16:50 uur 28-10-2016

Investeringsautoriteit Ras Al Khaimah dient aanklacht tegen Farhad Azima in bij High Court van Londen

LONDEN–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Het volgende bericht is een verklaring van de Investeringsautoriteit van Ras Al Khaimah, de investeringsorganisatie van het Verenigde Arabische Emiraat Ras Al Khaimah:

De Investeringsautoriteit van Ras Al Khaimai, de investeringsorganisatie van het Verenigde Arabische Emiraat Ras Al Khaimah, heeft een aanklacht ingediend bij het High Court van Londen tegen de Amerikaans-Iraanse zakenman Farhad Azima.

De zaak draait om twee aantijgingen van wanbeheer. De eerste aanklacht gaat over de verkoop van het Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel in Tbilisi van RAKIA Georgië aan Eurasia Hotel Holdings Ltd., dat beneficiair eigendom is van de heer Houshang Hosseinpour. RAKIA beschuldigt de heer Azima ervan een ‘geheime commissie’ te hebben aangenomen die hoger lag dat de vooraf afgesproken commissie van 5 procent van de verkoopprijs. In plaats daarvan kreeg hij een belang van 10 procent in het hotel, met een waarde van 6,25 miljoen dollar.

RAKIA beweert ook dat Azima de toenmalige ceo van RAKIA Georgië, Khater Massaad, 500.000 dollar betaalde om deze deal mogelijk te maken. Massaad is onlangs in Saudi-Arabië gearresteerd en is in afwachting van uitzetting.

 

 

Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority Announces Lawsuit against Farhad Azima in London High Court

 

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The following is a statement from The Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), the investment arm of the UAE Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah:

The Ras Al Khaimah Investment Authority (RAKIA), the investment arm of the UAE Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah, has filed a lawsuit against US-Iranian Farhad Azima in the London High Court.

The case brought by the RAKIA centres around two separate claims of misconduct. The first claims centres on the sale of the Sheraton Metechi Palace Hotel in Tbilisi from RAKIA Georgia to Eurasia Hotel Holdings Ltd, a company beneficially owned by Mr Houshang Hosseinpour. RAKIA alleges that Mr Azima took a ‘secret commission’, that went way beyond the agreed 5% commission of the sale price of the Hotel and in fact led to him receiving a 10% interest in the Hotel worth $6.25 million.

Other allegations made by RAKIA suggests Mr Azima paid, the then CEO of RAKIA Georgia, Khater Massaad $500,000 for his facilitation of the deal. Massaad has recently been arrested in Saudi Arabia and is awaiting extradition.

The second aspect of the case brought by RAKIA against Azima concerns a joint venture proposed by him in late 2015 to buy military aircraft valued at $52 million. RAKIA claims that the proposal was in fact an attempt to deceive RAKIA out of millions of dollars.

The High Court claim form states that “Mr Azima was aware that the joint venture submitted… grossly overstated the value of the aircraft” and that “Mr Azima [falsely] represented… that the proposed joint venture had the ‘backing’ of the US government, including that the US Government would sponsor and support the proposed joint venture and would serve as its ultimate customer.”

RAKIA is now seeking $2.6 million in damages. The main trial date is yet to be confirmed.

Contacts

RAKIA Media Office
E: RAK@bellpottinger.com
T: +44 20 3772 2460

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