How to Rob Africa | People & Power
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- Опубликовано: 6 ноя 2012
- The world's wealthy countries often criticise African nations for corruption - especially that perpetrated by those among the continent's government and business leaders who abuse their positions by looting tens of billions of dollars in national assets or the profits from state-owned enterprises that could otherwise be used to relieve the plight of some of the world's poorest peoples.
Yet the West is culpable too in that it often looks the other way when that same dirty money is channelled into bank accounts in Europe and the US.
International money laundering regulations are supposed to stop the proceeds of corruption being moved around the world in this way, but it seems the developed world's financial system is far more tempted by the prospect of large cash injections than it should be.
Indeed the West even provides the getaway vehicles for this theft, in the shape of anonymous off-shore companies and investment entities, whose disguised ownership makes it too easy for the corrupt and dishonest to squirrel away stolen funds in bank accounts overseas.
This makes them nigh on impossible for investigators to trace, let alone recover.
It is something that has long bothered Zimbabwean journalist Stanley Kwenda - who cites the troubling case of the Marange diamond fields in the east of his country.
A few years ago rich deposits were discovered there which held out the promise of billions of dollars of revenue that could have filled the public purse and from there have been spent on much needed improvements to roads, schools and hospitals.
The surrounding region is one of the most impoverished in the country, desperate for the development that the profits from mining could bring. But as Kwenda found out from local community leader Malvern Mudiwa, this much anticipated bounty never appeared.
"When these diamonds came, they came as a God-given gift. So we thought now we are going to benefit from jobs, infrastructure, we thought maybe our roads were going to improve, so that generations and generations will benefit from this, not one individual. But what is happening, honestly, honestly it's a shame!"
What is happening is actually something of a mystery because though the mines are clearly in operation and producing billions of dollars worth of gems every year, little if any of it has ever been put into Zimbabwe's state coffers.
Local and international non-governmental organisations say they believe this is because the money is actually being used to maintain President Robert Mugabe's ruling Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) in power.
True or not, it is clear that the country's finance minister, Tendai Biti, has seen none of it. A representative of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, which sits in uneasy coalition with ZANU-PF, he says he has no idea where it is going.
"We have got evidence of the quantities that are being mined, the quantities that are being exported but nothing is coming to the fiscus .... All I know is that it's not coming to the treasury. So that is a self-evident question. It is not coming to us. That means someone is getting it. The person who is getting it is not getting it legally. Therefore, he's a thief, therefore she's a thief."
Sadly, as Stanley Kwenda has realised, it is typical of a problem found all over Africa.
The continent is rich is natural resources that are being exploited for big profits, but the money is rarely used for the benefit of the people. Instead it goes to line the pockets of corrupt officials who then often smuggle it out to be deposited in secret offshore bank accounts in the developed world.
So who facilitates these transactions? And how and why does the developed world make it so easy to launder this dirty cash?
In this revealing investigation for People & Power, Kwenda and the Ghanaian undercover journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas, set off to find out. Posing as a corrupt Zimbabwean official and his lawyer, their probe takes them deep into the murky world of 'corporate service providers' - experts in the formation of company structures that allow the corrupt to circumvent lax international money laundering rules.
It just so happens that the pair's enquiries take place in the Seychelles but, as they discover to their horror, they could just as easily be in any one of a number of offshore locations (or even in the major cities of Europe and the US) where anonymous companies can be set up for the express purpose of secretly moving money and keeping its origins hidden from prying eyes.
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well done again Al Jazeera , you seem to be the only people doing real non biased investigative journalism these days ..i hope something comes of out of it though..
Good journalism, I wish we could have this kind of journalism everywhere.
young africans stand up 4 our great continent, we are the majority of africa's population , if we stand together we can get rid of all these corrupt so called leaders and all outside entities.Only we can fight against poverty in africa and only we can fix africa's problems.
The only way to fight the vices of Africa is to face our problems head on. This documentary is a step in the right direction. Great journalism sir
Africa need a revolution.
No it's need one strong leader. A revolution would destroy the country
Africa is not a country, it is a continent with more than half of the world's countries in it.
Africa has had like 1000 strong leaders. You get 1 guess as to what happened to them?
thomas sonkara
Great book "How Europe Underdeveloped Africa" by Walter Rodney.
Gaddafi wanted to Unite Africa but Europeans killed him.
HIS PEOPLE DID,,,europe does not care about that clown,,
No his people did not. Europe and America ganged up and killed him. That is what the west is trying to do. Fight in Russia, Iran and other places. Clinton wanted to continue the war. America knew better and decided otherwise.
