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Monday 31 October 2011

Mandelslime's friend on corruption charges

The Serious Fraud Office have arrested and charged businessman Victor Dahdaleh with corruption offences relating to the supply of aluminium to Bahrain. Dahdaleh, who has British and Canadian nationality, is alleged to "have made payments of bribes" between 2001 and 2005 to officials of Aluminium Bahrain, a mainly state-owned smelting company in the Gulf state. The charge follows a two-year investigation by the SFO in collaboration with the US DOJ and the Swiss authorities.

Dahdaleh, 68, who lives in Belgravia, central London, has donated money to Labour causes. He funded Labour-supporting thinktanks, including the Institute for Public Policy Research and the Policy Network, a group founded by former prime minister Tony Blair and chaired by Mandelson.

Dahdaleh paid for a pamphlet authored by Mandelson, while both Mandelson and Blair appeared at events sponsored by the businessman. Mandelson called him "Victor, my friend" and said he was "a business dynamo, a public-spirited figure and a big-hearted personality".

Dahdaleh has been released on bail and is due to appear at City of Westminster magistrates court next Monday.

Given that we now know Mandelslime has been backed by someone charged with corruption, when will we know about the funding for his £8 million house.

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