Posted on 10/08/2001 6:21:17 AM PDT by harpseal
Ted Maher -- former Special Forces; Neonatal Intensive Care nurse
American Green Beret veteran and accomplished neonatal nurse Ted Maher has now been held 537 days without trial in Monaco's prison on trumped-up and false charges -- charges of causing the deaths of billionaire banker Edmond Safra and Ted's fellow nurse, Vivian Torrente on December 3, 1999. In truth, Ted fought valiantly against two armed, masked intruders to defend Edmond and Vivian and save their lives. During the struggle, Ted suffered severe knife wounds that required one hundred staples to close.
Billionaire banker Edmond Safra was cooperating with the FBI, who was investigating the IMF/Russian loans. Needing a convenient scapegoat for the murder of Safra, Monaco police subjected Ted to three days of grueling torture designed to extort a false confession from him. (see description in "BASIC TIMELINE" in Thread 1 - http://206.112.97.70/forum/a3ad8b097272d.htm ).
Monaco continues to hold Ted incommunicado, preventing him from sending or receiving mail. In fact, they restrict his communication with his family to one telephone call a week. This call is only allowed to last a few minutes and is always monitored closely to prevent any discussion of the case. Ted is forced by his jailers to take a psychotropic medication and is regularly "interrogated" by the Monaco judge -- Patricia Richet. Reports have been received that Judge Richet is a violent person who has displayed unstable behavior in the past. She allegedly has a history of assaulting a fellow judge, putting him in the hospital for a week. She also tears up letters from Ted's children in front of Ted rather than let him read them.
Hundreds of family, friends, work associates, parents of patients, and Army veterans who served with Ted have vouched for him as being a loyal husband, loving father, and an exemplary professional of great skill and compassion. Ted has also been defended by then-chairman of the House International Relations Committee Ben Gilman and Ted's congresswoman Sue Kelly, who have written Prince Rainier III of Monaco on Ted's behalf. Monaco has no evidence of any crime by Ted; they have no witnesses and no credible case against him. Even worse, Monaco has planted false evidence and suppressed vast amounts of exculpatory evidence -- even passing a special Monaco law that enables them to hold Ted four years without trial.
The Geneva prosecutor has said that Safra was killed for his cooperation with the FBI regarding the laundering through Safra's Republic National Bank of $4.8 billion in IMF loans to Russia.
Regardless of the reason "why," it is obvious that Ted Maher is a scapegoat for a murder by others. We are working to obtain his release and to correct the grave injustice being done to an American Green beret veteran and medical professional.
Ted Maher -- a giver of life, not a taker -- needs our help.
============================================
To read the "BASIC TIMELINE" that describes the events surrounding the night of December 3, 1999, click here:
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 498 Days and Counting... (Thread I)
To read the "BASIC TIMELINE
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 537 Days and Counting... (Thread II)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 544 Days and Counting... (Thread III)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 544 Days and Counting... (Thread IV)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 615 Days and Counting... (second Thread IV)
American Green Beret Veteran TED MAHER Held Hostage by Monaco for 629 Days and Counting... (Thread VI)
American Green Beret Vet TED MAHER Held HOSTAGE by Monaco for 629 Days (Thread 6) second thread 6"
VOICE YOUR OPINION!
Free Internet Fax Service
Free E-Mail to Fax from your computer, just fill in form on page , they do the rest.
Make sure you enter fax # like this 12024562461 (no spaces or -)
Areas they SEND free faxes to includes ALL of WASH. DC Area Code 202
Is the number you want them to SEND FREE FAX covered?
Complete list of areas they SEND FREE FAXES to
White House Fax (202) 456-2461
(202) 456-6538 alternate fax number given out by White House
Congress.Org -- Write to Congress and State Legislators
Locate Legislators for your zip code, gives you links to YOUR local Legislators with phone, e-mail etc info.
Guide to Local Media
Locate media in your zip code, gives you links to YOUR local media with phone, e-mail etc info.
FYI:
President George W. Bush
The White House
1600 PennsylvaniaAvenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Phone: 1(202)456-1414
FAX: 12024562461 or12024566538
E-mail: President George W. Bush - president@whitehouse.gov
V.P. Dick Cheney - vice.president@whitehouse.gov
First Lady Laura Bush - first.lady@whitehouse.gov
Mrs. Lynne Cheney - mrs.cheney@whitehouse.gov
________________________________________________________
Congresswoman Sue Kelly
1127 Longworth House office Building
Washington, DC 20515-3219
Phone: 1(202)225-5441
E-mail: dearsue@mail.house.gov
Assistant - Phyllis Coleman - phyllis.coleman@mail.house.gov
_______________________________________________________
Secretay of State Colin Powell
FAX: 12022618577
E-mail: secretary@state.gov
State Department - Brian Lieke E-mail: liekebm@state.gov
_______________________________________________________
Amnesty International
322 8th Ave.
