Prince Andrew is reportedly involved with Waterberg Stirling, a multi-billion-pound Middle East business venture, alongside Oleg Firer, a former Russian ambassador to Grenada who was banned from the country on 'national security grounds'.
Prince Andrew is reportedly assisting a multi-billion-pound Middle East business venture with a former ambassador to Russia who has been assessed as a 'threat to national security '. This revelation follows earlier reports about the duke's friendship with an alleged Chinese spy. According to sources, Andrew is working with an entrepreneur who was banned from entering a Commonwealth country due to government concerns about his activities.
It is claimed that Andrew has been leveraging his connections to make introductions in Bahrain, the UAE, China, and Africa on behalf of Waterberg Stirling, an investment vehicle seeking to raise $10 billion (£8 billion). The firm's vice-chairman, Oleg Firer, is Grenada's former ambassador to Russia. Court documents reveal that Firer was banned from entering Grenada in 2023 on 'national security grounds'. Waterberg Stirling has strong ties to China's controversial Belt and Road Initiative, which involves Beijing constructing infrastructure projects in developing nations. In a letter obtained by the Mail, the company chairman described Waterberg Stirling as a 'vehicle for HRH's current and future engagement'.Andrew and the firm maintain that the duke's involvement is limited to introducing contacts he established through his Dragons' Den-style Pitch@Palace program, which he was forced to step away from due to the controversy surrounding his association with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. However, the Mail reports that in December, the duke had lunch with the Chinese ambassador to the UK, requesting assistance with Waterberg Stirling's investment interests in China. The firm was described as a vehicle for Andrew's business interests in a letter to the Chinese ambassador to the UAE the same month, just days before its Chinese 'partner', Yang Tengbo, was exposed as an alleged spy. Mr Firer, when questioned, expressed uncertainty regarding the company's description. The chairman, Adnan Sawadi, who penned the letter, subsequently claimed it was intended to 'enhance their position' and as part of a 'sales pitch about the duke' to persuade the ambassador to act on their behalf. The company asserts it enjoys 'top-level support, endorsement, co-operation and alignment of governments and royal families across the world'.Mr Firer, a Soviet Union-born US citizen, previously served as Grenada's ambassador to Russia as the Kremlin sought to strengthen its presence near US shores. He opened an embassy in Moscow and was suspected of advising wealthy Russians on obtaining Grenadian citizenship by investment before the scheme was halted in 2023 due to the war in Ukraine. That year, Mr Firer was barred from entering Grenada upon arrival from London, deemed a 'national security' risk. He also surrendered his diplomatic passport. Mr Firer appealed the decision, but a High Court judge sitting at the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court ruled last year that he was 'properly refused entry on national security grounds'. The ruling indicated he was on a 'watch-list'. This incident echoes the case of Mr Yang, who was also barred from Britain in 2023 on national security grounds. Prince Andrew's involvement with Waterberg Stirling may shed light on how he intends to cover the upkeep costs of the Royal Lodge estate in Windsor after being financially cut off by King Charles. It also raises serious concerns about Andrew's judgment, marking the second time in recent months that he has been linked to individuals deemed a risk to a Commonwealth nation. The disclosure that Mr Yang and Mr Firer were involved with the same company as the duke simultaneously will undoubtedly raise further questions.
Prince Andrew Waterberg Stirling Oleg Firer National Security Russia Grenada Belt And Road Initiative Business Venture Royal Lodge
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