GENEVA: Israeli diamond and minerals magnate Beny Steinmetz went on trial in Switzerland on Monday on charges of corruption and forging documents in an alleged bid to win lavish iron ore mining concessions in Guinea by paying millions to a former wife of late President Lansana Conte.
Steinmetz, 64, the only one of three defendants present Monday in the Geneva court, has denied the charges. The alleged plot involved Steinmetz’s BSGR Group squeezing out a rival for mining rights for vast iron ore deposits in Guinea’s southeastern Simandou region over several years.
In an opening statement, Steinmetz lawyer Marc Bonnant said the alleged corruption took place many years ago, raised questions about why the other defendants were absent and called on the Geneva tribunal to declare “null and void” the case against the tycoon.
Attendance at the courtroom in Geneva’s old town was limited because of concerns about COVID-19.
The Geneva prosecutor’s office says the defendants were alleged to have engaged in corruption of foreign officials and falsification of documents to hide from authorities and banks the paying of bribes. Some funds allegedly transited through Switzerland in a case that has been investigated in Europe, Africa and the United States.
The prosecutor’s office argues Steinmetz, starting in 2005, put together a pact of corruption with Conte, who ruled Guinea from 1984 to 2008, and his fourth wife, Mamadie Toure, involving the payment of nearly $10 million.
Swiss transparency group Public Eye said Steinmetz had employed “opaque structures” to hide the allegedly corrupt schemes that were managed from Geneva, where he lived until 2016. The group, citing a “historic trial” said the case showed how tax havens can be used to conceal questionable, “even illegal” activities in countries with weak governance and regulation.
The trial is expected to run through Jan. 15, with a verdict expected on Jan. 22.
Israeli tycoon in Swiss court over alleged bribes in Guinea
https://arab.news/mb6kj
Israeli tycoon in Swiss court over alleged bribes in Guinea
- Steinmetz, 64, the only one of three defendants present Monday in the Geneva court, has denied the charges
Ten cops killed as separatist militants launch ‘coordinated’ attacks in Pakistan’s southwest — police
- The attacks began in Balochistan’s capital of Quetta at around 6am with a powerful explosion, followed by intense gunfire
QUETTA: At least 10 security officials and 37 militants were killed as “coordinated” attacks were launched by separatist militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), across several cities of Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province, an official quoted by AFP said Saturday.
The attacks in the provincial capital of Quetta began at around 6am with a powerful explosion, followed by intense gunfire that lasted for two hours along with multiple explosions.
Residents of Dalbandin and Nuhski said they heard explosions and gunfire in the districts early Saturday morning, while there were reports of similar attacks in Mastung, Gwadar, Pasni and Turbat.
A senior police official, who requested anonymity, told Arab News that the militants attempted to enter the provincial capital of Quetta but police and other law enforcement agencies stopped them.
“The terrorists attacked a police mobile at Sariab road which resulted in the killing of two policemen,” he said. “Police and other law enforcement agencies denied space to the terrorists in Quetta city and a clearance operation is still going on.”
Balochistan, which borders Iran and Afghanistan, is the site of a decades-long insurgency waged by Baloch separatist groups who often attack security forces and foreigners, and kidnap government officials.
Shahid Rind, the Balochistan chief minister’s aide for media and political affairs, said police and paramilitary Frontier Corps (FC) had foiled the attacks and were chasing the assailants.
“After the killing of more than 70 terrorists at different places in Balochistan in the last two days, terrorists have attempted to attack at a few places in Balochistan, which have been foiled by timely action by the police and FC,” he said on X.
“At present, the pursuit of the fleeing terrorists is underway. More details will be revealed very soon.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, BLA said the group had launched ‘Operation Herof 2.0,’ which included a series of attacks in multiple cities of Balochistan.
Saturday’s attacks follow coordinated attacks carried out by the group in Aug. 2024 in various districts of Balochistan which killed dozens of people.
The separatists accuse the central government of stealing the region’s resources to fund development elsewhere in the country. The Pakistani government denies the allegations and says it is working for the uplift of local communities in Balochistan.
Pakistan Railways has suspended train service from Balochistan to other parts of the country for a day, following Saturday’s attacks.
“Quetta-Peshawar bound Jaffar Express, and Quetta-Chaman passenger trains have been canceled due to the prevailing security situation in Balochistan,” Muhammad Kashif, the railways controller in Quetta division, told Arab News.
At least four police officials in as many districts confirmed to AFP the situation was not completely under control yet.
“At least four policemen were killed in Quetta alone,” he added, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
A senior military official based in Islamabad confirmed the attacks, adding they were “coordinated but poorly executed.”