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 1(212)807-8400
FAX: 12124639193 or 12126271451
E-mail: admin-us@aiusa.org
________________________________________________________
Mr. Henry Hyde
House on International Relations Committee
Phone: 1(202)225-4561
Assistant: Aaron Blaine - blaine.aaron@mail.house.gov
Europe - Kelly McDonald - kelly.mcdonald@mail.house.gov
_______________________________________________________
Senator George Allen (he helped obtain the release of Chinese scholar Gao Zhan)
website - "http://allen.senate.gov/"
FAX: 12022245432
________________________________________________________
His Serene Highness
Prince Rainier III
Palais Princier
Place du Palais
B.P.518
MC 98015 Monaco Ville
Principality of Monaco
These are from www.palais-princier.mc/ -
Le Palais de Monaco
Place du Palais - Monaco Ville
FAX: 37793508173
Phone: 377 93 25 18
________________________________________________________
Consulate General of Monaco
565 Fifth Avenue -23rd Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone: 1(212)286-0500
FAX12122861574
E-mail: info@monaco-consulate.com
Hon. Maguy Maccario-Doyle, Consul General
________________________________________________________
U.S. Consulate in Marseilles
FAX: 33491550947
E-mail: amcongenmars@fr.inter.net
________________________________________________________
Monaco Guest Book
(You can write in English on the French page and scroll down to read. Please note they have a tendency to delete messages regarding Ted - not "fairytale-correct.")
It's clear they did not believe the death to be the aberrant act of a "lone nut", but that they felt their royal arses in danger.
Monagasques are forbidden to discuss the death of Edmond Safra, so must content themselves with (per Profonde Gorge) the latest scandal of Stephanie.
See also Jagger, Mick: "All the stars and the bars and the little white cars". . . .
Also, FReepers, PLEASE SEE #97.
How about sending Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani some info about Ted via fax (I couldn't find an e-mail address), so, he is aware that on the one hand Monaco is giving New York money to innocent victims and their families, but, on the other hand, MONACO, itself, is holding unjustly FOR NEARLY TWO YEARS, an innocent victim, American TED MAHER, and keeping Ted and HIS family apart!
A free fax can be sent via www.zipfax.com (scroll down aways to send faxes.)
Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani
FAX #: 12127887476 (no spaces)
If you'd like to call and leave a message for Mayor Giuliani: Phone 1(212)788-9600
Thank you.
MONACO: FREE TED NOW! LET TED COME HOME TO HIS FAMILY!!!
The men of the Special Forces are masters of their profession,
the profession of arms.
Theirs is more than a job or an occupation.
It is a way of life that requires
a personal commitment found nowhere
else in society. Its obligation is
dedication...it's demands, duty and
loyalty...it's principle, integrity
...and its reward, personal satisfaction.
Their countrymen see them as the
epitome of the American fighting man.
Their badge of distinction is the
Green Beret known and respected worldwide.
They wear it proudly!
MONACO: FREE TED NOW!!!
FReepers, please see #124. Thank you.
Ted defended America's freedom as a Green Beret. FReepers and FRiends, please take a moment of your time to send a message to help Ted regain HIS freedom. Thank you.
See above for info.
Good idea !!
Financial Mail on Sunday
October 21, 2001
Death in Monaco,
a 'fake' confession
and the f 6.7 billion
deal that haunts
HSBC to this day
By Simon Fluendy
This was a conspiracy theorist's delight. A 68-year old multibillionaire banker died in a mysterious fire at his penthouse in Monaco, home of choice for Europe's rich tax-avoiders in search of an agreeably sunny climate.
The death came just days before the completion of a f 6.7 billion deal to sell this eccentric individual's banks to one of the world's biggest financial groups.
And the strange circumstances of the fire sparked a welter of theories. A favorite was that he was being punished by Russian Mafia bosses for revealing details of money-laundering to US authorities.
The whole affair stank, said those looking for a good story. There were just too many unanswered questions. For example:
. Why did almost an hour elapse from the alarm being raised to the fire being tackled?
. Why had the Mossad-trained bodyguards who looked after this recluse - someone who always wore a blue stone around his neck to ward off evil- been sent away for the night?
. Why had the man changed his will just a week before the fire?
. And why, when the head of the bodyguards eventually turned up, was he handcuffed by police rather than being asked for the keys to the smouldering apartment?
The questions were intriguing, the theories tantalisingly colourful. But soon, the mystery of the old man's death appeared to be solved. His male nurse confessed in hospital to stabbing himself in the stomach and lighting a fire in the penthouse apartment so he could rescue his boss and appear a hero.
The wealthy 68-year old who died was Edmond Safra. The nurse who apparently confessed to the crime was Ted Maher.
The businesses changing hands were Safra Bank and Republic Bank of New York. And the group that agreed to pay f 6.7 billion for the operation was HSBC, shouldering its way into the world of private banking, managing the wealth of the superrich.
