From the fight against anonymous companies

Have you ever tried to nail a pudding to the wall? Of course not, somehow it would be idiotic. In a figurative sense, the non-governmental organization tries "Global Witness" (GW) but just that - in the fight against anonymous companies.

Investigators, journalists, lawyers and activists have come together under this name in London to fight mismanagement and corruption worldwide. They investigate, work and infiltrate, then denounce criminal machinations and launch public relations campaigns that put the politicians under pressure to change the grievances.
Charmian Gooch, is the co-founder of Global Wittness, currently her fight is mainly anonymous companies. These work on the system of Russian matryoshka dolls, where there is still another under the surface of the outer doll. The real beneficiaries and responsible persons of the company remain hidden in this way. As in a case in Ukraine, the Global Witness revealed.

Anonymous companies "Made in Austria"

The Meshhirya - a huge, fenced area, 30 kilometers from Kiev, with artificial waterfall, small groves and a long promenade on the Dnieper, crowned with the palace of the overthrown president Viktor Yanukovych. By September 2013 owned one-third of the land of a British bogus company and two-thirds of an Austrian bank. Earlier, the Meshjiria was the property of the Ukrainian state. In the time of Yanukovych as prime minister, the residence was sold without a tender to the Ukrainian company MedInvestTraid, which immediately resold, to the Ukrainian company Tantalit.

Global Tantalit is 99,97 percent owned by the Austrian Euro East Beteiligungs GmbH. Euro East Beteiligungs GmbH, in turn, is 35 percent owned by British Blythe (Europe) Ltd. The other 65 percent belong to the Austrian Euro Invest Bank AG. Blythe (Europe) Ltd is a dormant company. According to Global Witness, according to the Company House register of companies, the deposit is only £ 1000, making it a classic front company in the opinion of GW. The director of Blythe is an Austrian citizen, resident in Liechtenstein. Blythe (Europe) is wholly owned by the Liechtenstein trust P&A Corporate Services Trust. The addresses of the Trut and the director of Blythe match. Unfortunately, there is no indication of who is actually behind the trust in Liechtenstein. Anonymous companies as far as the eye can see.

"My wish is a new openness in the business world."

Charmain Gooch, Global Witness, about anonymous companies

Ukrainian sources claim that Euro East Beteiligungs GmbH sold 2013 Tantalit to a Ukrainian parliamentarian in September, who belonged to the same party as Viktor Yanukovych. For the price of 8,5 million euros. What raises the question where the money stayed?

This is just one example of how the confusion is raised with anonymous companies whose true economic beneficiaries do not want to reveal themselves. Gobal Witness's anti-corruption activist Charmian Gooch lists examples from her successful work: "In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, we exposed how secret dealings with anonymous companies banned citizens of one of the world's poorest countries by more than a billion dollars had cheated. That's twice the education and health budget of the country. Or in Liberia, where an international predatory deforestation firm used corporate coats to grab a huge slice of Liberia's unique forests. Or political corruption in Sarawak, Malaysia, which has led to the destruction of many of the country's forests. Anonymous companies are also involved in this. We secretly filmed family members of the former Chief Minister and a lawyer as they told our hidden investigator how exactly these dubious transactions are completed with the help of such companies. "

In 2011, 773 billions of euros have illegally left developing countries, largely covered by anonymous companies.

Gobal Financial Integrity

Robber Knight with a seemingly white vest

Gobal Financial Integrity, an international network against illegal cash flows, estimates that 2011 billion euros left developing countries illegally in 773, largely covered by anonymous companies. Money that was diverted past the tax authorities and that should actually have financed the education, health and infrastructure of these countries. Non-governmental organizations like Global Witness publicize this problem and put pressure on politicians with their campaigns.

Hope EU and G20 summit

And their work is bearing fruit. In March 2014, the EU Parliament voted 643 against 30 for the anti-money laundering directive. This obliges beneficial owners to disclose companies, trusts and other legal entities in a register that is public and can be queried. So that's an end for anonymous companies? The EU is on the right track, but the fight against anonymous companies can only be successful across the board if it is waged worldwide. The next opportunity will come in November 2014, when the G 20 will meet for the summit in Brisbane, Australia. Experts expect that fundamental changes to the international financial rules will be proposed there. In the spirit of Global Witness, it should be about more transparency. Charmian Gooch is hoping for this: “My wish is a new openness in the business world.” Global Witness and all other non-governmental organizations are dependent on personal and financial support. Anyone who does not have the time or too many other obligations to personally help denounce grievances has at least the option to donate.

Global Witness 

The non-governmental organization was founded in 1993 and tries to break the connection between the exploitation of raw materials, conflict, poverty, corruption and disregard for human rights. She has offices in London and Washington, DC and describes herself as politically independent. Global Witness fights against anonymous companies, among other things.

Photo / Video: Michael Hetzmannseder, Global Witness.