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1/ @ICIJorg’s new investigation - #FinCENFiles - is our largest collaboration with journalists in Africa so far. There are new faces for us in Togo, Cameroon, The Gambia and beyond.
A thread with nearly all the African stories.
A thread with nearly all the African stories.
2/ We spend huge resources, time and energy being the best cross-border investigative news organization on the planet. Collaboration isn’t cheap or easy. This time around for #FinCENFiles we had support from @CENOZO_Afrique and @freepressunltd. https://cenozo.org/en/articles/240-the-fincen-files-cenozo">https://cenozo.org/en/articl...
3/ Reporters in Africa dealt with threats from powerful people and the perils of the Coronavirus. Here’s a rundown of stories from each country!
#FinCENFiles isn’t only about your country. It’s about theirs, too.
#FinCENFiles isn’t only about your country. It’s about theirs, too.
4/ 
https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇧🇼" title="Flagge von Botsuana" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Botsuana">Botswana’s diamonds are a key industry. It’s also shrouded in secrecy. @AlvinNtibinyane at @ink_cij reveals details about one of his country’s sacred cows. https://inkjournalism.org/2259/diamonds-and-dollars-the-obscure-transactions-of-the-sparkling-industry/">https://inkjournalism.org/2259/diam...
5/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇳🇦" title="Flagge von Namibia" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Namibia">The Palladino loan scandal in Guinea is one of the biggest corruption stories in recent African history. @Lasarus_A @TheNamibian exposes the connections of a Namibian airline to one of the scandal’s top protagonists. https://investigations.thenamibian.online/the-fincen-files-investigation/">https://investigations.thenamibian.online/the-fince...
6/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇲🇼" title="Flagge von Malawi" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Malawi"> @GoldenMatonga in Malawi exposes more details on a controversial patrol boat deal under a former president. https://www.mwnation.com/arms-deal-haunts-jb/">https://www.mwnation.com/arms-deal...
7/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇹🇿" title="Flagge von Tansania" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Tansania"> A phantom company in Tanzania? @sibosiso couldn’t find physical or documentary trace of a company that seems to be owned by a plumber. It reportedly moved $620 million! https://www.jamiiforums.com/threads/phantom-tanzanian-company-flagged-moving-620-million.1787300/">https://www.jamiiforums.com/threads/p...
8/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇰🇪" title="Flagge von Kenia" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Kenia"> Kenya is an economic giant. But it was a tiny reference to ivory @MukamiPurit found experts said was alarming. https://pigafirimbi.africauncensored.online/kenya-fincen-transactions-unearthed/
"Big">https://pigafirimbi.africauncensored.online/kenya-fin... money is not carried in suitcases but through very respectable banks and other international financial institutions" - @alvinmosioma
"Big">https://pigafirimbi.africauncensored.online/kenya-fin... money is not carried in suitcases but through very respectable banks and other international financial institutions" - @alvinmosioma
9/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇲" title="Flagge von Kamerun" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Kamerun">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇩" title="Flagge von Kongo - Kinshasa" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Kongo - Kinshasa"> Former DRC vice-president Jean-Claude Bemba was convicted for witness tampering in a war crimes trial. @MusebaThe from Cameroon reveals more financial details in #FinCENFiles. https://www.themusebaproject.org/a-la-une/fincen-files-deux-femmes-cameroun-auraient-pris-argent-pour-temoigner-en-faveur-de-jean-pierre-bemba-cpi/">https://www.themusebaproject.org/a-la-une/...
10/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇹🇬" title="Flagge von Togo" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Togo"> In Togo, a new @ICIJorg partner investigated a local company that did business with a Singaporean firm allegedly involved in a raft of dodgy deals. https://cenozo.org/en/articles/251-blanchiment-d-argent-et-financement-du-terrorisme-une-societe-togolaise-en-affaire-avec-une-entreprise-offshore-a-singapour">https://cenozo.org/en/articl...
11/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇳🇬" title="Flagge von Nigeria" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Nigeria"> One of the biggest political names in #FinCENFiles was family of former Nigerian vice-president Atiku Abubakar. Dubai home, anyone? @Hazzanjustice
and @PremiumTimesng have more. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/416150-fincen-files-america-places-atiku-wives-under-international-banking-surveillance.html">https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/head...
and @PremiumTimesng have more. https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/416150-fincen-files-america-places-atiku-wives-under-international-banking-surveillance.html">https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/head...
12/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇭" title="Flagge von Ghana" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Ghana"> Ghana is rich in gold but many of its people are poor. @EmmanuelDogbevi found more than $100 million in gold transactions flagged as suspicious by banks. His report also includes one of my favorite #FinCENFiles story quotes https://twitter.com/EmmanuelDogbevi/status/1307730116395532289">https://twitter.com/EmmanuelD...