But even now, nearly two years on from the fire and from HSBC's deal, questions still hang in the air - questions about Safra's death and about the business that HSBC bought. Safra's brothers Joseph and Moishe - also involved in banking - are demanding that the case be reopened. And there are others who, despite the confession, doubt Maher's guilt.
Father Fred Preston, a former SAS chaplain who met Maher, an ex-U.S. Special Forces medic, in a Monaco jail while working in the principality, is convinced the confession is false. According to Preston, Maher has said he wants to retract it.
Preston believes that the authorities are happy to see Maher blamed because they want to cover up failings by police and fire services.
Pinning responsibility on Maher also helps maintain confidence in the principality's reputation for security for its thousands of superrich expatriate residents.
'Maher's confession was forced while he believed his wife and children were under threat,' said Preston. 'He has been held without specific charge for 22 months. There are so many strange things about the case. They have just jumped on him as the easiest suspect.'
Maher and his wife are being represented by New York lawyer Michael Griffith, who decades ago worked for Billy Hayes, the central character in the story that inspired the film Midnight Express, about an American held prisoner in Turkey.
Griffith believes there is no chance of having Maher's confession revoked and he is working on a mitigation plea that might earn Maher only a short sentence.
Further intervention has now come from an unexpected quarter. Maher's trial for allegedly starting the fire is due to start next month but Safra's brothers have demanded a reopening of the case.
While the wrangling over Safra's death continues, Republic itself has brought a string of problems for HSBC. Last month, the bank's manager in Monaco, Stephen Troth, 40, was charged with fraud after allegedly confessing that he helped himself to client's funds.
Troth, who joined HSBC with the takeover of Safra's banks, headed a new division targeting superrich sports stars and media personalities. His clients included Formula One ace Michael Schumacher and other top racing drivers.
Clive Bannister, head of private banking at HSBC, maintains that Troth's alleged crimes will have minimal impact on the group.
'Trothy is just one person in a private banking organization employing 3,500 people - 97 in Monaco alone,' he said. 'Since buying Safra and Republic, we have lost almost no clients, which is pretty amazing in a very competitive business.'
But Troth's alleged dishonesty is only one of the problems that HSBC faces with its new corporate offspring. Some customers of the bank have reported a string of errors, mis-selling and mismanagement.
One pair of British entrepreneurs have told Financial Mail of 'an absolute nightmare' with Republic, with trouble dating back to before the HSBC takeover.
One of them said: 'In 1998, we were buying a house in France close to Monaco and the lawyer introduced us to Troth, so we could set up an account to hold the cash until the deal went through.
'We planned to buy with cash but he persuaded us that it would be better to take out a mortgage and let him invest the money - he promised returns of over 13 per cent a year.'
But though Troth charmed the retired entrepreneurs, he and Republic failed to deliver.
The client told Financial Mail: 'First, he just sat on the money. Investments never delivered anything like the returns promised and the statements we received were a total mess.'
The takeover by HSBC also failed to help. The man said: 'HSBC simply kept sending us back to Troth and his boss Gerrard Cohen. Eventually, they told us to get our lawyers to write - and after we did, they refused to talk to us at all. Registered letters sent to HSBC chairman John Bond have been ignored.'
At one point, almost f 500,000 went missing from their account. The client said: 'When we eventually got to see Troth, he tutted and very calmly said he would put it right - which he did, right before our eyes, using the computer on his desk. I was astonished.'
Bannister said he was concerned by the allegations and said the entrepreneurs should have received a personal letter from Bond. 'He is absolutely punctilious about such matters,' he said.
The City is also concerned about HSBC's strategy. Ed Firth, banking analyst at Credit Lyonnais Securities, said: 'I'd say HSBC paid way too much for Republic and Safra'.
And analysts are worried about staff. Richard Staite of SocGen Securities said: 'Private banking is a people business. You have to keep the best staff and they are very poachable these days.'
In HSBC's interim report this year, there is just one paragraph about Safra and Republic, noting that 'customer retention has been good in a highly competitive market'.
Bannister said the lack of detail was hardly surprising in a business concerned with privacy. He said: 'The industry has been affected by market trends but client numbers have been extraordinarily good and we have lost almost no staff.'
But another worry is that a rival bank run by Edmond Safra's brother Joseph may be attracting an influx of the best clients.
One Monaco financier said: 'The real cream banked with Safra because it was a Safra running it. He was the most discreet banker in the world and the only man they would trust. With him gone, Joseph may look a better bet than a multinational based in Britain.
'Who knows? The Safra affair presses every button in Monaco - lots of money, secrecy, suspicious deaths and lots more money. I doubt if the full story will emerge before Judgment Day.'
MONACO: FREE TED NOW!
(CNN's Larry King too!)
:-(
(for CNN's Larry King too!)
:-(
(for CNN's Larry King too!)
:-(
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.