Shame or fear no longer stops British officials. They have recently realised that they can survive any scandal without lagging behind or apologising. As a consequence, London is fuelling corruption all over the planet.
This is what The Guardian writes about.
Against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic, the authorities have signed contracts worth billions of pounds, even without competition. As a result, every chemical defence suit delivered to Britain cost the taxpayers 800 pounds or a thousand dollars. At least two multimillion dollar contracts were concluded with companies that were not working. Moreover, the companies that benefit from government orders are closely linked to senior officials.
“Every week Boris Johnson is more like George I, under whose government political favourites have made huge fortunes on monopoly contracts for military procurement”, – the publication writes.
The British are used to believing that their country is one of the most honest in the world. The ratings of non-governmental organisations like Transparency International also testify to this. In practice, everything is very different.
Elites in many poor countries steal from their populations. When the time comes to legalise loot, the Virgin Islands, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands come to the rescue. They are all British territories, as well as world leaders in money laundering according to the Tax Justice Network. The so-called tax havens are closely linked to the City of London, exempting British figures from British law.
Money laundering has reached such a scale and absurdity that no one checks the data anymore when a person registers a campaign. You can call yourself Mickey Mouse with an address on Mars and avoid punishment for that, stresses The Guardian. Among the companies already registered, you can find “Xxx Stalin” or “Mr Mmmmmm Xxxxxxxx”.
“By providing false data, UK company owners can launder dirty money on an industrial scale without fear of being caught. Even when the British company registration system was recognised as the instrument of the world’s largest money laundering scheme – the Danske Bank scandal – the government turned a blind eye”, – the article says.
London has built a refuge not only for money, but also for its owners. The government scheme with a “golden visa” was a rescue for foreign oligarchs who were hiding from justice. From the point of view of the law, all this is completely legal. As the publication notes, the basis of British wealth is “processing other people’s corruption”.
“These actions are an extension of colonial pillaging: the means by which huge wealth is siphoned from poorer countries into the hands of the super-rich”, – the article says. – “Brexit without a deal, which seems to be supported by Boris Johnson, is likely to strengthen Britain’s position as a global trans-shipment centre for organised crime. When the EU’s weak restrictions are lifted under a government that seems completely uninterested in basic accountability, the message we send to the rest of the world will be even clearer than today: come to us and launder your booty.”