No, actually MOST PEOPLE SUPPORTED GADDAFI the media distorted the situation to make it look like a monster (and i dont even like the guy so much but is reality). And OF COURSE EUROPE CARE A LOT otherwise they wouldnt have supported USA intervention, duh... you shameless european apologizers, always trying to make look like Europe is an angel incapable of doing wrong, be reasonable XD.
and Africans didn't protect him. They just sent flowers and condolence cards and kept begging the West for loans.
Shaun, what makes you think that Gaddafi wanted to unite Africa? Do you think that Gaddafi was a stupid man? Africa is a huge continent, and there are so many countries not getting their own act together, let alone getting a cohesive Africa together. Gaddafi had a hard time keeping Libia together, and I think he did do a good job, but he made the mistake of supporting terrorist organisations, and that led to him not making friends with western countries. I personally think that Gaddafi was doing a good job keeping the idiots of his own country at bay, and we can see that since he was killed, there is only chaos in Libia, and that is more than likely, because these people are not ready for a working democracy.
You say that Europeans killed him, but that is not true, his own people killed him. Western countries such as England, France, Germany, and the United States, would have had good reason to kill him, because he supported global terrorism, but it wasn't western people who killed him, it was his own people.
Let me give you some advise, if you want to make a comment about world politics, get properly INFORMED. That way, you don't make yourself look like a total idiot.
that is great journalism.Thank you sir.
I am proud of you ANAS. This is a great work from a great mind. Keep it up.
This WILL and MUST be dealt with if Africa is to rise!
+Gonginah of the egrograsian brotherhood what makes you think the resources are dried up
jacob lay Chinese are yellow, racist.
there is enuf for 100 chinas in africa,,
Thank you very much for this documentary. Moi and his foes drained Kenya clean but he is getting millions in pension paid by the poor people he robbed...that is how stupid we are!
Alfred Malam YEP they israel has a few coffee shops in kenya,,
Alfred Malam oh i been in the shops, and have spoked with the owners, but no much money on kenya,, for them,,they really have expensive shops in mombasa and ever somalia customers,,ahahha
a poor nation mean people are lacking of education.only living under the slavery forced by the hard labor worker.
Kenyans love politics almost as much as football - If only they could see how they are now being colonised by politicians - the political class, the white man in black skin
Bora Kabissa
MOI AND VODAFONE GOT SO RIGH. VODAFNE IS NEVER INPLICATED IN AFRICA..
Well done guys. This should have more views. Well done guys. Brave! Well done!
Fantastic video. This is indead a global problem that the people must rise up to the challenge of changing. For to long the powerful have stolen from us all. Even those in the west.
keep fighting for africa
RT,CNN and BBC watch this, this is what real journalism means.
Truth of the matter is we have to hold our leaders accountable first and not others. Yeah the people abroad who help them stash illegal money abroad are despicable but at the end of the day they aren't africans so why should they feel guilty? We have to take responsibility
It's just crazy and shocking..our former president 🇰🇪 Uhuru Kenyatta was discovered to have been doing the same! Africans leaders will never change...masses will continue dying in poverty 😱
" You need to stop singin ... and start swingin "
- Malcolm X
YOU ARE AWESOME ANAS! MORE POWER!
a very interesting doc, keep up the good work. smart young african.
Just in Angola the former president José Eduardo dos Santos his daugther Isabel dos Santos (the most rich woman in Africa) has more than 400 companies arround the World and the most of them are in developed countries. My advise to you is when you look to an African president, don't see him as Leader but as a dangerous thief that can impoverich an entire country
The arab spring was an american inspired terror campaign, look at the countries involved, name ONE that is any better for the ARAB spring.
+James T Cat Cato Tunisia.
Partido Please explain, in what ways is it any BETTER?
And how is this change attributable to the "Arab spring"?
it was facebook
but they africans need no one they always have tribes to fight each other..
IT WAS AN ACCIDENT AS THERE WAS FOOD SHORTAGE IN TUNISIA.//
As usual, corruption everywhere, it is a sad thing. We need more people like that reporter and his friend to show people just how bad things are.
Very very brave anas well done.
Great documentary
its not only the fault of the west its africa to UNITE stand up dont simply continue to be plundered and do nothing about it
When 2 billion dollars is syphoned from the natural resources of your country, you can't afford NOT to investigate it.
I hope these men are still alive, i know africa i grew up there
Blood diamonds circulating in the streets of Mayfair and Sunset boulevard
Africa should be the richest place in the world,but some of it is not due to the stealing of their resources,false promises of schools,infrastructure,hospitals,when all they leave is destruction and pollution. They should not be held accountable for any debt it should be automatically wiped off! due to everything that's been taken.
