Source Yahoo News- A Rolls Royce driving businessman who has donated money to both the Conservatives and Labour was charged with bribing a foreign politician in the Caribbean.
The National Crime Agency said Peter Virdee, 50, also known as Hardip Singh, had been accused in an appearance at Westminster Magistrates of bribing Asot Michael, an MP and tourism minister for Antigua and Barbuda between January 2015 and July 2017 to benefit PV Energy Ltd, a company of which he is a director.
PV Energy ltd was simultaneously charged with failing to prevent bribery in relation to the same offences.
Mr Virdee, who has previously given £100,000 to the Conservatives and £2,000 to the Labour shadow minister Preet Gill, was bailed to appear at Southwark Crown Court in June.
He is reported to have previously met the late Queen and Duke and Edinburgh and to have posed for photos with Rihanna, Usain Bolt and Al Pacino and has owned multiple Rolls Royce cars.
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A Conservative Party donor and a property developer who met the King and late Queen has appeared in court accused of bribing a foreign government minister.
Hardip Singh Virdee, also known as Peter Singh, allegedly bribed Michael Asot from January 2015 to July 2017 when he was the minister for tourism in Antigua and Barbuda.
The 50-year-old the runs the £4 billion B&S Property group in Mayfair, London and PV Energy Limited.
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He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court where he was bailed to attend Southwark Crown Court on 20 June for a preparatory hearing.
According to charges brought by the National Crime Agency, Virdee: ‘bribed a foreign public official, namely Asot Michael, with the intention of influencing his capacity as a foreign public official.’
His company PV Energy Limited faces an accusation of ‘failing to prevent bribery in relation to the same offences.’
He is a prominent figure on social media with 260,000 followers on Instagram- which he uses to promote himself as a mentor in the finance world.
Virdee has posted pictures of himself claiming to be taken next to members of the Royal Family including the late Queen Elizabeth II, King Charles, and the Duke of Edinburgh.
He also posts pictures of himself jetting across the world, inside expensive cars such as Rolls Royces and at prestigious events with the Army.
He runs The Virdee Foundation, a charity which helps vulnerable women and children.
At the next hearing it is expected that Virdee will enter a plea to the allegation.
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What will happen to Asot…EXTRADITION? Poor Guy.
The PM stupidly will not extradite him since at that time he had a diplomatic immunity. But lets wait and see how much pressure London will put on him to do so.
Wow Wow Wow Mr Michael you are on bail looking forward for your fullest cooperation in this matter you are not alone let the chips Fall where ever it may I know that there are others benefited from this deal don’t go down alone take him with you Oh that’s when he says that he don’t want the watch What about the two hundred thousand that he got from the famous flight towards his wife Charity
Is this case against Peter Virdee, what Gaston Browne, PM and the ABLP were concerned about, why they fell out with Asot Michael, MP; making him becoming an Independent? [Antiguans #no_K! Money rules when U lib #hand_2_mouth, ah dat mek he Asot win St. Peters].
It would be very interesting, when and if this case goes to trial, and Asot Michael, MP (former Tourism Minister), Gaston Browne, PM (Finance Minister) and Chet Greene, MP (Minister of Foreign Affairs) are all deposed as witnesses, and have to appear before the Courts in England!
Antigua, Barbuda & REDONDA’s #Judiciary MUST take notes.
#INVESTIGATIONS_MATTERS!
#FILING_CHARGES_MATTERS!
#CURTAILING_BRIBERY_MATTERS!
#BUN_DEM_BROWN-BAG CARRIERS
#STOP_DE_CHECK-U-MINISTER ORDER!
Jumbee_🌚_Picknee
De’ole Dutty Peg 🦶🏿Garrat_Bastard
Vere C. Edwards
Whilst this is only an allegation, listen carefully, there is no outrage locally and it’s just the normal run of the mill here. That a sitting member of Parliament can be implicated in such a scheme is not a pretty public relations for Antigua and Barbuda and we as a people are completely silent because, “HE CARES.” Our biggest problem in Antigua and Barbuda is not ABLP or UPP but it is our complacency as a people. We allow any and everything and the politicians simply take advantage of our docile and negligent attitude.
Assot, UPP new golden boy. I am not surprised that they embraced him after for years calling him corrupt. You now have the UK crime agency with a tape and other evidence, I would assume that can be proved to adhere to proper chain of evidence. Looks like we just might be having another constituency having an early election
And you are one of the dumb, docile and negligent people that just love to talk.
Tell the nation what exactly you are doing or just stfu!!
The people from certain constituencies have made a big mistake in chosing shady characters to sit in our parliament. And that despite they have been forewarned. The PM told them what a scumbag Asot really is and that he doesn’t deserve to sit in our parliament. It is known that Bowen has a conviction on murdering a woman. Eventhough in appeal he got out on a technicallity. On which the DPP had the option for a re-trial but he chose not to. God alone knows why. Then you have the one called snake. Allegedly accused of having raped a women in another Caribbean Islands and then fled the scene with the help of a parliamentarian. And I will leave it by these three that are the most serious of the offenders that should have never be elected to our parliament. But for the UPP to present these characters to us as candidates is insulting to the good people of this land. It shows the standard they have or choosing a leader. Animals would never allow the dumbest amongst them to lead them. What do we tell our children? Oh it is ok if you have committed murder one time in your life or it’s ok if you have raped a woman once in or if you have stole public funds once in your life, you can still get elected to our highest court in the land and perhaps with any luck you can become a minister or perhaps a prime minister. And when the foreign press will report on you, they will say, former murder convict and now Antigua and Barbuda’s foreign minister. or former allegedly accused rapist and now Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of agriculture, or former accused of bribery and now Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of finance. How it go look. I guess it doesn’t matter to the people that voted them in office.
MY GOOD PEOPLE OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA THIS IS PEANUTS WHEN COMPARE TO THE IHI MATTER. ACCORDING ROBERT LINQUISH AN AMOUNT OF US$61,078,125 WAS MISAPPRROPRIATED OUT OF THE TREASURY AND GONE AHAGWASA….THAT’S EC$165,943,157.81. AND TO ADD INSULT THE THIEVES WERE REWARDED WITH, “SIR”, “NATIONAL HERO STATUS” AND ALSO ” BEST TOURISM MINISTER TITLE”. SO PLEASE JUST GIVE ME A BREAK ABOUT BRIBING
I just want to clear up one issue. Asot Michael had NO DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY. None.
Diplomatic immunity is granted only by a specific country if you are a serving and approved diplomat assigned to that country. And when a diplomat is appointed by a country, the receiving country has to agree to the appointment of that person. Other than that, diplomatic immunity is internationally granted to Heads of State and may also be granted to a Prime Minister. All a diplomatic passport does is give you an easier passage through Immigration and Customs when the person travels. The former Premier of BVI was arrested and charged in the US while there officially and will probably spend the rest of his life behind bars.
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