Iranian Family in Monaco Accused of Paying Millions in Oil Bribes

A Monaco-based oil company founded by an Iranian individual is under investigation by judicial authorities. According to The Guardian, following a detailed investigative journalism report by the Huffington Post (USA) and Fairfax Media (Australia) regarding one of the largest bribery networks in the global oil trade, Monaco's judicial authorities inspected the headquarters of Unaoil and the homes of its senior executives. The Monaco government announced on Tuesday that Unaoil is at the center of a judicial investigation concerning a financial scandal with global implications. The statement indicated that the response from Monaco's authorities followed an urgent request from the UK’s corruption investigation office: "These investigations and interviews conducted in the presence of British officials are part of an inquiry into a massive international scandal involving many foreign oil companies; the information collected by British officials will be reviewed." It is reported that senior executives of the company were interrogated by judicial authorities on Tuesday and Wednesday. According to the Daily Mail, the FBI and US judicial authorities have also begun investigations into Unaoil's financial corruption in the US. But who are the Iranian owners of Unaoil? According to the Huffington Post and Fairfax Media, Ata Ahmadi was born in 1940 in Kerman and studied engineering in the UK and the US. After completing his studies, he worked for the giant oil company "Sonsister," which managed Iran's oil resources on behalf of the Shah. After the 1979 revolution, Ahmadi immigrated to the UK and founded a consulting company called Unaoil in 1990, focused on energy in the Middle East. Currently, Ata's sons, Cyrus Ahmadi and Saman Ahmadi, who all live in Monaco, are senior executives of this oil company. According to the Huffington Post and Fairfax Media, Unaoil's business model involves many intermediary companies located in regions with lenient tax laws and freedoms. These companies sign oil contracts with major oil-exporting governments. Securing large oil contracts and winning bids that lead to these contracts can take years. However, if successful in these bids, Unaoil receives its commission. Although Unaoil operates in countries with some of the most corrupt administrative and judicial systems in the world, the company denies bribing or having any connections other than providing consulting to the major Western oil companies it contracts with. However, this investigative report, which includes thousands of emails exchanged between the Ahmadis and other Unaoil executives from 2002 to 2012, contradicts this claim. The Huffington Post reports that since Unaoil is a family business, many secrets remain unspoken and are only exchanged among family members. According to The Guardian, Monaco officials say they have tried to act according to the laws of the European Convention and the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. Meanwhile, British officials have stated that although they are aware of the allegations, they "cannot confirm or deny this news." A spokesperson for Unaoil has also stated that "given the recent situation of the company, it cannot comment on these (allegations)." The Huffington Post and Fairfax Media report that Unaoil has "systematically corrupted the global oil industry. (Unaoil) has paid millions of dollars in bribes in various countries to ensure their success in bids. Fairfax notes that the leaked emails represent the largest disclosure of confidential documents in the history of the oil industry. According to The Guardian, Ata Ahmadi responded to media inquiries about whether he accepts these allegations by saying: "Absolutely not!"