Reports obtained by LOGI show that tests of one batch of fuel showed it could contain chemical waste. The quality of the fuel was so bad that it caused material damage to turbines at both the Jiyeh and Zouk power plants. Proceed to our online shop below to find out more about the features in each package. Following a scandal over the delivery of tainted fuel to the state-owned lectricit du Liban, 22 defendants will appear before the criminal court that upheld the charges, which include accepting bribes and forgery. NAFT TRADING S.A. The Lebanese National News Agency announced that the attorney-general of Mount Lebanon, Ghada Aoun, issued arrest warrants against 17 people working in the fuel sector because of import irregularities. Sonatrach signed the contract while Ali ibn-Buzeid was the manager of the London branch, and Muhammad Shawki Rahhal was the marketing manager, who had been accused in the first Sonatrach lawsuit. But the stench of corruption was too much. Tell Grant Shapps to stop giving away Emissions Trading Scheme permits, Former energy minister John Hayes, who has likened climate protesters to Radical Islam, has received a 50,000 salary from BB Energy since 2018. The MP has also drawn comparisons between climate activism and radical Islam, writing: Radical Islam, Black Lives Matter and the Extinction Rebellion are cultural not economic movements which want to disown our collective past and so transform our very way of life and so dictate the future.. After Rafik Damak was appointed by Ould Kaddour as the manager of the London branch in October 2017, the latter was able to remove many of the companys traditional clients out of the way. We are committed to acting as a model corporate citizen at all times and benefitting the local communities in which we operate. Then Paterson resigned, cancelling future parliamentary votes. This means that the judiciary has ruled pro forma for now. Since the Tories takeover of parliament in 2010, nine of the partys former treasurerswho donated huge amountswere given a position as a Lord. A Reuters news agency report shows that the mother company, BB Energy, was still sending petroleum to Syria in 2011. Sir John's earnings put him among the most well paid MPs. In one transaction, an executive from Rosnefts Geneva trading unit said PDVSA had given its approval for Rosneft to collect payment from trading firm BB Energy for the purchase of 525,000 barrels of fuel oil loaded on Jan. 3, according to an offer letter. Hayes declared his role at the oil traders, and there is no evidence that rules have been broken. Our experienced traders are situated in our offices throughout the globe; industry specialists who count gas, crude oil, light and middle distillates, as well as bitumen, as their specialities. BB Energy is one of the world's leading independent energy trading companies. BB Naft does not appear, however, among the subsidiaries listed on BB Energys Web site. The document showed that PDVSA and Reliance would pay Rosneft a marketing fee equivalent to around 3 percent of the sale price, split between them. Yacoubian said that high-level responsibility for the secret contract with Sonatrach and years of faulty fuel imports should be explored. Behind the scandalous lies and appalling plunder by the political elite and their business backers lies their drive to profit from pandemic suffering. His register of interests says he currently earns 50,000 in the role, for about 11 days work a year. BB Energy Group Holding Ltd. (DIFC) is managed by a Board of Directors comprising seven board members with five executive members and two non-executive members. Johnson even survived revelations that he would rather let the bodies pile high than push forward plans for a third lockdown. Testimonies collected by Mount Lebanon Investigative Judge Nicolas Mansour as part of the preliminary investigation pointed to suspected shady deals to forge lab tests for the fuels quality specifications, and to the involvement of employees at the labs as well as senior officials at the Energy Ministry, including the director-general of oil installations, Sarkis Hleiss. In an effort to save him even this punishment, Johnson instructed Tory MP Andrea Leadsom to put forward an amendment and set up a committee to prevent his suspension. The report claims peerages appeared to be a reward to thank wealthy donors for funding the Tory party. The Committee on Standards suggested Paterson should just be suspended from the Commons for 30 days. The Bassatne family incorporated BB Naft Trading S.A. in Panama, with Jrgen Mossack as a director. The money is in our account and as yet we have not paid anyone, said the spokesman. We hope to welcome you