Besides the corrupt saga surrounding the PDVSA US Litigation Trust, there is another action that has gone largely unnoticed: a Swiss criminal investigation into the matter. A separate civil lawsuit in Florida (Sargeant, III v. Maroil Trading Inc et al – 9:17-cv-81070) provides some clues about who’s making the decisions in Switzerland and further exposes the dubious enterprise of David Boies.
PACER lists Alexander Pencu from Meister Seelig & Fein LLP as the lead attorney for the accused Maroil Trading Inc. Who is Maroil Trading Inc? Wilmer Ruperti. Pencu’s lawyer was hired by Ruperti for both corporate and individual defense.
Where have we seen Meister Seelig & Fein in the context of the PDVSA US Litigation Trust? As part entitled to a share (35%) of what David Boies and his firm will receive, Schiller & Flexner LLP (22% of the 66% that PDVSA gifted to Boies). From the court filings in Sargeant, III v. Maroil, we learn of a criminal complaint in Switzerland, filed by Guerric Canonica, on behalf of Maroil (Ruperti) against Clyde & Co and Latin American Investments Limited.
Where have we seen Guerric Canonica in the context of the PDVSA US Litigation Trust? As an attorney for PDVSA in a criminal complaint against Helsinge, Trafigura, Glencore et al.
Where have we seen Clyde & Co in the context of Ruperti’s business with Latin American Investments Limited? As the attorney for the defendants in Sargeant, III v. Maroil. Clyde & Co (Andrew Preston) is involved in the alleged email theft and breach of fiduciary duty.
Where have we seen Latin American Investments Limited and Ruperti in the context of PDVSA? As partners in the settlement of payments through which PDVSA disbursed $260 million that Ruperti allegedly embezzled.
The conflict involving Canonica is unavoidable. On one hand, he acts on behalf of PDVSA in a criminal fraud case against Helsinge, Trafigura, Glencore, and others. On the other hand, he represents Ruperti, who has a star-studded history of defrauding PDVSA. Canonica (Ruperti) challenged Clyde & Co’s actions to freeze about $49 million that Ruperti received from PDVSA through corrupt payment schemes.
Canonica has a distinguished pedigree: his father, Dante Canonica, has been exposed, along with Arturo Fasana, as an agent for King Juan Carlos, the Koplowitz family, and Alberto Cortina. Koplowitz and Cortina are well known to the readers of this site as partners of Derwick Associates. Fasana also worked for Ramón Blanco Balin (an agent of Alejandro Betancourt). Blanco is believed to be the mastermind behind one of Spain’s most notorious corruption scandals (Gürtel). Canonica Jr. is also cited as an attorney for Fasana. However, it doesn’t stop there: Dante, Guerric, and Arturo were partners, and the sons of Dante and Arturo were also partners.
What else can be found in this oasis of money laundering and corruption on the shores of Lake Geneva? The Swiss prosecutor in charge of the PDVSA investigation, Johan Droz, is a partner of Franćois Canonica, Guerric’s uncle and Dante’s brother… But that’s not all, looking back into Internet archives from 2009, we find that Johan Droz used to work with Dante and Guerric at François’s law firm… It’s no surprise that Droz refuses to respond to my requests for comments. The incestuous debauchery doesn’t even begin to describe this bunch of thugs. There isn’t a single honest intermediary in this whole matter.
It is safe to say then that Guerric Canonica fits perfectly with Wilmer Ruperti, just like David Boies and Bill Duker. Yesterday’s publication regarding the exemptions granted by Nelson Martínez to Boies may have been suggested by the Canonicas, who see no conflict in sleeping with the corrupt while playing all sides.