Ziad Takieddine

Ziad Takieddine
Born (1950-06-14) 14 June 1950
Baakline, Lebanon
Nationality Lebanese and French
Occupation businessman
Spouse(s) Nicola Johnson (divorced)

Ziad Takieddine (born 14 June 1950) is a Lebanese-French businessman, described by The Telegraph as an "arms broker".[1][2][3][4]

Early life

Ziad Takieddine was born on 14 June 1950 in Baakline, Lebanon into a Druze family.[5] His uncle Saiid Takieddine was Lebanese Ambassador in London, and his father was Ambassador in various countries.[5] He was educated at the American University in Beirut and the University of Reading in England.[5]

Career

In the 1990s, he was the manager of the Isola 2000 ski resort in Isola, Alpes-Maritimes, France.[1]

He later facilitated arms dealing between France and Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Libya.[1][2] He is under investigation for allegedly using some of those funds to finance the unsuccessful presidential campaign of former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur.[1][4] This has led to the Karachi affair.[2][3][4]

He facilitated the release of Bulgarian nurses from Libya and organized Libya President Muammar Gaddafi's 2007 visit to France.[2] He has since accused former French President Nicolas Sarkozy of taking 50 million euros from Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi from 2006 to 2007 to finance his presidential campaign, a claim echoed by Saif al-Islam Gaddafi.[2][4]

Personal life

His ex-wife, Nicola Johnson, is British-born.[1][3] She has accused him of tax evasion in France.[3] Takieddine owns Warwick House in London's Holland Park district via a company in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands.[6] In 2013 Takieddine was denied entry to the United Kingdom following an "allegation of fraud" and was forced by British police to return to France.[7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Ziad Takieddine: The ski-resort owner with a taste for the high life, The Independent, January 2, 2013
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 John Lichfield, If Sarko took Gaddafi cash, why oust him?, The Independent, January 6, 2013
  3. 1 2 3 4 Henry Samuel, Briton in divorce with French arms broker husband could hold key to 'Karachi affair' , The Daily Telegraph, August 30, 2011
  4. 1 2 3 4 Gaddafi Financed Sarkozy Campaign In 2007, Claims Arms Dealer Ziad Takieddine, The Huffington Post, 01/03/2013
  5. 1 2 3 Fabrice Arfi (1 October 2014). Le sens des affaires: Voyage au bout de la corruption. Calmann-Lévy. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-2-7021-5557-8. Retrieved 30 October 2015.
  6. "Neighbours from hell". Private Eye (1404). 30 October 2015. p. 37.
  7. "Arms deals fixer Ziad Takieddine refused entry and returned to France". The Independent. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2015.
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