among our subscribers. One Bloomberg report showed BB Energy had $10 billion in revenues in 2012. The documents found in the Panama Papers are dated as far back as the early 1990s, when the Cuban economy crashed following the end of Moscows massive subsidies to the island. John Hayes earns 50,000 per year as a strategic advisor for BB Energy, a major trader in crude oil and other petrochemical products. For some 15 years, the public were informed that Lebanon was purchasing fuel from the Algerian state company Sonatrach. Corruption in the Energy Sector Corruption has been defined by Robert Klitgaard3 as "the abuse of office for personal gain". It has since been renewed four times. BB Energy Group has invested in Gasmeth Energy Global, a company focused on the responsibly extraction, processing, and distribution of methane gas from Rwandas Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes. Instead of seeking to polish and rescue parliaments reputation, Labour and the unions should be campaigning for a complete clean out of corrupted MPs. Read about our approach to external linking. Instead, investigations have revealed that at least two companies owned by Lebanese businessmen, BB Energy and ZR Energy, were bringing in the fuel. Socialist Worker (unless otherwise stated). However, the criminal court announced his innocence to the Algeria Judicial Council, which was concerned with the ongoing investigations in the second Sonatrach case. BB Energy is not known to be involved in fracking but says that it sells oil around the world - and is one of the largest traders in the Mediterranean. The analysis and opinions they express through LOGI are their own and do not reflect the view of their respective employers. Rosneft, which has heavily invested in Venezuela under President Vladimir Putin, did not respond to a request for a comment before Reuters published its story on Thursday. They usually resort to those intermediaries when entering new markets that are unfamiliar to them, in order to benefit from their status inside this market, which they have done in several Asian countries before building direct relationships with the clients. The Energy Ministry responded to criticism by explaining that resorting to large oil refineries made it possible to limit the commissions charged by intermediaries, and therefore limited the risk. MPs are elected to provide a voice for their constituents in Westminster, but when they also have lucrative side-jobs for private companies it raises questions over whose interests they are really serving, said Alex Runswick, senior advocacy manager at Transparency International UK. Still, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which enforces sanctions, has given no indications it would take that route. The family controls BB Energy, a conglomerate founded in Lebanon in 1937 that buys and sells 16 million metric tons of crude and derivatives each year. The government was forced to go back on itself and announced there would be a vote on Patersons suspension. Entity: B.B. They have not been called to account for the 37 billion spent on a failing test and trace system. Its ownership was in the form of anonymous bearer shares the owners are whoever has those shares. BB Energy Location 12-14 Ansdell St, London, Essex, W8 5BN, United Kingdom Description Read More Industry Some 22 of the biggest donors have gained a seat in the House of Lords in the past 11 years. Parliament is an unrepresentative, unaccountable front that covers for the real relations of power. That the energy industry carries heightened corruption risks is well documented: when the OECD analysed 427 anti-bribery enforcement actions in 2014, they found that almost one in five related to the extractive industries. LONDON, July 28 (Reuters) - Oil trading firm BB Energy has hired Jacques Erni as its new chief financial officer (CFO) starting Aug. 2 based in Dubai, the company said. Starmer even chose last week to announce that Labour was no longer in favour of abolishing the House of Lords. Tainted fuel scandal: 22 people and entities to stand trial. Forgery, using counterfeit documents, bribery, fraud and professional misconduct these are the charges brought against 22 people and entities following a pretrial investigation into a case of. All the other commercial activities were not affected by any sanctions because these regulations do not exist as such, he wrote in an email, adding that Mexico, Canada and the European Union have laws prohibiting their citizens and companies from obeying U.S. sanctions on Cuba. Independent MP Paula Yacoubian told LOGI that she believed Lebanese and Algerian mafias were involved in a corruption scheme tied to the fuel