Two brothers from the Ahsani family, who ran Monaco-based oil and gas consultancy Unaoil, have pleaded guilty in the United States to being part of a 17-year scheme to pay millions of euros in bribes to officials in nine countries.
The U.S. Department of Justice said on Wednesday that Cyrus Ahsani, 51, and his 46-year-old brother Saman each pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) on behalf of companies to secure oil and gas contracts.
They will be sentenced on 20th April 2020, the department said.
Steven Hunter, a 50-year-old British resident and former business development director, also pleaded guilty in August to one count of conspiracy to violate the FCPA.
U.S. prosecutors said that the Ahsanis, who are British citizens, conspired with others, including multiple companies and individuals, to bribe government officials in Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya and Syria from around 1999 to 2016.
Cyrus Ahsani, the former Unaoil chief executive, and Saman Ahsani, who was once chief operating officer, laundered the proceeds of their bribery scheme and destroyed evidence to obstruct investigations in the U.S. and elsewhere, claim prosecutors.
Hunter participated in the conspiracy by facilitating bribes to Libyan officials between about 2009 and 2015.
Monaco’s President of the National Council, Stéphane Valeri, led a delegation from Monaco to the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament last week in Strasbourg where he again pushed for full membership into the Council of Europe.
Mr Valeri has been lobbying since 2003 to include Monaco as a full member of the Council and reminded those at the meeting of the elected representatives’ active and consistent participation in each session.
Talks were aimed at discussing the contribution of Parliaments in the UN 2030 program, including putting in place sustainable development goals, fighting corruption, and the rise of harassment against women.
The Council of Europe, which is a completely separate entity from the European Union and is in no way under its jurisdiction, is an organisation seeking to protect democracy and human rights by encouraging cooperation on legal, cultural and social issues amongst member states.
Photo: DR
Whilst in Strasbourg, the Principality’s reps met with the Presidents of the Assemblies of the Nine Small States ahead of their scheduled meeting in Cyprus in late November. The states have banded together to ensure the concerns of smaller nations are not overlooked. In addition to Monaco, the other member countries are Andorra, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, and San Marino.
More than 300 representatives attended the meeting, including 60 presidents from 47 nations. The Monegasque delegation was comprised of Mr Valeri, Vice-President of the National Council Brigitte Boccone-Pagès, José Badia, Chair of the External Relations Commission and of the Delegation of the National Council to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Karine Marquet, International Affairs Officer in the Office of the President of the National Council.
Winning four of their last five games, AS Monaco is on a roll. Wednesday night’s win pulled them up to 11th place in the Ligue 1 standings, knocking Marseille out of the French League Cup.
Despite some serious changes in the line-up including top scorer Wissam Ben Yedder being “rested” for most of the match and star striker Islam Slimani out with a groin injury, Leonardo Jardim’s Red and Whites saw a decisive win over Olympique de Marseille on Wednesday night at Stade Louis II.
Jardim seems to have finally got his defence working solidly as a team and proved his offense was more than the dynamic duo of Ben Yedder and Slimani. The win means that Monaco has qualified for the Round of 16 in the BKT Coupe de la Ligue coming up in December, effectively eliminating Marseille from the running.
Monaco scored their two goals in the first half. The first was in the 24th minute by Jean-Kévin Augustin, the striker on loan from RB Leipzig who was keen to make a good show of it on his first team effort. The assist was made by right back Ruben Aguilar.
The second came at 40 minutes in when 26-year-old Aguilar took possession himself this time and steered the ball right into the net.
Marseille’s single goal came in the second half when in the 77th Benjamin Lecomte made good on his shot.
This was Monaco’s first victory over Marseille in their last five games together. The last time The Red and Whites beat them was way back in August 2017.
The month of November is a time of particular pride for Monaco, as a sea of red and white engulf the Principality and its residents and citizens celebrate one of Europe’s oldest ruling dynasties, the Grimaldi’s.
While the official National Day is 19th November, there will be plenty of events for families to celebrate in the leadup to the big day.
But first, a bit of history. The date of the National Day is traditionally determined by the reigning Prince who – in the past – often chose the day of the saint they were named after. Prince Rainier III, for instance, chose 19th November, the day that celebrates St. Rainier. When Prince Albert II ascended the throne, however, he ended this tradition by choosing the same day as his father, instead of the day of St. Albert, 15th November.
The 19th November also holds another significance. It is the same day of Prince Albert II’s official ascension to the throne.
National Day is the perfect time to witness all the pomp and circumstance of the Principality: Knights of Malta, distinguished ambassadors, consuls and state officials wear medal-laden uniforms, while members of the community impress with traditional dress.
The Princely family during National Day 2018
It is one of the few times of the year that the Princely family will come together and present to the public. Since their birth in 2015, Hereditary Prince Jacques and Princess Gabriella have been stealing the show.