Be proud of who you are & Love your self ,because you are inna the richest place inna the World & they know this is power if you get control of your own stuff they will be knocking on our Doors
...
Great to hear the scapegoating is chosen rather than personal responsibility.
if people would stop being greedy there would be abit of hope in africa
i'm sorry. but that is a very uneducated stance.. reason y sk japan and malaysia are ok is that they don't have as many resources to exploit.. so multinationals focus on countries like S.africa & nigeria and others that are much wealthier in resources.. don't marginalize a group of people without understanding all that is happening there..
Brave Journalism!
this guy is very naive, about the Financial world. corruption exists everywhere, except that in some places it is better masked than in others.
Illuminated7 nooooo
not in usa and eu. you rob you pay with jail time and pay back
Yes in EU and USA the crooks are more sophisticated and have laws to protect them but they are not as blatant nor greedy. Greed is what gets crooks caught.
ur from africa.
Why you are shocked?! Majority of rich people are connected to the governments in western world,they together, keep their money in off shore banks. If I am rich I will put my millions£$ money into off shore banks. It is not save to keep my millions£$ in any country because the governments will always find way to still my, your money, through IRS and similar agencies.
thanks Amir, we are still alive
Quality and risk work, thanks internet while you can be you.
We need united states of Africa
Stanley,i'm happy that you are both alive,but i kinda wanted to hear his version of why he is doing this kinda work,when its effecting all of us africans(i'm somali),in a devastating way.To be a impartial investigative journalist,i think you and Mr.arnas should have heard him out,instead of bereting him,and not giving him a chance for him to explain himself.that said,i know this kinda work that you two and others are doing is much needed in our continent,and thanks for that..
trump has sent some troops to somalia ,,, so watch out,
I think this crash course on international corruption should be suitable for a class in evolutionary economics at Nairobi University.
I literally want to vomit... this sickens me to my core.
As that official in the end says, "There are malpractices everywhere... this is a global issue"
Money flight from Africa is an undenaiable fact. In the past ten year 2001 to 2010 alone 15billionUSD is plundered from Ethiopia alone according to Reporter Amharic nov. 4/ 2012 report. Bear in mind that Ethiopia approved 8 billion annual budget for the 2012/13 fiscal year.What makes the matter very frightening is that the trend of money flight in the recent years is alarmingly increasing.Take for example in 2010 alone a staggering rise to 3.5 billion from 1.4 years for Who is to blame? West?
Best journalists are from Africa for some reason. It's hard to explain.
i appreciate all your comments, but i dont see anyone talking about the solutions. how can people, law enforcement agencies, and investigators stop money laundering and corruption in Africa.
+Edgar Tigranyan They can't. It's a structural problem starting with the foundations of our economic system
First and formost aid should seize as its the primary corruption. leaders keep hiding it in foreign accounts yet taxpayers carry the burden with intersest.
@12.30 surprise surprise!
Nothing going to happen seychels belongs to India he has to go to a European for help he does not care and the African countries aren’t going to do anything with this outstanding info thanks any way
This doesn't just happen in Africa, corruption and international banking corporations are everywhere!
+bob yenan some are a lot worse
+Bin Boy you need to be re-educated. Drink some moonshine and hijack a ship off your coast. that is how to progress economically!!! You'll be rich rich like Mr Mugabe.
It mostly happens in Africa but rarely anywhere else, you're so ignorant!!!
I quite dont get what Anas means when he says, they can open companies on his name, using his ID on their behalf. what this means if we conceptualize it.
Not entirely sure - but believe that the guy with the hat, the 'lawyer' could open a company in his name (and not the name of the corrupt politician) - Next is the fact that the company then opens the bank account (not the lawyer) and so both human names are off the banking records.
This first company could be the 100% share holder in a second company - it is now the second company name that appears on the (2nd) bank accounts - This account can then invoice zim government for 'consultancy' or whatever - and the check gets paid by Zim
Dominica? How do these people know about that little Caribbean island? OMG?????? They are used to doing theses corruption.
Mr Lucas is not the problem here. He is a tool he is not the root. Let’s fight this but let’s not lose focus of the root causes
no justice no nation
Zen Offshore FOREVER !!!
Corruption with in africa is not bad, but corruption out side africa is bad,
The corruption within and outside Africa are working together.
