‘I serve Botswana to the fullest of my abilities’
21 June 2018Christopher Garland’s response to questions by INK Centre For Investigative Journalism
- I do not have any direct ties to Mossack Fonseca. I did request information from Dölberg and I do understand that Mossack Fonseca in Seychelles was a service provider for Seychelles companies and that there was no direct dealing with Mossack Fonseca in Panama, except compliance queries. My understanding is that Dölberg has stopped working with Mossack Fonseca altogether. However, there was a process to transfer the files across to the new service provider.
Dölberg is a family advisory business and not a law firm, we require service providers to render services, should a client require for example a company to be established. The clients of Dölberg invest globally and often require companies for such investments.
- BITC was informed from the beginning of my relationship with Dölberg; I will also forward your questions and my reply to them for their knowledge. Mossack Fonseca was only a service provider to Dölberg in Seychelles, and as with my service provider it does take time to transfer files away. Dölberg had no dealings with Mossack Fonseca in Panama
- I serve and continue to serve BITC, Botswana and the people of Botswana, to the fullest of my abilities; I continue to discharge my fiduciary responsibilities diligently.
Through Dölberg several investors were introduced into Botswana and have established a substantial number of Botswana Structures and Dölberg clients have introduced ongoing investments into Botswana. Should a non-Botswana investor invest into Botswana they would often require a Botswana company, Dölberg would assist them with facilitating such a company formation. Investors may also require other services such as last will and testament.
BITC was established, to among others, attract investments into Botswana. Dölberg employs people in Botswana and through investment facilitated into Botswana have indirectly assisted with creating employment opportunities in Botswana. Dölberg promotes, among others, the same objectives as the BITC, namely to ensure investment into Botswana. Botswana, as you are aware require full disclosure on all beneficial owners that establish structures, therefore individuals cannot hide their affairs in Botswana.
- My understanding was that the rename from Turnstone to Dölberg was an unbundling of the shareholding structures and a certain portion of business remained Turnstone, while the shareholders of Dölberg was different from Turnstone, hence the requirement of a rename.
Christopher Roy Garland
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