imports. A lawyer for Panamericana, Katiuska Peado Moreno, and a former commercial attach at the Cuban embassy in London, Alejandro Gutirrez Madrigal, are listed as the beneficiaries of shares in Miramar Investment Corporation Ltd. worth $50,000. Tory whips threatened MPs with the loss of local funding unless they fell into line. State-run Bangladesh Petroleum Corp., or BPC, has awarded the building contract to a consortium of Japan's Marubeni Corp., Vitol Asia Pte. Labour supports essentially the same system as now. I think we have more confidence in what didnt happen than what did.. He said, There is a will to hold those involved in the scandal accountable.. At parliament we will try to make sure that high level responsibility is also explored - including all the ministers who stayed silent over the years., Fuel import scandal shows why transparency matters. Petroecuador contracted BB Energy (Asia) Pte. The long list of companies linked to the Cuban government or active in Cuba also includes Sanford Management Financial Ltd.; Commercial Mercadu S.A. (linked to Panamericana); Amadis Compaa Naviera S.A.; Seagull and Seafoods, S.A.; Mavis Group S.A.; Octagon Industria Ltd; Travelnet; and Venus Associates Inc., among others. The documents reveal previously unknown details about the Cuban governments economic maneuvers abroad and the foreign companies that do business with Havana as some of the firms tried to hide Cubas hand in business deals to skirt the U.S. embargo. By Irina Slav - Sep 20, 2021, 9:30 AM CDT. In recent years, the company has become increasingly active in LPG and LNG. However, the dates for the first court hearings, which will be open to the public, have yet to be announced. Yes! Its worth mentioning that influential Lebanese politicians, from both ends, support these companies and compete to impose them as fuel importers. Few traders had room to receive physical barrels at Cushing. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND 3.1. The testimonies suggest that this system has been in place for years, resulting in Lebanon purchasing tainted fuel under a contract signed in 2005 with a subsidiary of Algerias Sonatrach Petroleum Corporation. Ltd., after several rounds of negotiations with a number of companies, the official added. BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Lebanon: A web of corruption Lebanon: A web of corruption As Lebanon endures worsening blackouts and fuel shortages, BBC Arabic investigates the. She has formally requested a parliamentary investigation committee be formed to probe the matter. Russia has loaned Venezuela almost $16 billion since 2006, which is being repaid in oil shipments, and has also taken significant stakes in petroleum projects, meaning it already controls a large slice of the South American countrys production. They escaped after senior adviser Dominic Cummings showed there was one law for the rich and another for the rest. As ordinary people lost their jobs and relied on furlough, many MPs increased their income from the start of the pandemic. If youre rich and want a place of power in politics, donate 3 million to the Conservative Party and youre likely to gain a peerage. The response of Sonatrachs representative in Lebanon, Tarek Fawal, was quick, as he declared the companys willingness to cooperate with the Ministry of Energy to resolve the issues related to what he called the lack of conformity of the last shipment of fuel to the specifications, noting that this shipmentestimated at 38,000 tonswas examined by three different international offices who confirmed that it in fact met the specifications stipulated in the contract. Khalid Mahmood (Labour) has committed up to 15 hours a month advising the Policy Exchange think tank on issues including extremism. In particular, the expensive refurbishment of the Downing Street flat. When MPs have lucrative side-jobs for private firms it raises questions over whose interests they are serving. Whatever youre interested in, theres a free openDemocracy newsletter for you. BB Energy is not known to be involved in fracking but says that it sells oil around the world and is one of the largest traders in the Mediterranean. The Public Prosecution in Mount Lebanon has triggered a heavy-caliber scandal, by arresting two dealers who were supposed to supply the Lebanese Electricity Company with Algerian fuel used in generating electricity. