The United Kingdom government has raised concerns with Virgin Islands officials about VI-registered companies that are allegedly involved in allowing members of the Zimbabwean “secret police” to profit from the country’s diamond trade.
The UK’s House of Commons hosted a debate on Zimbabwe’s “blood diamonds” on July 17 to discuss the link between the country’s minerals trade and alleged human rights abuses.
During the debate, members discussed a report published in June by the non-profit group Global Witness that alleged members of Zimbabwean’s Central Intelligence Organisation had used a network of companies, including some registered in the VI, to disguise funding the group had reportedly received from Sam Pa, a Chinese businessman.
Alistair Burt, a Conservative Party MP, said that discussions about the matter, and about the identity of the beneficial owners of the VI-registered companies, are ongoing.
“The question of governance and transparency in diamond revenue flows therefore remains genuinely difficult to answer,” he said, adding, “We have discussed this with partners. … We have raised concerns about the handling of diamond finance with the British Virgin Islands.”
See the July 26, 2012 edition for full coverage.