"Millionaire Ely Calil
has been accused of hiring Simon Mann. It is alleged
that, had the coup been successful, its backers,
including Calil, would be given oil concessions in the
tiny state that is now producing more than 250,000
barrels a day ..."
"The Lebanese-born millionaire, now a British
citizen, made his fortune in oil trading with Nigeria.
And that's where he got caught with Elf-Aquitaine of
France. In June 2002, he was arrested by French police in
connection with the payments of illegal commissions by a
subsidiary of that French oil giant to the Nigerian
dictator Sani Abacha. Calil was later released on appeal,
although the payments are still under investigation. Now,
he may be prosecuted in the UK under the anti-terrorism
act ..."
"To save his skin, the master of the spider-web may
be willing to talk to German investigators about
Elf-Aquitaine's ways of buying politicians ... remember,
there has always been suspicion that German politicians
were bribed when former GDR-industries were up for sale
..."
... "and, that's why I would like to talk to someone
in the German government ..."
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... so, Gertrud calls some
influential friends — and an inofficial
meeting is being arranged — with
Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul Germany's
Minister for Economic Development ...
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Whilst Gertrud is eager to learn,
whether this meeting will bear any fruits, she is not
satisfied with progress of their private investigation
into the death of the Chelsea-pensioner.
Her next call goes to Clarissa in Burombo's Hackney-flat.
"When you had a beer with Edouarde in the 'Anchor
& Hope', did you ask — by any chance —
whether someone remembers the old man in his scarlet
uniform, sitting on a battery-driven wheelchair?"
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