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maltatoday SUNDAY 25 MARCH 2018 2 News Get your FREE copy with the Maltatoday next Wednesday IRANIAN national Ali Sadr Hasheminejad gloated in a 2011 email that the plan to stay below the US sanctions radar was bearing fruit. It was July and the email in- formed a business associate that a transfer of $20.7 million was being made from a Venezuelan company. "It seems like our strategy has worked so far," Hasheminejad fin- ished off his message, which forms part of a cache of emails obtained by the US authorities investigating the man for breach of sanctions against Iran. Hasheminejad has been identified by the Americans as the person at the centre of an Iranian conglom- erate that had to build 7,000 hous- ing units in Venezuela in exchange for almost half a billion dollars. The mere use of dollars meant that the parties to the deal had to use American banks to clear the financial transactions, something that was impossible to do for an Iranian company. Long-standing US sanctions against Iran prevent American companies from getting involved in any transactions or deals with Iranian companies and individuals, and the Iranian government. This meant that Hasheminejad and his Iranian associates, includ- ing his father and sister, had to cre- ate companies in Switzerland, Tur- key and Dubai to hide the Iranian connection. Cirrus General Trading was formed by Hasheminejad's father in Dubai in December 2009, fol- lowed by Clarity Trade and Fi- nance that was set up in February 2010 in Switzerland. In October 2010, another compa- ny – Stratus Turkey – was formed in Istanbul, with Hasheminejad and his father both using their St Kitts and Nevis passport to hide their Iranian identity. These companies acted as a front, receiving payments in US dollars from Venezuela on behalf of the mother company in Iran set up by Hasheminejad and his family. But the screening of the Iranian connection did not end there. The indictment filed by the US authori- ties also quotes emails in which Hasheminejad and his associates discussed changing the name of the mother company in Iran to remove any reference to the Persian Gulf country from the official name. Another email sent by a business associate in May 2011 refers to the restructuring of Stratus and the need to find five people or compa- nies to act as shareholders instead of Hasheminejad and other family members. The restructuring was meant to further hide the Iranian connection. The US authorities said the Venezuelan company made ap- proximately 15 payments totalling $115,000,000 (€93.2 million) to the Iranian company via the firms based in Switzerland and Turkey, over the period. The indictment also shows that some of the money was funnelled by Hasheminejad to buy property in California. Hasheminejad has been accused of conspiracy to evade US sanc- tions by conducting international financial transactions for the ben- efit of Iranian individuals and enti- ties, including himself and his family. He is accused of conceal- ing from US banks services that were being provided to Iran in violation of the sanctions. The charges brought against the man carry a collective maximum jail- term of 125 years. The indictment only mentions Hashemine- jad by name despite listing others as co- conspirators such as his father and sister. No charges have been issued against the oth- er people. But the indictment also shields the names of two American banks used to clear the dollar transfers and two other banks in Switzerland, where Clarity had ac- counts. ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt KURT SANSONE Ali Sadr Hasheminejad regularly travelled to the United States from Malta. But an investigation led by the US Attorney into the circumvention of Iran sanctions has finally caught up with him, less than a year since his private bank was plunged into a national scandal. We trace the steps of the investigation that brought him to heel How Pilatus banker played hide-and-seek with the Americans financial transactions for the ben- efit of Iranian individuals and enti- ties, including himself and his He is accused of conceal- ing from US banks services that were being provided to Iran in violation of the The charges brought against the man carry a collective maximum jail- The indictment only mentions Hashemine- jad by name despite listing others as co- conspirators such as his father and sister. No charges have been issued against the oth- But the indictment also shields the names of two American banks used to clear the dollar transfers and two other banks in Switzerland, where Clarity had ac- ksansone@mediatoday.com.mt Ali Sadr Hasheminejad regularly travelled to the United States from Malta. But an investigation led by the US Attorney into the circumvention of Iran sanctions has finally caught up with him, less than a year since his private bank was plunged into a national Hasheminejad was arrested at Dulles airport. His registered address was a Washington DC riverbank apartment, from where he regularly transited to Malta