Thai Businesswoman Blacklisted By Us Treasury

[Cool Water Palace]

I found this on a South African news website, but it gives up on any expansion and does not explain the details of her dealings, so much of the article is not relevant to this forum.

US Treasury blacklists four Mugabe cronies

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES Nov 26 2008 09:26

The US government blacklisted four allies of Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe on Tuesday, increasing pressure on the country's leadership which is condemned by Washington as undemocratic.

The three business people and a physician were accused of helping a corrupt Mugabe government, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control said in a statement.

It named them as:

* John Bredenkamp, who it said was involved in arms trading and diamond extraction

* Muller Conrad "Billy" Rautenbach, who it linked with mining projects that enriched the government

* Mahmood Awang Kechik, a Malaysian urologist and one of Mugabe's doctors and business advisers who it accused of trafficking in medical equipment.

* Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman it said was involved in business deals for Mugabe and his wife Grace.

US assets controlled by the four are liable to be seized and US citizens are banned from doing business with them.

Haven for Tsvangirai

Botswana's foreign minister suggested in an interview Wednesday that his country would be prepared to allow Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai to operate there as leader in exile.

Foreign Minister Phandu Skelemani also told BBC World News that regional powers must admit they had failed to resolve the deadlock between Tsvangirai and Mugabe and should now bring economic pressure to bear.

Asked whether Botswana would offer Tsvangirai a safe haven if power-sharing talks collapse, Skelemani said: "Anybody who comes to Botswana saying that they fear for their life, from their own country, we will not chase them away."

Pressed about what Botswana would allow Tsvangirai to do from its soil, the minister said he would not be permitted to launch a military attack on Zimbabwe from there, but could possibly lead a democratic resistance movement.

"That would be the lesser of the two evils, which is probably, taking up arms and getting innocent people killed," Skelemani said.

Botswana's President Ian Khama is one of the few African leaders to openly criticise Mugabe, saying his re-election in June was not legitimate.

The foreign minister also said the Southern African Development Community (SADC) regional bloc must admit that its mediation efforts have failed.

"The international community, SADC first of all, must now own up that they have failed -- which we have said, that we as SADC have failed. The rest of us should now own up and say yes, we have failed," Skelemani told the BBC.

After that, it should "call upon the international community and tell Mugabe to his face, look, now you are on your own, we are switching off, we are closing your borders, and I don't think he would last", he said.

"If no petrol went in for a week, he can't last."

Negotiators for Mugabe and Tsvangirai met in a new round of talks in South Africa on Tuesday over a stalled power-sharing deal, that calls for Mugabe to remain as president and Tsvangirai to take the new post of prime minister. - Reuters, AFP

Source: Mail & Guardian Online

Web Address: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2008-11-26-us-...-mugabe-cronies

I'm aware that some years ago, before Zimbabwe fell apart, there was cooperation between Zimbabwe and Thailand on HIV/AIDS, and trading links. Grace Mugabe has connections in Thailand, and their holiday home in Malaysia is very near the Thai border. So the connection is far from unique. This one seems to be inappropriate, as I'm sure some of Grace's are.

A brief search found this:

http://www.cap-info.de/triangle/bios/taveesin.html

Nalinee Taveesin is Managing Director of Success Information Systems, a company involved in information technology, which has expanded to become an Internet Service Provider. In addition, the company has established a consortium of ISPs in Asia. Nalinee Taveesin has also been Managing Director of DIC Company in Thailand and Director of the Project L.I.F.E. Foundation. She represented Thailand for the Asia Europe Young Leaders Symposium II (Vienna 1998), the ICCC conference (Sweden 1998) and the Asia Europe Young Leaders Symposium III (Seoul 1999). Nalinee Taveesin studied economics at St. Mary's College of Maryland and communication at Sukhothai Thammathirat University and Regent University, where she received her Ph.D. She is an expert on the impact of technology on people.

Who has more details of the nature of her links with Zimbabwe and how the basis of the blacklisting arose?

[GuestHouse]

According to The Zimbabwe Times

Szubin said in addition that OFAC was designating Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman who has facilitated a number of financial, real-estate, and gem-related transactions on behalf of Grace Mugabe, Gideon Gono, and a number of other Zimbabwean Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa ’s most corrupt regimes.

[lannarebirth]

According to The Zimbabwe Times

Szubin said in addition that OFAC was designating Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman who has facilitated a number of financial, real-estate, and gem-related transactions on behalf of Grace Mugabe, Gideon Gono, and a number of other Zimbabwean Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa 's most corrupt regimes.

From the same article:

“The United States supports the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to achieve a political and economic system built on fairness and transparency rather than patronage and self-dealing.”

That's a bit rich in light of recent US financial practices.

Edited November 26, 2008 by lannarebirth

[Gravelrash]

According to The Zimbabwe Times

Szubin said in addition that OFAC was designating Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman who has facilitated a number of financial, real-estate, and gem-related transactions on behalf of Grace Mugabe, Gideon Gono, and a number of other Zimbabwean Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa 's most corrupt regimes.

I wouldn't have thought Zimbabwe needed help in instigating corruption, but if unsure then perhaps this Thai businesswoman is the person to talk to. After all the gem scam business is a great training ground.

[phaethon]

“The United States supports the people of Zimbabwe in their struggle to achieve a political and economic system built on fairness and transparency rather than patronage and self-dealing.”

LOLZ

[soundman]

This is a Thailand based forum of discussion.

The link to Thailand in this article

* Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman it said was involved in business deals for Mugabe and his wife Grace.

appears to be what we are discussing, and the question by the OP....

Who has more details of the nature of her links with Zimbabwe and how the basis of the blacklisting arose?

Lets keep it on topic & not drift off into debate of Zimbabwian democracy or US foreign policy.

Thankyou.

[Cool Water Palace]

I thought that might happen! I did think of censoring the rest of the report before posting as a precaution in view of previous diversions from topics on the forum. Silly me not to do so.

I have more news from wording of the US release, gleaned from a report on a Zimbabwe news website.

In addition, OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) is designating Nalinee Joy Taveesin, a Thai businesswoman who has facilitated a number of financial, real-estate, and gem-related transactions on behalf of Grace Mugabe, Gideon Gono, and a number of other Zimbabwean Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs). Ironically, Nalinee Taveesin has participated in a number of initiatives on corruption and growth challenges in Africa and Southeast Asia while secretly supporting the kleptocratic practices of one of Africa's most corrupt regimes.

Gono is the reserve bank governor, reappointed for another 5 years today!

Also the bit about US citizens seems as it might affect some in Thailand

[Cool Water Palace]

Sorry again. I see now i missed guesthouse's post. He got there first.

[TAWP]

@teamkorn: New Yingluck cabinet member is black listed by the U.S.government for ties with Robert Mugabe. Who is it? http://t.co/Kp1v96tC (This thread)

[TAWP]

Still blacklisted: https://www.epls.gov/epls/search.do?debar_recid=176013&status=current&vindex=0&xref=true

[Heimdallr]

She seems like a perfect fit for the new government.