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Under 18 USC Section 1001, the penalty for making false statements is a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison. He said that Chagourys lawyers resolved the issue and that he never asked anyone else for help. ABOUT RONALD CHAGOURY. A federal grand jury also indicted Rep. Fortenberry, alleging that the Nebraska GOP congressman concealed information and made false statements to authorities. According to the Justice Department, on Oct. 21, Joseph Arsan at Chagoury's direction wired $30,000 to Ayoub, indicating on the wire form that the funds were for a "wedding gift." In July this year, Chagoury was in Paris, France to join his fellow billionaires as guests of French President, Emmanuel Macron. Sign up for real-time alerts and be notified of new editions! These cases were prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mack E. Jenkins, Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Aron Ketchel, also of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section. When he set up his first company in Nigeria during the military era, state capture was the obvious business plan of Lebanese business mogul, Gilbert Ramez Chagoury. We assume this is OKIf not, please opt-out! He received hostilities from the President Olusegun Obasanjo government culminating in a 2004 sting operation by Nuhu Ribadu, Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest him and seize his private jet as Chagoury attempted a secret entry into Nigeria a country he had been forced to flee in the wake of Abachas death. Lebanese billionaire Chagoury banks on presidential candidate Bola Tinubu. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. According to Wikipedia, Forbes, IMDb & Various Online resources, famous Businessperson Ronald Chagoury's net worth is $1-5 Million at the age of 70 years old. Bringing with him his experiences, Laurent continues to push the core values of The Chagoury Group. List of analytics cookies: Google Analytics. The organization, founded as a way for the Clintons to tap their vast network for charitable works, has tackled some of the steepest challenges in the developing world, including rebuilding Haiti and fighting AIDS in Africa. He earned the money being a professional Businessperson. Between him and his younger brother Ronald Chagoury, is the conglomerate, the Chagoury Group which owns close to a hundred businesses spanning construction, hospitality, energy, healthcare, industry, telecommunications, real estate and entertainment. Franklin further instructed that the signed letter was to be "delivered to Ronald Chagoury." The draft letter, also obtained by Fox News, was undated and addressed to Chagoury care of his firm South Energyx Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the larger Chagoury Group that is spearheading the Eko Atlantic real estate venture. by the website. In the years afterward, Chagourys wealth grew. An In-depth Guide on Web Scraping. Find out more about our subscription offers. His family conglomerate now controls a host of businesses, including construction companies, flour mills, manufacturing plants and real estate. His parents emigrated from Lebanon to Nigeria in the 1940s. Clintons aide, Doug Band, even invited Chagoury to his wedding. Its still for sale. Chagoury is alleged to have bankrolled the election campaign of then President Goodluck Jonathan who was defeated by Buhari. Trumps immigration pivot: Will he be the latest Republican to alienate the base? Gilbert was sent to study at the College des Freres Chretiens in Lebanon and after returning to Nigeria began a promising business career, rising quickly to become Director of Sales for a Nigerian car company. Find Ronald Chagoury stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. LaHood, a former Republican congressman who served in the first term of the Obama administration, agreed to pay a $40,000 fine to resolve a federal criminal probe into a loan he received from Chagoury. He was educated at the College des Frres Chrtiens in Lebanon, and studied business studies at California State University, Long Beach, US. The Lebanese agreed to pay a $600,000 fine and return $66 million to the Nigerian government. Contact 2? Ronald Chagoury Jr. was born on January 8th, 1949 in Lagos State, Nigeria, to Lebanese immigrant parents, Ramez and Alice Chagoury. Three ways to create your email notifications: Do not hesitate to create your own notifications according to your interests : better criteria narrows down the results. It has also come under fire for its willingness to accept money from foreign governments with interest in swaying U.S. policy during Clintons time as secretary of State, and the controversial histories of some donors. This matter was investigated by the FBI, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Department of Transportations Office of Inspector General. Chagoury was born in 1946 in Lagos to Lebanese parents, and as a child attended school in Lebanon. LaHood, who at the time was suffering financial difficulties, admitted that in 2012 he accepted a $50,000 personal check from Baaklini with the word Loan written in the checks memo portion and understood at the time that the money came from Chagoury. In early July, he was there live and in person in Paris, France to join his fellow compatriots and billionaires as guests of French President, Emmanuel Macron. This website uses Cookies to improve User experience. His name is on a gallery at the Louvre and a medical school in. Lock In a separate and unrelated matter, Ray