While National Day is celebrated with fireworks over the harbour and a mass in the St. Nicholas Cathedral, there are many other public events to celebrate the Principality.
This year, the Monte-Carlo Opera will be presenting ‘Lucia Di Lammermoor’ by Gaetano Donizetti, during three performances at the Grimaldi Forum, starting on Sunday 17th November.
The creation of ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ in 1835 proved a triumph. Four days after the premiere, Gaetano Donizetti wrote: “Lucia […] has been performed, and between friends let me bring shame upon myself and tell you the truth. It pleased, and pleased very much, if I am to believe the applause and the compliments I have received. […] In the [first] finale, after great cheers at the adagio, Duprez in the curse – before the stretta – elicited the wildest applause. Every number was listened to in religious silence and spontaneously hailed with shouts of Evviva!”
Thus ‘Lucia’ immediately set out to conquer Europe, then the world. It is Donizetti’s only tragic opera to have survived the test of time, and is one of the most loved Italian operas.
Tuesday 19th is by invitation only, however the 17th (3pm) and 22nd (8pm) November performance will be open to the public.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday 13th, a special musical is being held for young ones aged between five and 10 at the Espace Léo Ferré. Titled ‘Ilona et le livre magique’, the musical will be performed by the Equinoxe Company.
As each year, the fireworks will take place on the evening of the 18th at the Port of Monaco. This time, they will be accompanied by a soundtrack in tribute to Princess Grace. The late princess was born 90 years ago this November.
Meanwhile, comedian Chantal Ladesou will give two performances titled ‘On the road again’, on Monday 18th and Tuesday 19th at the Espace Léo Ferré.
The National Council will be distributing invitations to these events at the Town Hall on Wednesday 6th November for Monegasque nationals and their spouses, and on Thursday 7th November for Monegasque nationals, their spouses and residents.
Prince Albert has met with the Japanese Prime Minister and visited two exhibitions featuring works lent by the Prince’s Palace, during a recent trip to Tokyo.
On Friday 25th October, Prince Albert II met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. During the meeting, the Sovereign Prince and the Prime Minister discussed the strong links that unite the Principality and Japan in the cultural and artistic fields. They then discussed the theme of sport, including the Rugby World Cup and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, as well as the environment with the protection of the oceans.
Meanwhile, on Thursday 24th October, the Prince discovered a Van Gogh exhibition on show at the Ueno Royal Museum until January 2020. This unique exhibition offers 40 works by the Dutch artist and 30 pieces of art. Other contemporary artists on show are Pissaro, Cézanne and Monet. The exhibition is designed to highlight the influence of the two artistic movements – the Hague School and Impressionism – on the work of Vincent Van Gogh. It will also be presented in Kobe from 25th January to 29th March 2020.
The following day, Prince Albert visited the National Art Gallery and its exhibition, titled ‘Cartier, crystallization of time’. On show until 14th December, this exhibition is arranged in three sections: ‘Colour transformation’, ‘Shapes and design’ and ‘Universal curiosity’. It presents, for the first time, contemporary creations from the 1970s, historical creations and pieces from private collections.
The exhibitions are significant because a number of impressionist paintings, timepieces and jewellery have been lent by the Prince’s Palace.
The 36th Conference of Francophone countries opened on Wednesday at the Grimaldi Forum with a video message delivered by Prince Albert II and delegates from 88 French-speaking nations and governments in attendance.
“The holding of this meeting in Monaco is for us a happy moment,” said Monaco’s Minister of State, Serge Telle, in his opening speech. “This is due to the importance we attach to the International Organisation of La Francophonie, which the Principality of Monaco is honoured to have been one of the founders, and of which she is today an active member and a faithful supporter.”
The conference, whose main aim is to unify the world’s French speaking countries and their governments, encourages multiculturalism, economic solidarity, and political confederacy.
The theme of this year’s gathering, ‘Reconciling humanity and the planet’, is one dear to the Prince and the Principality’s general philosophy.
“To save our planet, all the energies, all the wills, all the means must be combined, can be combined. Those of the states and governments we represent here, of course. But also those of civil societies and their youth in particular, those of companies, those of NGOs, intellectuals, artists, scientists – in fact, those of each of us,” said Mr Telle. “If we want to act effectively at the service of our planet, we must do it together. This is the meaning of the event we are organising on the sidelines of this conference, on sustainable tourism.”
The opening day was attended by several of Monaco’s top personages, including Archbishop Bernard Barsi, government ministers Marie-Pierre Gramaglia, Laurent Anselmi, Patrice Cellario and Didier Gamerdinger, as well as the President of the National Council Stéphane Valéri.
Photo: Serge Telle, Minister of State- Directorate of Communication Michael Alessi
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