| Saifee Durbar tells his side of the story |
|
|
|
| Wednesday, 11 March 2009 | |
|
Exclusive Until now, Saifee Durbar, the Central African Republic’s Vice Foreign Affairs Minister, had refrained from making any comments on a current legal case – a troubling tale of power and money that concerns him deeply. The plot includes mysterious financial schemes, challenged take-over bids and, since the setting is the Central African Republic, mines. Lots of mines.
Interview conducted by Adama Wade, Casablanca Les Afriques: In France, you have been convicted of fraud. What was it all about? Saifee Durbar: Yes. It’s a completely false story that was thrown together. In 1995, I was accused of committing fraudulent dealings amounting to 2.5 million dollars. If you read the Times, you will see that I am alleged to have been worth 5 billion dollars in 1994 with a 14 million-dollar house in Cannes. Why would someone worth so much risk everything for so little? LA: How did you end up in the Central African Republic? SD: In 1998, President Patassé invited me there. I immediately fell in love with the country and its people. It is a country that is rich in minerals, but very poor with an income below a dollar a day for most of its inhabitants. The president made me an economic advisor. I invested my own money in several sectors including urban transportation and mining. I imported 24 buses from Paris. It was only after all this that I realised that something wasn’t quite right within the president’s entourage. There were people who were only thinking about themselves. I left the Central African Republic in 2000. My dream, which has become a full-fledged project, is to build a railway that will run from one end of the country to the other. God’s willing, this will be done in 24 months. LA: Apparently the separation was only temporary? SD: In 2002, I resigned and returned to London. In 2005, I came to see the head of State, his Excellency, François Bozizé. He is an honest and just leader who defends the interests of his country. He appointed me first as a presidential advisor in 2006 then made me a special advisor. In this position, I had to go against big interests and this resulted in a court case that was carried out hurriedly without my even being asked to appear. I was fined 318,000 euros while the person responsible for the whole thing is still free. LA: When you say “big interests”, to what are you alluding? SD: I am clearly referring to Areva. In 2007, Areva bought UraMin for 2.5 billion euros at the end of a take-over bid which hadn’t received the government’s blessing. The world over, as transactions of this nature affect the very fabric of the local economy, they require government approval. Areva paid nothing to the state and, in so doing, did not fulfil requirements for the transaction to be valid. As a presidential advisor, this case was handed over to me. I hired attorneys. At one point, Areva was interested in negotiating, as it was fully aware of the illegality of what it had done. Then it made a full 180. The case had been politicised. LA: According to you, your 2007 conviction had something to do with the Areva case? SD: The coincidence is certainly troubling, to say the least. It was in July 2007 that the president had entrusted me with that case. I hired attorneys to study the possible legal solutions to close the case. A month later, in August, the French issued a warrant for my arrest. With the government formed on January 19, I was appointed as Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs. Even then, Paris still refused to confirm whether or not I would have immunity. I wonder that would have been the case in another country. LA: But France has changed, hasn’t it? President Sarkozy marks a turning point in French relations with Africa, doesn’t he? SD: Yes, that’s true. But I think President Sarkozy doesn’t know about this case which is allegedly being handled by an African entity. There, however, little has changed. LA: You are now introduced as a lender of the Central African Republic. Is this true? SD: Last year, some people were surprised that I contributed to the 2-month salary regulation. In fact, my contribution was less significant since I sought to use the State’s revenue adequately to gather the sums needed. LA: Frankly speaking, do you have any real ambitions for the Central African Republic? SD: Certainly. My dream, which has become a full-fledged project, is to build a railway that will run from one end of the country to the other. God’s willing, this will be done in 24 months. The line will go from Cameroon to Sudan and will provide Africa with something it needs more than ever: mobility. Transportation costs are so high that all economic endeavours are affected by it. LA: So, how are you going to finance this project? SD: Well, it’s simply a viable project. All the ships that go by the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal dream of a railway that would provide access to the farthest reaches of the continent. Travel time would be reduced by 14 days for freight being sent to the Central African Republic. Furthermore, a project of this nature will contribute to an environment of peace in Sudan because all the civil wars that we have been seeing in the region can only be resolved through development and improved transportation. For a wealthy country, rich in lumber, agriculture and immense mineral deposits, improving transportation is imperative. LA: In the future, how do you think relations between France and the Central African Republic will evolve? SD: France is the Republic’s most logical partner. We need its know-how and expertise. But it has to be a win-win partnership that can generate prosperity for everyone. I really believe this. LA: What is the source of your fortune? SD: My grandfather is the last Maharaja. My father went into exile in Pakistan after India won its independence in 1947, after which he settled in Saudi Arabia. He made his fortune in textiles and finance. But I made mine using my own means without the family money. I began in London in 1986 with a job in a gas station. Afterwards, I became a hairstylist, then I launched my own import/export company. I knew the ropes. In 1999, I got interested in banking. I was a broker in real estate operations. I effected the transactions of a lot of wealthy Saudis. These are fields that I know almost innately.
The takeover bid that divided Paris and Bangui
Reactions
After spontaneously asking us if our intention in contacting their office was to sell ad space (not the case), they informed us that they would respond next week. So, to be continued… |
