Seph Brown looks at Howard Davies's serial failures of moral leadership over the Middle East - not just his close financial links the the vile Gaddafi regime.
Seph Brown is the UK Director of Prosper Palestine, the international campaign to promote Palestinian goods and highlight the effects of illegal Israeli settlements; he is a former student at the LSE
Director of the London School of Economics, Sir Howard Davies, resigned on Thursday over the university’s financial links to Colonel Gaddafi. After his acceptance of a $1.5 million donation from the Gaddafi Foundation turned sour, Davies said in his resignation letter:
“…however laudable our intentions, in the light of developments in Libya the consequences have been highly unfortunate, and I must take responsibility for that.”
He also admitted being “embarrassed” by the decision to accept the dictator’s investment. His repeatedly lacklustre reactions to this colossal lapse in judgement is indicative of the fact that he has simply never got to grips with the seriousness of close cooperation with troubled countries throughout the Middle East.
In 2008, students and academics – including myself as Anti-Racism Officer of the Students’ Union at the time – raised concerns over a £2.4 million investment from Sheikh Abdullah al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates. In return, the university’s sleek new theatre was named after the late dictator, Sheikh Zayed.
The UAE is a country which denies citizenship to 80 per cent of its population, and hence most of the civil and human rights afforded only to citizens of the state. Moreover, Harvard’s Divinity School returned a $2.5 million donation after its benefactor, the Sheikh Zayed Centre, was linked to anti-Semitic and anti-American discourse. Davies was not ‘embarrassed’ by any of this.
It was not only the financial side of the university in which Davies mis-stepped in the Middle East.
In 2007, Davies intervened on a potential debate called within the University and College Union (UCU) over British links to universities in Israel. At this point in time the conversation was entirely academic and had not been brought to the LSE, yet Davies angered staff and students by effectively vetoing any discussion. He then refused calls to balance his statement by offering similar support to struggling Palestinian universities.
Whatever views there are on an academic boycott of Israel – I am against it – this hypocrisy did not go unnoticed across British universities.
The fact that Davies believes his support for Saif “fight to the last bullet” Gaddafi merely “backfired” shows the extent of his unwillingness or inability to engage with the serious consequences of overlooking human and civil rights in search of investment; however, Libya is not the only example where Sir Howard failed to uphold the ethical and academic integrity of the London School of Economics.
Hopefully the next Director will offer more thought to the values of the university rather than its balance sheet.
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9 Responses to “Beyond Libya, Howard Davies had never got to grips with the Middle East”
Anon E Mouse
Mr.Sensible – How could they develop nuclear weapons without weapons grade plutonium?
Aren’t you more annoyed that Peter Mandelson went on his holidays with Saif Gaddafi?
The criticism is with the last Labour government Mr.S not with Britain…
Jon Wilson
Gaddafi & LSE: http://bit.ly/fac9ZP. I'm proud that while LSE took cash from Libya, King's College London turned down money from Mubarak
jack loach
Update
— Feb. 2014.
Pictet
& Cie Bank —- List of Crimes.
1996 —–
F.S.A— Breach in London.
2003 —– F.S.A.
— States rogues operating in Pictet’s London office. Ivan Pictet
states that documents
were forgeries but were later proved to be genuine in the British
Courts. He had documents destroyed in their London office –hoping to
hide the crimes.
2007
.- – – The Securities and Exchange Surveillance issued a
recommendation that the Prime Minister and The Commissioner of
the FSA to take disciplinary action against Pictet Asset Management –
Japan Ltd.
2008
.– Dec. – Pictet Bank state – ” We have never chosen
any funds linked to Madoff.
2011 – – – Madoff
Trustees sue Pictet & Cie. Bank for $156 Million.
2011- – – Pictet &
Cie Bank abetted a Bribery Scheme – Oil company sues Pictet for
$350Million
2012 – – – April
– Geneva Bank Pictet used in Offshore Tax Scheme. ( USA.)
2012 — – June.
— Published in Anglo INFO .Geneva.— USA Trust Fund Investors were
sent false and fraudulent documents by Pictet Bank in order to
collect large fees. ( Like MADOFF)
Even after the SEC
in the USA uncovered the fraud Pictet continued to charge fees and
drain whatever was left in these accounts. Estimated that $90 million
lost in this Pictet Ponzi scheme.
2012 – – – July.
— De – Spiegel. — states – Pictet Bank uses a letterbox
company in Panama and
a tax loophole involving investments in London to gain German
millionaires as clients.
