The UK government has once again postponed its proposed ban on cold calling. The government is holding another consultation and in Autumn 2018 will present legislation for discussion in both Houses of Parliament.
UK
There are 222 posts filed in UK (this is page 1 of 15).
Peter Singh Virdee avoids extradition to Germany to face charges of VAT fraud on carbon credit sales. Virdee is now being investigated for corruption in the Caribbean
On 10 January 2017, UK police arrested Peter Singh Virdee, a British businessman, in Heathrow airport. Virdee faced extradition to Germany accused of fraud and €125 million in unpaid VAT on sales of carbon credits.
REDD myth no. 4: REDD will be quick and cheap
In December 2007, Norway’s then-prime minister Jens Stoltenberg launched Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Stoltenberg announced that Norway would be handing out more than US$500 million a year “to prevent deforestation in developing countries”. Stoltenberg was convinced that stopping deforestation would be quick and cheap.
London High Court orders Capital Alternatives to repay £16.9 million. New York Southern District Court orders Bar Works and Bitcoin Store to pay US$83.35 million
Capital Alternatives Limited was part of a network of scam companies that offered “investments” to the general public including a rice farm in Sierra Leone, and carbon credits from projects in Sierra Leone, Brazil, and Australia. Last week, the High Court in London found that these “investments” were illegal collective investment schemes.
Environmental organisations call on Democratic Republic of Congo not to open up its rainforest to loggers
Last week, José Ilanga the Director General in charge of forests at the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development in the Democratic Republic of Congo, announced that plans were underway to lift the country’s 16-year-old moratorium on new logging concessions. Today, more than 50 environmental and human rights organisations have written to key donor governments and agencies, including Norway, UK, France, USA, and the World Bank, calling on them to suspend funding immediately to the DRC government for forestry and forest conservation.
The Kariba REDD project in Zimbabwe: From carbon credits to EARTH tokens
The Kariba REDD+ Project covers an area of 784,987 hectares in four districts of northwestern Zimbabwe. The project started in July 2011, and aims to generate almost 52 million carbon credits from reduced deforestation over its 30-year project life. The project is certified under the VCS and Climate Community and Biodiversity Standard systems.
Interview with Kate Heller, VCS Communications Manager, about April Salumei: “We cannot speak for the other ‘credits’ issued by the project”
In 2011, a Swiss company called World Markets AG bought five million “carbon benefit units”. They came from the April Salumei REDD project in Papua New Guinea. World Markets sold the “carbon benefit units” at a profit of over US$5 million.
Asia Beijing Corporation is running a recovery room scam, targeting Bar Works victims
Asia Beijing Corporation is cold calling victims of Renwick Haddow’s scam, Bar Works. Asia Beijing Corporation claims to be able to “exchange the toxic asset” for shares in Ant Financial Services Group. Of course, Asia Beijing Corporation is running a ridiculously obvious recovery room scam.
Renwick Haddow and Bar Works: Extradition process and court cases update
Last year, REDD-Monitor wrote a series of posts about Renwick Haddow’s latest scam, Bar Works. The most recent post was in July 2017, after the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a legal complaint against Haddow. The complaint alleged that Haddow fraudulently raised almost US$38 million from investors.
A company calling itself “Capital Advisory Group” is running a recovery room scam
In October 2017, “Oscar” left a comment on REDD-Monitor. “I have been contacted by Capital Advisory Group Ireland re my carbon credits,” Oscar wrote.
Does the April Salumei REDD project still exist? More questions for Stephen Hooper about his project in Papua New Guinea. And a reminder about the 14 still unanswered questions that REDD-Monitor asked two months ago
In July 2017, a group of over 150 people who had been scammed into buying “carbon benefit units” got in touch with REDD-Monitor. Several London-based boiler room operations, including Industry RE, had sold them the “carbon benefit units”, supposedly as investments. Unfortunately they were worthless.
Prince Charles’ offshore investment in Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd: A cautionary tale featuring conflicts of interest, a web of offshore companies, carbon credits, transfer pricing, and tax avoidance galore
Sustainable Forestry Management Ltd was the name of a company incorporated in the Bahamas in October 1999. The company set up forestry projects and traded carbon credits. Its directors included Eric Bettelheim (Executive Chairman and General Counsel), Alan Bernstein (Chief Executive Officer), and Hugh van Cutsem (Director).
A company calling itself “Delta Financial Markets” is running a recovery room scam
Earlier this week, “Fallguy” left a comment on REDD-Monitor. “Has anyone had dealings with Delta Financial Markets Ltd?”, Fallguy asked.
Some questions for Stephen Hooper about the “carbon benefit units” sold from his April Salumei REDD project in Papua New Guinea
April Salumei is a REDD project in Papua New Guinea. Various companies, including Qantas, Eneco Energy Trade, and Norwegian supermarket chain Rema 1000, have bought carbon credits from the April Salumei REDD project. Should you so wish, you can buy carbon credits from the project on the USAID-funded website Stand for Trees.
Thorn Medical: “The company is not in a position to meet its financial obligations and therefore must be wound up”
Thorn Medical has written to shareholders to tell them that the company is insolvent and will be placed in voluntary liquidation.
Thorn Medical is a healthcare company, founded in July 2014 by Jack Kaye. In 2015, the company announced that it was planning a £350 million listing on the London Stock Exchange. A listing on the USA’s Nasdaq was also planned. In early 2016, the company appointed Sir Eric Peacock, Sir John Lucas-Tooth, and Lord Beaverbrook to its board.