Rantburg

Today's Front Page   View All of Wed 07/02/2025 View Tue 07/01/2025 View Mon 06/30/2025 View Sun 06/29/2025 View Sat 06/28/2025 View Fri 06/27/2025 View Thu 06/26/2025
2015-06-23 Europe
Swiss Court Maintains Freeze on Assad's Wealthy Cousin
[AnNahar] The financial assets of one of Syria's wealthiest men -- a cousin of Syrian Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad
Despoiler of Deraa...
-- will remain frozen in Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
, the Swiss Federal Administrative Court said in a statement.

The court rejected an appeal by billionaire Rami Makhlouf to reverse a federal decision blocking an undisclosed amount of money in his Swiss accounts -- which the government says helps "finance" and "support" Assad's violent regime.

Makhlouf owns 40 percent of Syria's largest mobile provider, Syriatel, and his assets in the Swiss affiliate of the British HSBC bank are estimated at around $30 million.

In an effort to clean up his image after he was vilified by opponents of Assad's rule, Makhlouf presented himself as the principle donor to a foundation for orphans and widows, and said he wanted to separate from the Syriatel group.

But Swiss authorities say his contribution to this foundation does not prove he has distanced himself from his cousin's reign of terror.

"The defendant has a personal and direct interest in maintaining the current regime if he wants to keep his status and his way of life," the court said.

This is not the first time that Makhlouf and his family have faced problems in Switzerland. In 2013, the court refused an entry visa application from his brother Hafez Makhlouf, head of the Syrian secret service.
Posted by trailing wife 2015-06-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11143 views ]  Top

18:50 Frank G
18:47 Frank G
18:45 Frank G
18:27 trailing wife
18:23 Super Hose
18:22 trailing wife
18:21 swksvolFF
18:21 Super Hose
18:20 Super Hose
18:17 trailing wife
18:09 Super Hose
18:07 SteveS
18:05 Super Hose
18:05 Besoeker
17:56 trailing wife
17:50 trailing wife
17:13 Speamble Oppressor of the Ostrogoths3338
16:56 swksvolFF
16:55 49 Pan
16:54 Elmomoter Mussolini9149
16:53 Elmerert Hupens2660
16:49 Ebbuger Whuque4103
16:49 49 Pan
16:47 Elmerert Hupens2660









Paypal:
Google
Search WWW Search rantburg.com