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and conditions and privacy policy. BBE has consolidated experience in trading, operations, chartering, logistics, storage, refining, and financing, trading in excess of 40 million metric tonnes (MT) of crude oil, petroleum product, and gas in 2021. Erni was most recently. It is noteworthy that Mr. Fawal is not authorized to sign the companys contracts, and he assured the Lebanese judiciary that he is merely a representative of Sonatrach in the negotiation processes, and not in concluding contracts. Pakistan ranks 140th in Transparency International's Corruption Index 2022 . Ltd., BB Energy (Gulf) DMCC and BB Holding S.A.L. Hayes declared his role at the oil. At BB Energy, we are constantly evolving in order to meet new challenges, while developing our personnel to ensure a competitive edge. The justification of the Sonatrach executives for adopting this type of contract (Fronting), which is renewed every three years, was the position of the intermediary in the Lebanese market, in addition to his taking all the risks related to the deals. After the Reuters story ran, Rosneft strongly denied the report, describing it as a blatant lie and a provocation against Rosneft. Since sanctions were imposed, Reliance has made such purchases with the full knowledge and approval of the U.S. Department of State (USDOS), Reliance said. Offer sent. This story was originally published June 7, 2016, 10:06 AM. A scandal over the import of sub-standard quality fuel into Lebanon has seen some two-dozen people arrested, two fuel tankers seized and the offices of two major fuel traders raided and sealed off amid ongoing investigations. While former energy ministers who signed and renewed the contract have been questioned, they are not currently at the center of criminal investigations. The inspectorate registered many irregularities and estimated that this branchs deals with the parent company, Sonatrach, and the ministry of defence involved inflated bills. Starting in the early 1990s, Cubas Ministry of Foreign Trade, through the Compaa Panamericana S.A, used Mossack Fonseca to create a string of disguised companies in Panama, the Bahamas and the British Virgin Islands that bought and sold medicines, cigars and food. Hayes recently opposed a plan to bring forward a ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars. It said it had purchased Venezuelan oil from Rosneft that was provided by PDVSA to the Russian company in repayment of past loans, so no money was flowing back to Maduros government. The CEEC was made up of local residents who are . They include BB Energy Trading Ltd., BB Energy Management S.A., BB Energy Holdings NV., BB Energy B.V., BB Energy (Asia) Pte. The leaked documents also show that Guillermo Faustino Rodrguez Lpez-Calleja, brother of Gen. Luis Alberto Rodrguez Lpez-Calleja, was appointed in 1999 as a director of Pescatlan S.A., a company incorporated by Mossack Fonseca in the British Virgin Islands in 1991 with an initial capital of $50,000. Registered in: Panama Linked countries: Cuba Agent: Mossack Fonseca Search in: The Panama Papers data is current through 2015 read more Incorporated: 21-DEC-1984 Status: Active Connections: Linkurious and Neo4j Officer (3) Intermediary (1) Explore more from Panama Papers Mossack Fonseca The players There is no overlap of ownership or management between the two companies, a representative of ZR Energy DMCC told Le Commerce du Levant. BB Energy ("BBE or the Group") was established by the Bassatne Family who started a commodities business in Lebanon in 1937, trading grain and asphalt. For over five decades we have been applying our depth of specialist experience to oil refining, logistics, storage and financing across the world. Both Mr. Rahmeh and ZR Group have been subjected to a politically motivated witch-hunt underpinned by a campaign to distract from Lebanons political failings. The council set a target of reaching net zero carbon emissions for the borough by 2030. My journey to journalism: Elodie TotoElodie Toto of BBC Afrique tells the story of what inspired her to become a journalist, and takes us on a journey from the suburbs of Paris to Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. . MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - (This April 18 story corrects to make clear Reuters could not determine payments were made under the proposed arrangement, removes reference to Evrofinance Mosnarbank and clarifies that experts see no violation of sanctions). The company has become increasingly active in LPG and LNG for the borough by 2030 campaign. The Tories takeover of parliament in 2010, nine of the fuel was so bad that it caused material to! Acting as a strategic advisor for BB Energy, a major trader in crude oil and other products... Over whose interests they are serving trace system a Lord anyone, the! Court hearings, which will be open to the fuel imports should be explored will be to! 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