13/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇳🇪" title="Flagge von Niger" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Niger"> Niger has been rocked this year by a procurement scandal. @moussa_aksar found one UK shell company in #FinCENFiles that appears in the Niger probe. He now has the scandal’s definitive report. https://levenementniger.com/niger-malversations-au-ministere-la-defense-71-milliards-de-fcfa-captes-par-des-seigneurs-du-faux/">https://levenementniger.com/niger-mal...
14/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇧🇫" title="Flage von Burkina Faso" aria-label="Emoji: Flage von Burkina Faso"> A former Burkina Faso singer is tied to an arms firm that dealt with Serbia in a hush-hush deal, @ssawadogo1 shows. This in a country beset by a deadly conflict
https://www.leconomistedufaso.bf/2020/09/21/transaction-bancaire-une-societe-burkinabe-epinglee-par-le-tresor-americain/
Here’s">https://www.leconomistedufaso.bf/2020/09/2... one of the singer’s songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MrMyC8tOg
Thanks">https://www.youtube.com/watch... to @KRIKrs for help!
https://www.leconomistedufaso.bf/2020/09/21/transaction-bancaire-une-societe-burkinabe-epinglee-par-le-tresor-americain/
Here’s">https://www.leconomistedufaso.bf/2020/09/2... one of the singer’s songs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9MrMyC8tOg
Thanks">https://www.youtube.com/watch... to @KRIKrs for help!
15/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇬🇲" title="Flagge von Gambia" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Gambia">Banks don’t always get it right. @LmnJahateh reveals how global banks in the US really had no idea what was going on in The Gambia.
@LmnJahateh reports. https://cenozo.org/en/articles/239-false-alarm-in-banjul-geographical-proximity-sets-off-financial-red-flag">https://cenozo.org/en/articl...
@LmnJahateh reports. https://cenozo.org/en/articles/239-false-alarm-in-banjul-geographical-proximity-sets-off-financial-red-flag">https://cenozo.org/en/articl...
16/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇱🇷" title="Flagge von Liberia" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Liberia"> $11 million+ moved between a Liberian gold company whose owner was reportedly arrested last year while boarding a plane carrying gold bars and Kaloti, a Dubai dealer once suspected by US officials of money laundering. Alloycious David reports. https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/from-liberia-with-gold-and-millions-of-usd/">https://www.liberianobserver.com/news/from...
17/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇧🇯" title="Flagge von Benin" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Benin"> Benin emerged as an important country in #FinCENFiles.
A small gold company (that really didn’t want to talk to us!) was a central player in a US investigation into alleged money laundering and drug smuggling, @BanoutoBenin reveals. https://www.banouto.info/article/investigation-reportage/20200920-trafic-d-or-au-benin-enquete-sur-des-liaisons-dangereuses-d-une-societe-a-cotonou">https://www.banouto.info/article/i...
A small gold company (that really didn’t want to talk to us!) was a central player in a US investigation into alleged money laundering and drug smuggling, @BanoutoBenin reveals. https://www.banouto.info/article/investigation-reportage/20200920-trafic-d-or-au-benin-enquete-sur-des-liaisons-dangereuses-d-une-societe-a-cotonou">https://www.banouto.info/article/i...
18/ https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇸🇳" title="Flagge des Senegal" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge des Senegal"> Former Dakar mayor and IAAF chair, Lamine Diack, was jailed for corruption last week. @bayemomardieng in Senegal pored found 100 transactions flagged by banks as suspicious – but only after years of allegations of wrongdoing against Diack. https://www.impact.sn/La-connexion-Papa-Massata-Diack-VTB-Bank-revelee-par-FinCEN_a22021.html">https://www.impact.sn/La-connex...
19/ These are just some of the #FinCENFiles stories from Africa. More to come from https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇲" title="Flagge von Kamerun" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Kamerun">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇨🇮" title="Flagge der Elfenbeinküste" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge der Elfenbeinküste">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇳🇬" title="Flagge von Nigeria" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Nigeria">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🇲🇼" title="Flagge von Malawi" aria-label="Emoji: Flagge von Malawi">
NONE would have been told if @BuzzFeedNews @JasonLeopold and @a_cormier_ didn& #39;t have the grace and generosity to share documents with @ICIJorg.
NONE would have been told if @BuzzFeedNews @JasonLeopold and @a_cormier_ didn& #39;t have the grace and generosity to share documents with @ICIJorg.
20/ Also a huge thank you my @ICIJorg colleagues like @jecosic @SolineLedesert and Ash Guevara who joined me in Cotonou for a #FinCENFiles training (very discreet, of course!) and to colleagues like @amytheblue, @shirafu @KarrieKehoe and @agustin_ICIJ who ALWAYS help out.
