(Open-pit gold mine near Rosia Montana, Alba, Romania, part of the gold mines targeted by BSG Resources, Beny Steinmetz’s company in Romania)
Beny Steinmetz, one of the richest men in Israel, was detained on suspicion that he paid tens of millions of dollars in kickbacks to senior officials in Guinea, in Simandou project.
This project of 20 billion dollars was at one time one of the most important mining projects in the world, attracting some of the largest mining companies in the world, and investors like George Soros and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Subsequently, the company sold 51% of his rights to the Brazilian giant Vale SA in 2010.
In January 2013, a court in New York has launched an investigation into possible violations regarding possible corruption and money laundering in Simandou concession, according to US prosecutors.
In May 18, Beny Steinmetz was indicted in Romania, along with the businessman Remus Truică, Prince Paul of Romania and other 20 people, for illegal restitution. Israeli group founded by businessman announce in 2006 an investment of half a billion euros in several residential projects in Romania.
Beny Steinmetz was also involved in the scandal of gold mine at Rosia Montana through one of his companies, BSG Resources (BSGR), the largest shareholder of the gold mine project.
Same company representing the business Steinmetz in Rosia Montana, BSGR, played an important role in another scandal in Romania, of the refineries RAFO and Dărmăneşti.
Born in 1956 in the Israeli city of Netanya, Benjamin Steinmetz inherited from his father a company specializing in diamond transactions, expanding later his business in diamond mining, real estate and oil exploitation.
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