Cherie Blair facing corruption probe threat over £420,000 deal with a Maldivian despot

Cherie Blair facing corruption probe threat over £420,000 deal with a Maldivian despot

Murky financial links between Cherie Blair and the corrupt dictator of a tax haven with an appalling record on human rights can be revealed today.

A law firm founded by Tony Blair’s wife, who trumpets her human rights work, earned more than £2,000 a day representing Abdulla Yameen, the autocratic president of the Maldives.

In a highly irregular move, the firm was paid more than £200,000 of its fee by a suspected conman and terrorist now wanted by Interpol.

As a result, Mrs. Blair’s company, Omnia Strategy, could become the subject of an anti-corruption investigation by the Serious Fraud Office and US government.

Mr Yameen has jailed more than 1,700 opposition activists, and the leaders of three rival political parties, staging show trials dubbed a ‘travesty of justice’ by Amnesty International.

A Daily Mail investigation has discovered that Mrs. Blair’s firm:

·         Agreed to work for Mr Yameen’s dictatorship for six months in return for £420,000;

·         Publicly claimed its job was to help build democracy and ‘improve transparency and accountability in the country’ when Omnia was also hired to handle the regime’s PR;

·         Was paid £210,000 of its fee by Mohamed Allam Latheef, a businessman who is accused of corruption, arms trafficking, terrorism, and the embezzlement of more than £30million in public money;

·         Was involved in financial transactions with Abdullah Ziyath, ex-head of a Maldives tourist quango, who is suspected of colluding with Latheef and is on trial accused of masterminding the theft of more than £50million from the government.

Last night, Omnia said in a statement it took the suggestion it had received money from someone other than its client ‘very seriously’ and was urgently ‘reviewing’ the payment.

Lawyers representing victims of the regime called for the financial relationship between Mrs. Blair and the dictatorship to be investigated by UK and US fraud authorities.

One said: ‘Like all law firms … Omnia is subject to strict money-laundering laws which require it to carry out due diligence on the people who are paying it.’

Autocratic president: Abdulla Yameen has jailed more than 1,700 opposition activists, and the leaders of three rival political parties - who paid Cherie Blair's law firm £2,000-a-day to represent him.

Mrs Blair’s firm was hired by the Maldivian government last summer, claiming its role was to promote democracy and transparency.

But secret documents obtained by the Mail reveal the firm was hired to advise on ‘strategic diplomacy, media training, [and] international media relations’ – and to handle PR during the regime’s legal battle with ex-president Mohamed Nasheed, who claims he was forced out of office at gunpoint in 2012.

Mr. Nasheed, represented by lawyer Amal Clooney, was later jailed for 13 years in a trial described by Amnesty International as a ‘sham’.

Source: Daily Mail, UK.