Every now and then, the shebeen checks in with the good people at the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists for another lesson about the world's plutocrats and how they wash, fold, and hide their money around the world. Recently, the ICIJ released a report on the activities of two Haitian oligarchs, the street gangs they finance there, and the American law firms and banks that enable their activities. This is the meat-and-potatoes of what ICIJ does, and the kind of thing that is more infuriating the more common it is:

In December, the foreign ministry of Canada sanctioned Gilbert Bigio, who is often referred to as Haiti’s richest person, and insurance magnate Sherif Abdallah, calling them “members of the Haitian elite who provide illicit financial and operational support to armed gangs.” Together, Abdallah and Bigio owned or had other links to almost 20 companies and trusts created in some of the world’s most secretive tax havens, according to documents from the Pandora Papers, a global investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. Lawyers and bankers in Miami provided the men with tax advice, letters of reference and other services, according to leaked files that formed the basis of the 2021 investigation by ICIJ and media partners. “Canada has reason to believe these individuals are using their status as high-profile members of the economic elite in Haiti to protect and enable the illegal activities of armed criminal gangs, including through money laundering and other acts of corruption,” the government said in announcing the sanctions.

However, there is a twist to this story that I did not anticipate: unsavory oligarchs using diplomatic courtesies as a shield.

Bigio and Abdallah also moved together in another close-knit circle: diplomacy. Abdallah has represented Italy as honorary consul in Haiti for more than a decade, records show. Bigio was Israel’s honorary consul in Haiti for more than twenty years; a large Israeli flag once flew outside his home, according to media reports. The protections enjoyed by honorary consuls include the diplomat’s ability to shield certain communications and properties from searches by law enforcement officers. In 2016, according to the Pandora Papers, Bigio and his wife, Monique, used diplomatic passports to help set up an offshore company. Honorary consuls do not automatically receive diplomatic passports, but some countries provide them. And diplomatic passports can come with travel benefits, including special treatment by customs officers and police at airports. “Many of those who dominate the economy in Haiti are also honorary consuls,” said university professor Jean-Vernet. “Police won’t search their homes or their places of work because they believe them to be protected as part of the honorary consulate. They have diplomatic power.”

The scams of the rich are different from yours and mine. They have more options.

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Charles P Pierce is the author of four books, most recently Idiot America, and has been a working journalist since 1976. 

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