British businessman and his companies including those registered in BVI are blacklisted in US
Last month, 21 companies were blacklisted by the US President for supporting the regime of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. Of these companies on the list issued by America’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), 14 are British, two are registered in the Isle of Man, one in the British Virgin Islands, one in Jersey, and three in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Florida and Zimbabwe.
At the meantime, the three businessmen which are under sanction by the US Treasury are operating freely in the UK, and on the top of the list of alleged Mugabe allies is John Bredenkamp. There are evidences of financial relationship between Bredenkamp and BAE systems, as the payments linked to Bredenkamp were made between 2003 and 2005 by then-liquidated BVI subsidiary of BAE, Red Diamond Trading, and transferred to another BVI company Kayswell Services, whose beneficiary is Bredenkamp.
Mr Mugabe and his companions try to stay in power using the help of the British-based businessmen and some London-based companies. Mr Bredenkamp is one of these businessmen with British connections, whose influence has grown under Mugabe ruling. The US Treasury calls him a “well-known Mugabe insider involved in various business activities.”
A spokesman for the UK Treasury, when asked what action Britain is going to take against Mr Bredenkamp, told the Times that, “in response to the continuing impasse in Zimbabwe”, they are considering a range of measures with European Union partners. Representative of Mr Bredenkamp denied all the accusations.