That money does not come through any banks in Seychelles I assure you. Any sizeable transactions through a little country like Seychelles will be flagged but through someplace like London, New York, Switzerland, etc. easily lost. Places like France happily grant assylum to former corrupt African government officials and happily keep their money for them there. Seychelles is actively trying to bring investment into Africa not the other way around.
Democracy, and rule of law.
God will being these people to justice
dah welcome to the real world
We don't even elect our politician. Corporations, lobbyist and special interest group do. We have a very limited choice, but they are all terrible.
Poverty is a billion dollar industry in Africa.
people do react to injustice and corruption in their own way but then their nation is labelled as unstable, investment dry up and all it does is deepens their poverty.they are very few options to fighting corruption when then outcome can instability and more poverty but that doesn't mean people sit on their hands blaming others.but that doesn't the mean the west isn't completely blameless in the plight of these people
I hope Stanely Kwenda doesn't live in Africa cos he'll disappear if he lives there... that's sure
knowing my Africa very well :)
Yeah, im white and ashamed this man down below and dont agree with him at all. Im maybe white man but kind and lovely person.
I wonder what happened to mr. Lucas,but I should know by know that he simply walked away
isnt the problem at the government ministry that allows for money not to go to the tax coffers? I think the bankers are innocent. Their work is to make money, not to judge customer morality.
People blame God, the white Man, politicians, religion etc. They is no RIGHT without wrong we need to invest more on positive change because blaming will only send us to destruction
this is disgusting I don't think I can watch this video anymore.
Where are u? give me your email I wanna make a film and I think you will be useful after watching your documentary.
June 10, 2020: Dear God, set these people FREE. Amen. *1) “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God. Leviticus 19:31; 2) Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. Acts 8:22: 3) I have given you authority to trample on snakes & scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. Luke 10:19; and 4) Satan {thief} comes only to steal, kill and destroy, but I JESUS have come that they may have life more abundantly. John 10:10. Blessings, KATE
AMADU sahabi
amadusahabi
Shame!
I think the top African leaders are not strong enough, you need a leader that is strong and willing to make a change, you need someone like Putin.
they do lots of extra-judical killings ,,
NAW the west guys are getting smart look at Sudan they crazy for GUNS. Africa is no place too invest.
Can someone tell me how any major western country is currently "stealing" from Africa, and how those couple of anecdotes explains the widespread poverty and general backwardness of almost every single African nation .
My guess is that at some point, your faults are your own.
John Smith Those couple anecdotes as you say, are repeated over and over again by various other sources not just those two examples. This is basically the majority of Africa's problem in terms of economics. If resource and tax money doesn't go back to the people -> schools are of low quality -> people are not qualified -> people cannot get jobs -> lack of GDP -> what can you trade if nothing is produced? -> the natural resources being laundered are not part of GDP because they don't go back to country. There are many branches to the tree of corruption and that is only one.
Was that you doing that, or some other people that you are taking the credit for?
If he doesnt know how to implement anti money laundering laws he should find another job.
No one is braking any law in here. Are you serious this is a biggest fraud?
*Facepalm* Nevermind, you don't need to see it, everyone else can.
Talking about and blaming a monolithic "west" is equal to complete intellectual bankrupcy, something AJ is quite known for. But I guess it resonates quite well with the ideologically coloured worldview of their leftist viewers.
I miss the rains down in Africa.
Can't tes
Hahaha
So glad to be born in the WEST 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦
Alexander McNeil soon I’m gonna steal Canadian oil as well
Good for you, the west is a sinking ship, stay on it!
Hmm...
You know what? I think I have an idea.
I have noticed that;
More a country officially pushes for multiculturalism and racial cooperation in real life, more group of native racist get pushed to venting out online :)
In reality Australia is doing a lot to become harmonious multi-ethnic nation. We are also starting to focus on our increasingly important neighbours of Asia.
4 of the top 5 trading partners of Australia are Asian nations.
Those neonazi Aussie are not common in real life
The answer is simple we are not productive and we don't want to learn . We depend on prophecy while God want as to work . God gave us everything and ask as to be productive Africans are too lazy . We don't want to be innovative creative and independent we always want to depend on the white and what else do you except .Thank you Anas and your team .
Oswald Nii Lantey Lamptey
How is laundering tax dollar that is generated from labor of those working in mines equate to people being lazy?
Honest question, I just want to be sure I’m understanding the situation. If the money wasn’t laundered then wouldn’t the money go to building up infrastructure in African countries? And the improved infrastructure would boost moral thus making people more productive....
STOP SNITCHIN!!!!
This is why Africa is the least developed continent in the world by faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar
Yet you guys depends on Africans