Richard Olson, a former US ambassador to the UAE, is set to plead guilty for improperly helping Qatar try to influence US policy and not disclosing on a government ethics form gifts he received from a disgraced political fundraiser.
Court records filed this month say that Mr Olson, who was the State Department's special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan at the end of the Obama administration, provided “aid and advice” to Qatar on lobbying activities in breach of a “revolving door” prohibition against such behaviour for one year after leaving public service.
He served as ambassador to the UAE from 2008 to 2011.
Mr Olson, who also served as US ambassador to Pakistan, indicated in a signed filing this month that he intends to plead guilty. It is unclear if he’s co-operating in other investigations.
The case represents one of the more high-profile efforts by the Justice Department in recent years to crack down on unreported or illegal influence campaigns funded by foreign governments aimed at altering US policy.
Federal prosecutors also said that while at the State Department, Mr Olson failed to disclose certain financial benefits he received from a Californian businessman named Imaad Zuberi.
Once a major political donor, Zuberi is now serving a 12-year prison sentence for funnelling illegal campaign contributions to politicos in both major parties and then peddling the resulting influence to foreign governments.
The new court records do not use Zuberi's name, but The Associated Press was able to identify him based on court filings in other cases, letters a Zuberi representative has sent to Congress, and interviews with his associates.
Neither the Justice Department nor Mr Olson's lawyer immediately returned requests for comment.
The newly filed court documents also show that Mr Olson worked with Zuberi to win US government approval for a pre-clearance facility at the Doha airport, which would allow US-bound passengers to clear customs before they left Qatar.
Such approval would expand the number of US cities the Doha airport could serve and give it an advantage over competitors in the Gulf, prosecutors said.
As ambassador, Mr Olson had worked as part of his official mandate to establish a pre-clearance facility at the Abu Dhabi International Airport.
- With The Associated Press
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
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The specs
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Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
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Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
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Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
SCORES
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bt Auckland Aces 80 all out in 16 overs
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
