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| Mahmoud Thiam |
A onetime Minister of Mines in addition to Geology of the Republic of Republic of Guinea was sentenced to vii years inwards a U.S.A. prison theatre on Fri in addition to ordered to pay dorsum $8.5m for laundering bribes paid to him past times a Chinese conglomerate inwards telephone substitution for mining rights.
Mahmoud Thiam, 50, of New York, New York, was sentenced past times U.S. District Judge Denise L. Cote of the Southern District of New York. Thiam was convicted on May 3, later a seven-day lawsuit of 1 count of transacting inwards criminally derived holding in addition to 1 count of coin laundering.
Thiam, who was government minister of mines in addition to geology inwards Republic of Guinea from 2009-10 in addition to is a U.S.A. citizen, had faced a maximum judgement of fifteen years.
Arrested inwards Dec 2016, prosecutors say he took millions of dollars inwards bribes from senior representatives of the Chinese conglomerate to facilitate mining rights spell serving every bit a cabinet minister.
“Mahmoud Thiam engaged inwards a corrupt scheme to produce goodness himself at the expense of the people of Guinea,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Blanco. “Corruption is a cancer on social club that destabilizes institutions, inhibits fair in addition to complimentary competition, in addition to imposes pregnant burdens on ordinary law-abiding people only trying to alive their everyday lives. Today’s judgement sends a potent message to corrupt individuals similar Thiam that if they endeavour to purpose the U.S. fiscal organisation to enshroud their bribe coin they volition last investigated, held accountable, in addition to punished.”
“As a unanimous jury flora at trial, Thiam abused his pose every bit Guinea’s Minister of Mines to guide hold millions inwards bribes from a Chinese conglomerate, in addition to and thus wash that coin through the American fiscal system,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Kim. “Enriching himself at the expense of 1 Africa’s poorest countries, Thiam used some of the Chinese bribe coin to pay his children’s Manhattan private schoolhouse tuition in addition to to purchase a $3.75 1 yard one thousand estate inwards Dutchess County. Today’s judgement shows that if y'all post your criminal offense proceeds to New York, whether from drug dealing, taxation evasion or international bribery, y'all may real good discovery yourself at the forepart goal of long federal prison theatre term.”
"Thiam abused his official position, but the number shows that no 1 is inwards a higher house the law," said Assistant Director Stephen E. Richardson. "The FBI volition non stand upward past times spell individuals endeavour to alive past times their ain rules in addition to purpose the U.S.A. every bit a condom haven for their ill-gotten gains. I would similar to applaud the dedicated investigators in addition to prosecutors who guide hold worked to handgrip those who guide hold committed these crimes accountable for their illegal actions.”
“Today’s sentencing should remind the populace that no affair who y'all are, or how much coin y'all have, you’re non immune from prosecution. The FBI volition maintain to purpose all resources at our disposal to uncover crimes of this nature in addition to expose them for what they actually are,” said Assistant Director inwards Charge Sweeney
According to prove presented at trial, China Sonangol, CIF in addition to their subsidiaries signed a serial of agreements amongst Republic of Guinea that gave them lucrative mining rights inwards Guinea. In telephone substitution for bribes paid past times executives of China Sonangol in addition to CIF, Thiam used his pose every bit Minister of Mines to influence the Guinean government’s determination to move into into those agreements spell serving every bit Guinea’s Minister of Mines in addition to Geology from 2009 to 2010. The prove farther showed that Thiam participated inwards a scheme to wash the bribe payments from 2009 to 2011, during which fourth dimension China Sonangol in addition to CIF paid him $8.5 1 yard one thousand through a depository fiscal establishment concern human relationship inwards Hong Kong. Thiam in addition to thus transferred roughly $3.9 1 yard one thousand to depository fiscal establishment accounts inwards the U.S. in addition to used the coin to pay for luxury goods in addition to other expenses. To conceal the bribe payments, Thiam falsely claimed to banks inwards Hong Kong in addition to the U.S. that he was employed every bit a consultant in addition to that the coin was income from the sale of the world that he earned earlier he was a minister.