Africa and the Pandora Papers

On 3^rd October, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and its media partners began releasing a trove of leaked documents relating to corporate structures in offshore jurisdictions. Dubbed the ‘Pandora Papers’, the ICIJ obtained almost 12 million files from 14 firms providing offshore services in tax havens. Two of these companies, All About Offshore Limited and Alpha Consulting Limited, are based in the Seychelles.

What follows is a list of findings concerning Africa that have received coverage in the public domain. Please note that more data may be released after the time of writing. As a result, this should not be treated as an exhaustive list.

Angola:

• Isabel dos Santos reportedly features in the papers. She is now said to be linked to a number of shell companies registered in the Seychelles, making her offshore empire larger than previously thought after the 2020 Luanda Leaks.

Botswana:

• Ramachandran “Ram” Ottapathu, CEO of the Choppies grocery and retail chain, established a company in the British Virgin Islands (BVI).

Burkina Faso:

• Arouna Nikièma, a Burkinabé businessman, is connected to a Seychellois company which was established to manage security companies.

Cameroon:

• Marie Gisèle Minlo Momo, wife of former mines minister Babel Ndanga Ndinga, acquired shares in an Australian mining firm in 2009, whilst her husband was in post. Two months earlier, the Australian company had bought a 90 percent stake in the Cameroonian entity Camina SA, which held permits for exploration on an iron ore concession.

Chad:

• Zakaria Idriss Déby Itno is Chad’s current ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and also the brother of Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, the country’s de-facto president. He held shares in a Seychellois company, alongside two other individuals connected to his father, former President Idriss Déby.

Comoros:

• Nour El Fath Azali, an advisor to his father, President Azali Assoumani, owns an Emirati company which received invoices after he assumed his current post.
• Azali’s partner in the Emirati firm is his friend, Afif Mshangama, a lawyer. The same individual is also linked to another Emirati company, the sole shareholder for which is Faharate Mahamoud, former president of Mouvement des Entrepreneurs Comoriennes (Modec) and sister of the current interior minister.

Côte d’Ivoire:

• Prime Minister Patrick Achi was the owner of a Bahamian company in 1998, whilst he was an advisor to the energy minister.

Equatorial Guinea:

• Antonio Oburu Ondó is the director-general of the Equatoguinean state oil company, GEPetrol. He is linked through his offshore network to Pedro Mouriño Uzal, the honorary consul of Russia in Galicia, Spain. The investigative journalists analysing the papers claim that Oburu Ondó bought a villa in Belize through Mouriño Azal.

Gabon:

• President Ali Bongo Ondimba is connected to two BVI shell companies which are no longer active.

Ghana:

• Three unnamed “top” Ghanaian politicians reportedly feature in the leaks.
• Amandi Holdings is a BVI company which has obtained several government infrastructure contracts across a number of sectors, often awarded without a competitive bidding process. The leaks reveal that its beneficial owners are Israeli individuals, most notably Refael Edry, whose name is absent from public documents relating to some of Amandi’s projects in Ghana.

Kenya:

• President Uhuru Kenyatta and his family are linked to seven offshore companies in Panama and the BVI, some of which remained active after he took office. These companies are said to hold assets worth $30m.

Malawi:

• Hetesh Anadkat, the owner of First Capital Bank, and his wife are joint-owners of a BVI entity.

Mauritania:

• Mohamed Abdellahi Ould Yaha, a former minister and ally of former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, established companies in Gibraltar and the Canary Islands.

Mauritius:

• Sattar Hajee Abdoula is the non-executive chairman of SMB Holdings, which owns the State Bank of Mauritius. He is linked to companies in the BVI.

Morocco:

• Princess Lalla Hasnaa, the sister of King Mohammed VI, owns a shell company in the BVI which has been used to purchase luxury property in London.
• Nadir Khayat, better known as music producer ‘RedOne’, set up five companies in the BVI and Seychelles between 2012 and 2015.

Mozambique:

• Aires Ali, Mozambique’s prime minister between 2010 and 2012, formed a shell company in the Seychelles shortly before he left his post.

Namibia:

• Aaron Mushimba, a Namibian businessman who died in 2014, created three offshore accounts in Panama. The revelations also linked him to Israeli private banker Mordechai Moty Arieli.
• TaTe Diamonds owner taShi Shiimi-ya-Shiimi established a Seychellois company.

Nigeria:

• Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra State, set up a BVI company through nominee directors whilst he was serving in his post. After leaving office, he then created a BVI trust to hold his assets via a third party.
• Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, current governor of Kebbi State, is the owner of a trust in the Cook Islands.
• Investigative journalists have connected “137 wealthy and influential Nigerians” to 166 offshore companies used to buy property in the UK. One of the property owners is Stella Oduah, a former aviation minister. Another is Mohammed Bello Koko, the acting managing director at the Nigerian Ports Authority.

Republic of the Congo:

• President Denis Sassou-Nguesso is shown to have owned a BVI company that controlled diamond mines in Congo.

South Africa:

• Some South African individuals, including “huge names”, reportedly feature in the leaks but this information is currently embargoed.

Senegal:

• 20 companies have been linked to owners based in Senegal, including members of Dakar’s Lebanese business community.

Tunisia:

• Mohsen Marzouk was the political affairs minister under the government of President Beji Caid Essebsi. In 2014, whilst advising Essebsi, who was running for the presidency at the time, Marzouk bought a shell company in the BVI.

Uganda:

• Jim Muhwezi, Uganda’s current security minister, has been connected to two offshore companies. One of these was sued by an Israeli businessman in 2015 for attempting to transfer shares into a related company.

Zambia:

• Charles Sipanje, a former permanent secretary at various ministries and provinces, created an Emirati company.

Zimbabwe:

• Martin Rushwaya, a “top advisor” to and cousin of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, created a Seychellois shell company in 2010, whilst he was serving as defence secretary. The other shareholder was Colonel Grey Mashava.
• Muller Conrad “Billy” Rautenbach, one of Zimbabwe’s richest men, was in control of an offshore trust fund established by his wife, during a period when he was still subject to US sanctions.