2012
– – – August —- German Opposition Leader accuses Swiss Banks of
“organised crime.”
2013
— Jan.— Swiss MP’ table motion to freeze Tiab Mahmud’s assets of
” criminal origins”
held
in Swiss banks – $18 million held in 5 accounts at Pictet &
Cie. Bank. Bahamas.
Ironically
the Pictet & Cie.Bank partners are bigger criminals than the
criminals who have accounts in the their bank.
The
bank is now seeking to re-structure — to cut the partners liability
– hoping to off load their decades of criminal responsibilty –
and move onwards to carry out new crimes. The Germans are right —
the bankers should go to prison if found guilty of financial crimes..
Both Ivan Pictet
and Monty Raphael.Q.C. conspired to withhold crucial documents
requested by the High Court – the FSA — and the Police Fraud
Squad.
Written
Parliamentary Questions received by the table office ..
(1) To ask the
secretary of state what steps he is taking to ensure that Swiss Banks
such as Pictet & Cie do not evade criminal prosecution under EU
law even when the illegal act is committed by a London based
subsidiary.
(2)To ask the
secretary of state what steps he is taking to protect the rights of
UK citizens who seek redress following criminal activities by Swiss
banks with subsidiary offices located in London.
Quote.
( America’s Top Lawyer .)
You can be
the richest man in the world with the best lawyers that money can buy
but you cannot win against a man who has got nothing left to lose and
is telling the truth.
*** We
note that there has been a sharp increase in Peters & Peters
partners leaving to go to other practices. Moving does not alleviate
them of any responsibility from any illegalities that may have
occurred at Peters & Peters during their partnership tenure. From
1999 onwards.
The consensus of
opinion is the Pictet & Cie should be prosecuted , and that their
U.K. banking licence should be taken away.
Their Solicitors at
Peters & Peters .London “ struck off and prosecuted..”
*** Started
campaign — June 6th.2008.
5years —- approx
10 .5 million e-mails – – – but still no writs, injunctions or
threats of litigation – – – WHY – – – because it is all true.
*** . The
bigger they are — the harder they fall.!!!
In America —- they would have
all been in prison for the last seven years.
Feb 2013,—
Pictet & Cie Bank Partners remove their unlimited liability.They
realise that all their personal wealth is at risk , the people they
have conned might want their money back.
Full Story.***
. ” Google ”
or ” Yahoo” .
Insert– ( Charles
Pictet. Banker.
Insert– ( Ivan
Pictet.Banker.
Insert– ( Jacques
de Saussure.Banker.
Insert– ( Nicolas
Pictet. Banker.
Insert– (
Jean-Francois Demole.Banker.
Insert — (
Philippe Bertherat. Banker.
Insert– ( Renaud
de Planta. Banker.
Update.
Jan. 24th. 2014.
Over
the last three years we posted the following on hundreds of sites .
—
***
Were currently waiting for the West Yorkshire Police ;-
Chief
Constable . Sir Norman Bettison
Forces
Solicitor. Mike Percival.
Head
of Economic Crime Unit. Det Chief Inspector. Steven Taylor.
-to
see if they continue to cover up this case like the FSA. – “
watch this space.”
****
We can now state that all the above have been removed from their
posts. All three facing criminal allegations.
****
These three senior police officials assisted in covering up the
crimes carried out by Pictet & Cie Bank and it’s lawyers.
jack loach
Sods —–
Law.
March.—-
2014.
For almost two
decades we have strived to get justice for the injustice we have
suffered at the hands of a world renowned bank— PICTET & CIE.
BANK.
Two yorkshiremen
both running their own small family businesses trying to resolve the
problem by taking all the correct legal procedures to recover their
monies.
The matter was
raised in Parliament – twice– the FSA investigated the matter
concluding that PICTET had rogues operating in their London Bank —
but the rogues had left —saying no one left to prosecute.??? —–
so there.
We then
approached the Financial Ombudsman Service. (FOS) — our case was
dealt with by seven different people —- then our numerous E-Mails
were ignored — nobody would speak to us ——-so there.
We then asked the
SFO ( Serious Fraud Office.) to investigate our case —- the
criteria of our case ticked all their boxes. — we were instructed
not to send them any documents/evidence.—— in fact they wrote to
us advising us to go to the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.(CAB.)
Richard Alderman
the SFO boss —- who responded to our letter was the same man who
would not investigate the “ Madoff” scandal or the “Libor”
fiasco.
The MP’s
committee —- said he was sloppy— and the SFO was run like “
Fred Karno’s Circus” —– it was an office of fraud.—– so
there.
