Ziad Takieddine

Ziad Takieddine
Born (1950-06-14) 14 June 1950
Baakline, Lebanon
Nationality Lebanese and French
Education American University in Beirut
University of Reading
Occupation Businessman
Spouse(s) Nicola Johnson (divorced)
Relatives Amal Clooney (niece)

Ziad Takieddine (Arabic: زياد تقي الدين‎ ; born 14 June 1950) is a Lebanese-French businessman, described by The Telegraph as an "arms broker".[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Ziad Takieddine was born on 14 June 1950 in Baakline, Lebanon into a Druze family.[5] His uncle Saiid Takieddine was Lebanese Ambassador in London, and his father was Ambassador in various countries.[5] He was educated at the American University in Beirut and the University of Reading in England.[5]

Career

In the 1990s, he was the manager of the Isola 2000 ski resort in Isola, Alpes-Maritimes, France.[1]

He later facilitated arms dealing between France and Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Libya.[1][2] He is under investigation for allegedly using some of those funds to finance the unsuccessful presidential campaign of former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur.[1][4] This has led to the Karachi affair.[2][3][4]

He facilitated the release of Bulgarian nurses from Libya and organized Libya President Muammar Gaddafi's 2007 visit to France.[2] He has since accused former French President Nicolas Sarkozy of taking 5 million euros from Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi from 2006 to 2007 [6] to finance his presidential campaign, a claim echoed by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.[2][4]

Personal life

His ex-wife, Nicola Johnson, is British-born.[1][3] She has accused him of tax evasion in France.[3] Takieddine owns Warwick House in London's Holland Park district via a company in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands.[7] In 2013 Takieddine was denied entry to the United Kingdom following an "allegation of fraud" and was forced by British police to return to France.[8]

Takieddine is an uncle of Amal Alamuddin, who is married to the actor George Clooney.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ziad Takieddine: The ski-resort owner with a taste for the high life, The Independent, January 2, 2013
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 John Lichfield, If Sarko took Gaddafi cash, why oust him?, The Independent, January 6, 2013
  3. 1 2 3 4 Henry Samuel, Briton in divorce with French arms broker husband could hold key to 'Karachi affair' , The Daily Telegraph, August 30, 2011
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gaddafi Financed Sarkozy Campaign In 2007, Claims Arms Dealer Ziad Takieddine, The Huffington Post, 01/03/2013
  5. 1 2 3 Fabrice Arfi (1 October 2014). Le sens des affaires: Voyage au bout de la corruption. Calmann-Lévy. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-2-7021-5557-8. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Interview of Ziad Takeddine on Mediapart https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmvSyRGVTew
  7. ↑ "Neighbours from hell". Private Eye (1404). 30 October 2015. p. 37.
  8. ↑ "Arms deals fixer Ziad Takieddine refused entry and returned to France". The Independent. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
  9. ↑ "Amal Clooney's uncle: Why I blew the whistle over Sarkozy 'bung'". metro.news. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
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