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10 Nov, 5 tweets, 2 min read
OCCRP and @rapplerdotcom recently exposed ties btw Michael Yang, a close ally of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, and a growing COVID-19 procurement scandal.

Now, revelations show Yang is suspected of having run a meth network. Here's what we know 👇
occrp.org/en/investigati…
2) In August, we uncovered that Taiwanese businessmen with close ties to Michael Yang were behind Pharmally Pharmaceuticals, an obscure firm that received the Philippines' largest contracts — by far — for COVID-19 PPE. Yang was a key financier in the deal.
rappler.com/newsbreak/inve…
3) The investigation has sparked a political furore in the Philippines.

The Senate issued two arrest warrants for Yang, who was also recently placed on an immigration watchlist.

But accusations against Yang go beyond shady procurement deals. 👇 rappler.com/nation/senate-…
4) Recent testimony given to the International Criminal Court alleges that Yang coordinated a network of methamphetamine labs in the early 2000s.

The affidavit also corroborates a 2017 intelligence report from a police colonel who had accused Yang of similar crimes.
5) Duterte ran for president on an anti-corruption and anti-drug platform.

Yet today’s story shows that his former advisor:
➡️ is accused of playing a key role in the narcotics trade
➡️ had secret ties to lucrative gov’t contracts

Follow @rapplerdotcom for updates on this story

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More from @OCCRP

Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
25 Oct
NEW: As Huawei inked a major deal to overhaul Serbia's telecom infrastructure, the Chinese tech giant paid large sums to an offshore firm linked to a former executive at Serbia’s state-owned telecommunications company, the #PandoraPapers reveal. 1/7

occrp.org/en/the-pandora…
Telekom Srbija began purchasing Huawei equipment during Igor Jecl's tenure at the state-owned company.

He left in 2008. But with @KRIKrs, we reveal that his dealings with Huawei did not end there. He appears to have received over $1.4 million from the Chinese multinational. 2/7
@KRIKrs This all happened offshore, through Rofly Investments Ltd 🇻🇬, which was carefully set up to obscure its ownership. #PandoraPapers documents show the shell company received over 650,000 euros from Huawei.

Rofly began transferring money and real estate to Jecl. 3/7
Read 7 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
20 Oct
EVENT: #TheCaviarConnection, a thrilling investigative film by OCCRP partner @laurentrichard0 with @FbdnStories is premiering in the U.S. at @DOCNYCfest!

View online Nov. 11-28

Or in person Nov. 17 at Cinépolis Chelsea, NYC 👇
docnyc.net/film/the-cavia…
2) How do dictators like those in Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan launder their reputations?

“If everybody knew how these countries actually operated, they would be worldwide pariahs.”
— @DrewOCCRP in #TheCaviarConnection.
3) #TheCaviarConnection features investigative journalist @Khadija_Ismayil who defied pressure to launch an investigation into Azerbaijan's ruling elites.
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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
14 Oct
🏆 The #PegasusProject, a collaborative international investigation led by @FbdnStories, has just won the 2021 Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism. The award ceremony was held in the European Parliament today. THREAD ⬇️ europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-… 1/9
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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
14 Oct
NEW: Two obscure UK companies have exported millions of dollars of mineral fertilizer and petroleum products made at state-run plants in Turkmenistan.

We found they have secret ties to the nephews of the country's authoritarian president.
#PandoraPapers

occrp.org/en/the-pandora…
An obscure Scottish company that doesn’t even have a website, Caran Holdings exported vast amounts of fertilizer from a state chemical plant built with a Japanese loan.

Today’s investigation reveals how Caran is connected to President Berdimuhamedov's nephew, Hajymyrat Rejepov.
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Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
13 Oct
NEW: Switzerland-based commodities giant Trafigura paid influential insider Kudakwashe Tagwirei $100 million in fees for his help securing a sweetheart deal for access to Zimbabwe’s fuel market.

occrp.org/en/investigati…
As Zimbabwe’s economy has floundered, Tagwirei — a tycoon known as “Queen Bee” due to his vast economic influence — has flourished, benefitting from shadowy contracts worth billions and preferential access to minerals and scarce foreign currency.
OCCRP learned he also received $100 million in fees from Trafigura for helping them dominate Zimbabwe’s fuel market. “Only one set of interests controls the fuel: Trafigura and Tagwirei,” Zimbabwe's former finance minister told OCCRP.
Read 6 tweets
Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project Profile picture
7 Oct
NEW: The longtime speaker of Azerbaijan’s parliament, Oktay Asadov, had a $30,000 annual salary. But his family owns real estate worth millions in London, Moscow, and Dubai. #PandoraPapers 1/ occrp.org/en/the-pandora…
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