Our M.P.
approached our local Chief Constable to investigate—– he was
called—- Sir Norman Bettison— Chief Constable of West Yorkshire
Police —- a force that made “ Dad’s Army” look like the S.A.S.
They were inept – corrupt —malicious — from top to bottom. We
were criminally dealt with by the Forces Solicitor—- the Head of
the Economic Crime Unit —-and the Chief Constable —– so there.
We were then
advised to pass our complaint against West Yorkshire Police to the
I.P.C.C. – which we did — they advised us to make our complaint
to —- the West Yorkshire Police — we did with reluctance — all
we got was abuse and obfuscation. —– so there.
Sir Norman
Bettison —- The Forces solicitor— and the Head of the Economic
Crime —- have all been removed from their posts and facing criminal
allegations.
—— so there.
We even sought
justice through the Courts — culminating in a visit to the Court of
Appeal-London.— On leaving the Courts of Appeal that day our
barrister a “rising star” informed us — that if that was
Justice then you can keep it. He quit the law and moved to Canada
—– so there.
A few years later
we learned that one of the judges in our case at the Court of Appeal
was related to a senior executive of the Pictet Bank —–so there.
Pictet & Cie
.Bank — voted private bank of the year 2013.
Ivan Pictet —-
Voted banker of the year 2012. —- the senior partner — lied on
numerous occasions and had documents destroyed — also said genuine
documents were forgeries. —– so there.
Ivan Pictet in
Oct. 2013 —- Given the Legion of Honour — but saying that —-
honours were given to Hitler — Eichmann — Mussolini —Franco
— he’s in fitting company. —-so there.
MONTY
RAPHAEL.Q.C. — Peters & Peters.London. They were the banks
lawyers.
Monty
Raphael.Q.C. along with Ivan Pictet withheld crucial documents
requested by the High Court —- the FSA —- and the police Fraud
Squad. —-so there.
Monty
Raphael.Q.C. became an Honorary Queens Counsellor in March. 2012.
Monty
Raphael.Q.C. became a Master of the Bench in Nov.2012.
An expert in
Fraud —the Doyen of Fraud Lawyers. —– so there.
This says a lot
about Banks — the consensus of opinion is that they are highly paid
“crooks” —- no wonder they voted Ivan Pictet banker of the
year.
It appears that
crimes in the “establishment.” are honoured by their peers.
“HONOURS
AMONG THIEVES.”
Full Story.—-
“google or Yahoo”
Insert.
Ivan
Pictet.Banker.
Monty
Raphael.Q.C.
Ivan Pictet/Monty
Raphael.
Update
— March. 2014.
Pictet
& Cie Bank —- List of Crimes.
1996 —–
F.S.A— Breach in London.
2003 —– F.S.A.
— States rogues operating in Pictet’s London office. Ivan Pictet
states that documents
were forgeries but were later proved to be genuine in the British
Courts. He had documents destroyed in their London office –hoping to
hide the crimes.
2007
.- – – The Securities and Exchange Surveillance issued a
recommendation that the Prime Minister and The Commissioner of
the FSA to take disciplinary action against Pictet Asset Management –
Japan Ltd.
2008
.– Dec. – Pictet Bank state – ” We have never chosen
any funds linked to Madoff.
2011 – – – Madoff
Trustees sue Pictet & Cie. Bank for $156 Million.
2011- – – Pictet &
Cie Bank abetted a Bribery Scheme – Oil company sues Pictet for
$350Million
2012 – – – April
– Geneva Bank Pictet used in Offshore Tax Scheme. ( USA.)
2012 — – June.
— Published in Anglo INFO .Geneva.— USA Trust Fund Investors were
sent false and fraudulent documents by Pictet Bank in order to
collect large fees. ( Like MADOFF)
Even after the SEC
in the USA uncovered the fraud Pictet continued to charge fees and
drain whatever was left in these accounts. Estimated that $90 million
lost in this Pictet Ponzi scheme.
2012 – – – July.
— De – Spiegel. — states – Pictet Bank uses a letterbox
company in Panama and
a tax loophole involving investments in London to gain German
millionaires as clients.
2012
– – – August —- German Opposition Leader accuses Swiss Banks of
“organised crime.”
2013
— Jan.— Swiss MP’ table motion to freeze Tiab Mahmud’s assets of
” criminal origins”
held
in Swiss banks – $18 million held in 5 accounts at Pictet &
Cie. Bank. Bahamas.