LaHood, 75, who served as U.S. Secretary of Transportation from 2009 to 2013, paid a $40,000 fine to resolve a federal criminal investigation into LaHoods conduct related to a $50,000 financial transaction between LaHood and Baaklini in June 2012. "Lagos has about 2500 hotels, but in terms of bookings, it has about 35-40% of all hotel bookings in Nigeria."In our second episode today, Vice-Chairman Eko . He owns a seven-bedroom hilltop mansion in Beverly Hills in California, and he has a high-level network of friends from Washington to Lebanon to the Vatican, where he serves as an ambassador for the tiny island nation of St. Lucia. Through their ownership of the Chagoury Group, Gilbert Chagoury and family have an estimated wealth of $4.2 . The idea behind it was how we could reclaim all the . A close associate of Hillary and Bill Clinton, Chagoury runs the Chagoury Group with his. in General Legal Studies with specialization in Business law and international Litigation and arbitration from the New York University School of Law. The Chagoury returned the favour when Tinubu's son Seyi had his own wedding. Clinton's aide, Doug Band, even invited Chagoury to his wedding. I never imagined what the future would hold for me, Chagoury once said of his boyhood in Nigeria. Federal prosecutors entered into the deferred prosecution agreement considering, among other factors, Chagourys unique assistance to the U.S. government, his payment of a fine, Chagourys acceptance of responsibility for his actions, and his residence outside the United States. Chagoury wooed and ensnared Presidents Umaru YarAdua and Goodluck Jonathan. Newly released documents, obtained by the conservative watchdog group . She said at a recent briefing that she was unaware of whether Hillary Clinton knew the site was under consideration; it was on a list of possibilities submitted by a real estate firm in 2012, Trudeau said in response to questions from The Times. Calinehas since expanded her role in The Chagoury Group to look over various other companies. He sold shoes and cars in Nigeria, according to a biography on his website, before marrying the daughter of a prominent Nigerian businessman. Election 2016 | Live coverage on Trail Guide | Sign up for the newsletter. In 2012, Baaklini handed LaHood a $50,000 personal check with the word "loan" written on it. Los Angeles, California 90012. The terminal handles wheat, maize and malt used for the brewing process. Yet others are Silhouette Furniture, Fleetwood Transportation, Glassforce, Ragolis Waters, Hyperia Internet, CKD Industries and Ideal Eagle Hospital which caters mostly to expatriate workers, including those of Royal Dutch Shell. Ronald's parentsemigrated to Nigeria in the 1940s where they instantly laid down roots and became fully part of Nigerian society and culture. He is the Vice Chairman of South Energyx Nigeria Limited, which is part of the Chagoury Group, a multinational business conglomerate based in Lagos, Nigeria. For Ronald, sustainability. The 75-year-old Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent has been living in Paris, France since 2015, after he fell out of favor with the new political establishment in Nigeria led by President Muhammadu Buhari. More from Medium. The company is currently working on Eko Atlantic, a new city construction project located off Victoria Island, adjacent to Lagos. Relatedly, two Chagoury associates Joseph Arsan, 68, also of Paris, and Toufic Joseph Baaklini, 58, of Washington, D.C. agreed to resolve allegations that they violated campaign contribution laws by assisting Chagoury in his illegal contributions. ) or https:// means youve safely connected to the .gov website. At the center of allegations against Nebraska Rep. Jeff Fortenberry, who was indicted this week by a federal grand jury, is a Nigerian billionaire of Lebanese descent named Gilbert Chagoury. Caline Chagoury - Executive Member Caline continually looks to the advancement of her home, Lagos, Nigeria, through building businesses, establishing spaces for the Arts of Africa to flourish, and empowering artists to reach their full potential. Nuhu Ribadu believed that it was powerful businessmen like Chagoury that forced his removal from the EFCC after Obasanjos exit. Typically, the person is told of the grounds for refusal, but not the details. 312 North Spring Street
During the rule of Gen. Sani Abacha, who seized power in Nigeria in 1993, Chagoury prospered, receiving development deals and oil franchises. Beneficial Ownership: Oil Fields OML 112 and OML 117 belongs to father of Niger State governor, INVESTIGATION: How Petronor OML Joint Venture was brokered, OML-29 Saga Knives out over $2.7 billion as 7 Nigerian banks battle in London court, How Defence products expanded Nigeria-Turkey trade volume. Ronald Chagoury Jr: First of all, Eko Atlantic was initially built as a defence against coastal erosion for Victoria Island and parts of Lekki. The agency later wrote to Chagoury to apologize for any inconvenience or unpleasantness.. The Chagoury wedding attracted former dictator Ibrahim Babangida, his pet and lackey, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former military dictator and IBB's cousin, General Abubakar Abdusalam, and former. [], The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, a radical Shiite organisation that claims millions of followers, is riven by power struggles and bitterly divided over whether to move into mainstream politics. Growing up steeped in the cultural traditions of two countries, Lebanon and Nigeria, Ronald quickly realised that his adopted country cried out for mechanisms to harness the boundless talents of its peoples. Suite 1200
