John Ibrahim shares a funny insight on his relationship with ex-bodyguard 'Tongan Sam' as he pokes fun at himself during his glory days as King of the Cross
At ICIJ, we’re not just interested in uncovering corrupt figures —
but also the systems and industries that serve and profit from them.
Luanda Leaks was not just the story of how Angola’s former ruling
family made a fortune by draining public coffers. The investigation
also showed how Western firms played a key role in moving tainted
billions through a vast network of shell companies, advising Isabel
dos Santos on how to run her business empire and avoid taxes — and
reaped profits along the way.
So how much did those big firms make from these dealings?
Thanks to new reporting from our partners in Portugal, we now know
much more about the amount three
of the world’s largest consulting firms — Boston Consulting Group,
PwC, and McKinsey — pocketed during dos Santos’ time as the chief
executive of Sonangol, the state-owned oil company.
Long after many banks had broken ties with dos Santos over questions
about the source of her wealth, the
consulting giants retained their close relationship with the billionaire
despite telltale signs of corruption. Each received
tens of millions of dollars in payments routed through an obscure
Dubai shell company owned by a personal friend of dos Santos,
according to documents seen by Expresso and SIC.
“In this case, the owner was not only a close associate of a senior
public official, but that official had a clear ability to influence
the business in question, creating a conflict of interest,” Alexandra
Gillies, an expert with the Natural Resources Governance Institute,
told ICIJ. “Those are some pretty major red flags for firms of this
caliber to ignore.”
HALF
BILLION DOLLAR STAKE
Angola has asked a Dutch court to seize on its behalf a valuable
stake in an energy company obtained by Isabel dos Santos’ late
husband, Sindika Dokolo. It’s the
country’s latest attempt to recoup assets it alleges the family
siphoned off to their personal holdings, as exposed in
Luanda Leaks.
ICYMI:
BIGGER THAN ANGOLA
Investigating Luanda Leaks gave our team new insights on who and how
corruption and offshore finance hurts across borders. Here’s what our
reporting
on Isabel dos Santos’ ill-gotten wealth in Angola showed us about the
evolving world of tax havens as a whole.
LEAK
TO US
There's a lot of change happening around the globe at the moment,
and, as with any great upheaval, there are those lying in wait to
exploit. If
you've got an inside tip or access to documents that could help
expose an injustice happening in the world, please
reach out to us.
Thanks for reading!
Asraa Mustufa
ICIJ's
digital editor
P.S. If you've enjoyed our coverage this week,
remember to tell your friends and family and share our work on social
media. Send them
an email now!
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