NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Craig Weiner, Esq. of Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP and Avi Pawar of Aspect Law, on behalf of multiple clients they are representing in lawsuits alleging financial piracy by the Republic of Seychelles, today released the text of a letter sent to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. The letter calls for an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles sponsorship of “international financial piracy on a massive scale.”
The complete text of the letter to the International Criminal Court follows below. A copy of the letter, in addition to three Complaints filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York relating to this matter have been provided to the International Criminal Court and also forwarded to the International Monetary Fund and African Development Bank.
March 8, 2011
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VIA FEDEX |
| International Criminal Court |
| Office of the Prosecutor |
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Communications |
| Post Office Box 19519 |
| 2500 CM The Hague |
| The Netherlands |
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Re: |
Financial Piracy in the Republic of Seychelles: |
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Call for an Investigation |
To Whom It May Concern:
This communication requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violating the Rome Statute.1 See Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, art. 5, opened for signature July 17, 1998. Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP has been engaged by numerous parties that have been subjected to outrageous conduct in Seychelles. We write to you on behalf of our clients.
The Republic of Seychelles (“Seychelles”) is currently sponsoring international financial piracy on a massive scale. Since 2008, Seychelles has been robbing the bank accounts of legitimate businesses and law abiding citizens from around the world. Seychelles has resorted to extortion, kidnapping for ransom, and threatening children to prevent anyone from challenging its bid to rebuild its foreign reserves through state-sponsored piracy.
The Seychelles and its Financial Intelligence Unit (the “FIU”) have seized over 100 bank accounts from foreign depositors in the last three years. The FIU is purportedly tasked with protecting the financial system of the Seychelles. Instead, it uses its authority to rob foreign depositors of their money. The FIU is staffed by former Irish police and military officers who have been specially hired by the Seychelles for this task and purportedly receive substantial commissions on all monies seized. Specifically, Liam Hogan, Barry Galvin, Declan Barber and Joe Cully staff the FIU.
The modus operandi of the FIU is simple. First, the FIU scouts bank accounts held by foreign depositors in the Seychelles. Next, it uses its authority to freeze and then rob target accounts -- without any justification. Indeed, on more than one occasion, the FIU has frozen account withdrawals, while allowing deposits to continue, in a surreptitious bid to increase the funds the FIU can to confiscate. Last, if an account holder tries to recover his money, the FIU will go to great lengths to stop him.
We are aware of numerous cases in which the FIU has robbed or attempted to rob the bank accounts of innocent businesses and individuals -- three of which have thus far resulted in lawsuits in the U.S.
For example, in the Scholes case, two Britons named Steven Scholes and Terence Stewart were arrested on false charges, kidnapped by the FIU, and ransomed for the money held in their Seychelles based bank accounts. The FIU held them for over three months and threatened them with fabricated drug charges. The FIU repeatedly menaced and interrogated the 14 year old daughter of Mr. Scholes to further intimidate him and his family. The FIU even threatened to imprison Mr. Scholes’ wife, so that his two young daughters would be placed under the custody of the Republic of Seychelles. Under this relentless pressure, Mr. Scholes and Stewart gave in, paid their ransom, and left the Seychelles.
Given these nature of these allegations, the undersigned respectfully requests that the Office of the Prosecutor commence an investigation into the Republic of Seychelles for violations of the Rome Statute. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss this matter and/or need further supporting documentation.
| Very truly yours, | ||||||
| (signed) | ||||||
| Craig Weiner | ||||||
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Hofheimer Gartlir & Gross LLP |
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| (signed) | ||||||
| Avi Pawar | ||||||
| Aspect Law |
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1 |
All of the contents of this communication are set forth in and based upon the publicly filed allegations in the complaints in Xiao et al. v. Republic of Seychelles, 09 CIV 9845; Scholes et al. v. Republic of Seychelles, 10 CIV 3672; and Cooperhill Investments Limited et al. v. Republic of Seychelles, 11 CIV 0962. Copies of these complaints are enclosed for your review. |