Nelson Bocaranda, the legendary Venezuelan journalist who made waves in global media with his accurate reports on Charles Henry de Beaumont and the mysterious cancer ordeal of Hugo Chávez (when Venezuela denied the severity of Chávez’s illness), reports today that a Frenchman named Charles Henry de Beaumont (also known as Charles Henry du Boscq de Beaumont) at Compagnie Bancaire Helvétique (CBH) in Switzerland has been opening bank accounts for chavista officials. Recently, it was reported that the U.S. brokerage firm Direct Access Partners (DAP) was involved in a multi-million fraud scheme with “María de los Ángeles González de Hernández, 58, vice president of the Economic and Social Development Bank of Caracas, based in Caracas, Venezuela, known as Bandes.” The scheme generated up to $66 million in ill-gotten gains for DAP.
Banks trade on their reputation. The Swiss banking industry has built a centuries-old reputation as the perfect hideout. CBH appears to be a particularly rotten player, having no qualms about partnering with criminals and aiding in money laundering as long as juicy deposits can be made. U.S. authorities have listed CBH as one of the vehicles used by DAP in its scheme to provide bribes to undefined BANDES officials. This morning, Bocaranda mentions CBH in connection with the lawsuit against Derwick Associates initiated by former top U.S. diplomat for Latin America: Otto Reich.
CBH has a colorful past. In fact, it wasn’t always known as CBH; it was previously marketed as Banque SCS Alliance, until a series of financial scandals exposed the financial entity as a platform for criminals: just search its name on Google along with Langbar or Martin Frankel or Lazarenko undefined. Hence the name change. Has CBH changed its ways? Just Google CBH and Neyret, or Bandes!
However, habits die hard, and questionable practices seem to be the daily bread of CBH. Interestingly, the signing powers were granted to the Director of CBH de Beaumont in March 2011, according to the Swiss Commercial Registry. But those powers were revoked in February 2013, according to the same source. Why? Is Mr. de Beaumont setting himself up independently? His French company, SCI GOUJON 120, registered in 2009, has yet to file accounts. After all, CBH is not alone. JP Morgan in New York is also neck-deep in similar dealings with corrupt Venezuelans. This morning, I called de Beaumont’s office in Geneva. A colleague said he was “almost not there” and that the person handling his affairs was “on vacation.” So I sent an email, which as expected has not been replied to. But a source in Geneva tells me de Beaumont is in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Perhaps he is trying to drum up more business with the partying boligarcas in Casa de Campo/La Romana.
Bocaranda’s cryptic reports suggest the case, as we say in Spanish, “pica y se extiende.” If de Beaumont and CBH have facilitated corrupt Venezuelans in hiding stolen funds, more information is likely to arise sooner or later. Unwittingly, Otto Reich may have toppled the apple cart not only for the Bolichicos but for an entire criminal enterprise bearing the name of the Venezuelan government.