Last summer, when Chagoury planned a trip to Los Angeles, he applied at the U.S. embassy in Paris for a visitors visa and was refused, according to interviews and government documents. They are also behind the over $6 billion Eko Atlantic project, which is an entirely reclaimed coastal city built in the upmarket Victoria Island area of Lagos and reserved exclusively for the high net worth individuals and corporate entities including some embassies. Upon returning to Nigeria he joined the Chagoury Group and now oversees various companies within the group. With hisbusiness knowledge fully attuned, he quickly took oversight of the construction and civilengineering development of the Chagoury Group. and are now billionaires. Joseph Tanfani previously covered the Justice Department and Homeland Security in the Washington, D.C., bureau. [1], Chagoury is married to Berthe, and they have two children. He is hoping to regain the influence he enjoyed under Sani Abacha, the country's military junta leader in the 1990s. Central District of California (Los Angeles) Besides Tinubus rumoured medical trip to Paris, it is believed that Chagouri used the occasion to sell Tinubus candidacy to the French. You can change these settings at any time by going to our Cookie management page. Abacha turned out to be one of the most notorious kleptocrats in history, stealing billions in public funds. Ribadu would with regrets tell a foreign interviewer how Chagoury slipped through his fingers apparently on a tip-off. Who are President Bidens Cabinet members? All Rights Reserved. Ronald Chagoury (born 8 January 1949) is a Nigerian businessman, the co-founder (with his billionaire brother Gilbert Chagoury), and CEO of the Chagoury Group. At a 2009 Clinton Global Initiative conference, where business and charity leaders pledge to complete projects, the Chagoury Groups Eko Atlantic development nine square kilometers of Lagos coastal land reclaimed by a seawall was singled out for praise. RonaldChagouryJR.org. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The billionaire was then shuttling London, Beirut and Dubai to attend to business issues until he finally settled for Paris as his new base where he was plucked to be part of Macrons France-Nigeria Business Council headed by Nigerian billionaire, Abdulsamad Rabiu. The idea behind it was how we could reclaim all the land lost to coastal erosion in the past 100 years, create long-term protection, and then become a business centre for West Africa and eventually . Following graduation, he quickly returned to Nigeria and began to implement the business principles he had so eagerly taken on board in the United States. Not amused in Nigeria, all that President Olusegun Obasanjo wanted to do at this time was to arrest Chagoury who cleverly avoided Nigeria like a plague. They are also used to create and log into your user account. Gilbert Chagoury, a major donor to the Clinton Foundation, was denied entry to the U.S. last year by the State Department. How NNPC intrigues stalled ExxonMobils sales of $1.52 billion assets to Seplat, BUSINESS LEAKS invited to speak at UKs Financial Crime Roundtable, SPECIAL REPORT: Nigerias seaports of oligarchs and monopoly czars, SPECIAL REPORT: Nigerias deep-sea paradox, Botswana at 57: The need to break the barrier of insularity, How Nigerian fraudsters loot European banks (2). They have four children, Ramez, Gilbert-Antoine, Christopher and Anne-Marie. Ronald Chagoury Jr Eko Atlantic - A New Green & Smart City Set To Become A Financial And Business Center In Lagos, Nigeria Published Oct 9, 2018 + Follow The formula for economic development isn . After Abachas death in 1998, the Nigerian government hired lawyers to track down the money. Your email address will not be published. Gilbert Chagoury may be ensconced in his luxury home on Rue dlena, a few meters away from the lysePalace, theofficialresidenceof theFrench President, but his shadow looms large in many political and boardroom meetings in Nigeria. The Time Is Now To Prepare For China Conflict, U.S. Army Leaders Take Your Grievances To The Courts, Not To The Streets, Buhari Tells Tinubu Writes Nigerians As President-elect, Says The Era Of Renewed Hope Has INEC Chairman Stoking Disaster For Nigeria And Cannot Claim Ignorance, President Obasanjo Obi defeats Atiku, Tinubu inside Aso Rock Polling Unit. Continue with Recommended Cookies. In 2009, Band wrote his friends in the department. Chagoury also contributed $1 million to $5 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to its list of donors. . Both men are on the board of the multi-billion Loatsad Promomedia Communications Consultancy. Ronald and the team are currently focused on the development of Eko Atlantic, a project for which Ronald Chagoury Jr. is Vice Chairman. If two unmarried celebrities are seen in public together, they are often described as dating which means they were seen in public together, and it is not clear whether they are merely friends, exploring a more intimate relationship, or are romantically involved. Chagoury never got a scolding, though. Trump is encouraging and amplifying the message of a radical fringe of conservatives, Clinton says. After completing undergraduate and graduate studies in France, Ronald returned to Nigeria in 2007 to join The Chagoury Group as an Executive Member. They live in Lagos, Nigeria. She is the daughter of Ronald Chagoury and niece of Gilbert Chagoury, a pair of powerful Nigerian-born Lebanese businessmen.