post-election report.

⚽️But just weeks earlier, he had flown to Tbilisi to attend a football match organized by a top ruling party official occrp.org/en/scoop/osce-…Image
Montella, himself a former football player, travelled to Tbilisi in September 2024 with veteran members of a hometown club, AC Milan, who were set to play a friendly match against a Georgian team.

The local organizer of the event, former AC Milan player Kakha Kaladze, was an old friend.Image
But since leaving football, Kaladze has pursued a stellar career with the country's ruling party Georgian Dream — which had cracked down on civil society, media, and the political opposition amid mass protests.

He is now one of the party’s top figures, and the mayor of Tbilisi.
Read 8 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Feb 14
NEW: After being sanctioned by the US last year, Georgia’s richest man and honorary chair of its ruling party, Bidzina Ivanishvili, moved his assets home. Experts say the effect is to “transfer the risk from himself and his own wealth to the country of Georgia.” occrp.org/en/scoop/slapp…Image
Many of Ivanishvili’s assets were transferred on a single day, January 17, including a firm with construction rights on 12,000 square meters of land within a state-owned national park, @OCCRP, @ifactgeorgia and @georgia_gmc found occrp.org/en/scoop/slapp…
@ifactgeorgia @georgia_gmc Among the transferred assets, reporters found, is a previously-unknown residence in the spa town of Abastumani. It’s got a spa, swimming pool, Turkish bath, rooftop orangery, and basketball court.
Read 4 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Jan 28
NEW: A Cypriot company ultimately owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich set up a fake superyacht rental business in an apparent attempt to dodge millions of euros in tax, leaked emails show.

Here’s what we found with @TBIJ and @BBCNews 👇

occrp.org/en/project/cyp…
Between 1999-2010, Abramovich assembled a $1.2 billion fleet of superyachts.

But operating superyachts is expensive, and in the EU, value-added tax must be paid on everything needed to keep them in service…

… unless they were used for commercial purposes.

(Pixsell/Alamy) Image
In 2005, people working for Abramovich set up a complex scheme via Cypriot company Blue Ocean Yacht Management renting the superyachts to customers.

In reality, the “customers” hiring the yachts were companies owned by an offshore trust — ultimately benefitting Abramovich. Image
Read 6 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Jan 15
🇰🇪Kenya has an abduction problem.

Since anti-government protests in June, at least 82 people have been kidnapped; 29 are still missing. Some have been found dead.

One kidnapping victim, activist Bob Njagi, was snatched from a public bus in August. ⤵️
occrp.org/en/news/the-co…
Njagi was dragged into a vehicle by four hooded men, tortured, and taken to a building where he remained in a room alone. He was fed once a day.

Over a month after his abduction, Njagi was dropped on the side of the road. He had no idea where he was, but eventually got home.
Njagi said he believes the number of people kidnapped is much higher than reported.

The disappearances appear to follow a similar pattern and target people who have been critical of Kenyan President William Ruto's government. Image
Read 5 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Jan 14
NEW: The fugitive alleged boss of a Philippine human trafficking and cyberfraud operation purchased Cyprus citizenship and stashed 2 million euros in a real estate firm there, reporters have discovered.

Our scoop with @TheCIReN and @rapplerdotcom 👇 Image credit: Joann Manabat/Rappler
Philippine authorities have charged Huang Zhiyang with human trafficking, sued him for alleged money laundering, and frozen at least five of his bank accounts.

But before he was a suspect, Huang obtained citizenship in Cyprus by investing 2 million euros in a real estate firm. Presidential anti-corruption officers in the Philippines showed several of Huang Zhiyang’s passports following a raid on his villa. Photo credit: Joann Manabat/Rappler
Philippine officials said they were unaware of Huang’s Cypriot funds until reporters informed them.

Authorities have no immediate plans to pursue the funds.
Read 5 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
Dec 27, 2024
Less than two months before Bashar al-Assad’s regime fell, Syrian intelligence was busy spying. Its work included targeting journalists and their families.

Exclusive documents shared with our partner @SIRAJ_SYRIA show how Assad’s secret service targeted journalists. Photo credit: IMAGESLIVE/Alamy Stock Photo
Discovered at General Intelligence Directorate (GID) headquarters after rebel groups took power on Dec. 8, the documents reveal the Assad regime’s paranoia about independent media.

Journalists exposing corruption were framed as spies. The General Intelligence Directorate in Damascus, Syria. Photo credit: Ali Ibrahim/SIRAJ
One story that rattled Assad’s GID?

An investigation by SIRAJ and OCCRP that traced the supply chain sending European trucks to Syria despite sanctions, uncovering how loopholes let Volvo, Scania, and Mercedes trucks enter the country.

occrp.org/en/investigati…
Read 5 tweets

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