Ironically
the Pictet & Cie.Bank partners are bigger criminals than the
criminals who have accounts in the their bank.
The
bank is now seeking to re-structure — to cut the partners liability
– hoping to off load their decades of criminal responsibilty –
and move onwards to carry out new crimes. The Germans are right —
the bankers should go to prison if found guilty of financial crimes..
Both Ivan Pictet
and Monty Raphael.Q.C. conspired to withhold crucial documents
requested by the High Court – the FSA — and the Police Fraud
Squad.
Written
Parliamentary Questions received by the table office ..
(1) To ask the
secretary of state what steps he is taking to ensure that Swiss Banks
such as Pictet & Cie do not evade criminal prosecution under EU
law even when the illegal act is committed by a London based
subsidiary.
(2)To ask the
secretary of state what steps he is taking to protect the rights of
UK citizens who seek redress following criminal activities by Swiss
banks with subsidiary offices located in London.
Quote.
( America’s Top Lawyer .)
You can be
the richest man in the world with the best lawyers that money can buy
but you cannot win against a man who has got nothing left to lose and
is telling the truth.
*** We
note that there has been a sharp increase in Peters & Peters
partners leaving to go to other practices. Moving does not alleviate
them of any responsibility from any illegalities that may have
occurred at Peters & Peters during their partnership tenure. From
1999 onwards.
The consensus of
opinion is the Pictet & Cie should be prosecuted , and that their
U.K. banking licence should be taken away.
Their Solicitors at
Peters & Peters .London “ struck off and prosecuted..”
*** Started
campaign — June 6th.2008.
5years —- approx
10 .5 million e-mails – – – but still no writs, injunctions or
threats of litigation – – – WHY – – – because it is all true.
*** . The
bigger they are — the harder they fall.!!!
In America —- they would have
all been in prison for the last seven years.
Feb 2013,—
Pictet & Cie Bank Partners remove their unlimited liability.They
realise that all their personal wealth is at risk , the people they
have conned might want their money back.
Full Story.***
. ” Google ”
or ” Yahoo” .
Insert– ( Charles
Pictet. Banker.
Insert– ( Ivan
Pictet.Banker.
Insert– ( Jacques
de Saussure.Banker.
Insert– ( Nicolas
Pictet. Banker.
Insert– (
Jean-Francois Demole.Banker.
Insert — (
Philippe Bertherat. Banker.
Insert– ( Renaud
de Planta. Banker.
Update.
March. 2014.
Over
the last three years we posted the following on hundreds of sites .
—
***
Were currently waiting for the West Yorkshire Police ;-
Chief
Constable . Sir Norman Bettison
Forces
Solicitor. Mike Percival.
Head
of Economic Crime Unit. Det Chief Inspector. Steven Taylor.
-to
see if they continue to cover up this case like the FSA. – “
watch this space.”
****
We can now state that all the above have been removed from their
posts. All three facing criminal allegations.
****
These three senior police officials assisted in covering up the
crimes carried out by Pictet & Cie Bank and it’s lawyers.
Swiss Bank
Accounts. 2014.
Is your monies safe
in these accounts —- definitely NOT.
Would you get your
money back if every body decided to withdraw all their accounts –
NO WAY.
Economic Experts
say that there would only enough money to repay 50% of their clients.
Are you going to be
in the 50% — that loose your money.– Get it out NOW.
2012 — – June.
— Published in Anglo INFO .Geneva.— USA Trust Fund Investors were
sent false and fraudulent documents by Pictet Bank.Switzerland. in
order to collect large fees. ( Like MADOFF) —Even after the SEC in
the USA uncovered the fraud Pictet continued to charge fees and drain
whatever was left in these accounts. Estimated that $90,000,000
million lost in this Pictet Ponzi scheme.
2012 – – – July.
— De – Spiegel. — states – Pictet Bank uses a letterbox
company in
Panama
and a tax loophole involving investments in London to gain
German
millionaires as clients.
2012
– – – August —- German Opposition Leader accuses Swiss Banks of
“organised crime.”
All
the fines that crooked Swiss banks have incurred in the last few
years exceeds £75.Billion.
It
is also calculated that the secrecy ” agreements” with
regards to tax evation by their clients will cost the banks another
£450 Billion.( paid out of your monies.)
The
banks are panicking — the are quickly restructuring their banks
—- from partnerships —
to
” LIMITED COMPANIES.” —– this will probably mean that
in the future — they could
pay
you only 10% of your monies ” if you are one of the lucky ones”
—- and it be legal.