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by Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica; Will Fitzgibbon, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists; Eva Herscowitz, Medill Investigative Lab; and Nicole Sadek, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

A first-of-its-kind global investigation by ProPublica and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists identified at least 500 current and former honorary consuls who have been accused of crimes or embroiled in controversy, including those convicted of serious offenses or caught exploiting their status for personal gain. The problem dates back decades, yet few governments have publicly called for reforms to the largely unregulated system of international diplomacy.

Here are snapshots of prominent honorary consuls whose personal, business or diplomatic activities have drawn scrutiny, in some cases from the highest levels of government.

Ali Koleilat

APPOINTED BY LIBERIA TO SERVE IN BRAZIL

Lebanon-born Ali Koleilat, described as a “businessman” in United Nations sanctions lists, served as Liberia’s honorary consul in Brazil. It’s not clear when he started or left his diplomatic post; a European media outlet in 2003 identified him as a consul.

In 2004, the U.N. Security Council sanctioned Koleilat, accusing him of delivering weapons to Liberian president and warlord Charles Taylor before his resignation in 2003. Koleilat was also sanctioned by the European Union and the United States. He was arrested in Belgium in 2014, accused of conspiring to transport cocaine on a plane registered in the United States. Belgian media reported that Koleilat claimed the protection of diplomatic status. He was extradited to the U.S. after intelligence officers discovered that Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and militant group, planned to secure his release by threatening Belgian prosecutors and others involved in the case, according to interviews and reports. Koleilat pleaded guilty to drug charges this year and was sentenced to time served.

Through his attorney, Koleilat declined to comment. The U.N. sanctions were lifted in 2009 and the European sanctions about a month later. The U.S. sanctions were lifted in 2015.

Ali Myree

APPOINTED BY SOUTH SUDAN TO SERVE IN LEBANON

Ali Myree is a Lebanese hotel operator and a prominent businessman with interests in South Sudan.

While living in Paraguay in 2000, Myree was arrested and charged with selling millions of dollars in counterfeit software. Authorities suspected that he was funneling the proceeds to Hezbollah, the Lebanese political party and militant group, according to media reports and The Sentry, a Washington, D.C.-based group that investigates the financing of armed conflict. Myree left Paraguay. In South Sudan, he established business ties with the ruling elite. In 2020, Myree became South Sudan’s honorary consul in Lebanon.

In a statement, Myree denied ever having a relationship with any terrorist organization. He said that piracy was common in Paraguay at the time of his arrest and that he “lacked guidance, education, legal exposure and experience.” He added, “I am proud of the son, husband, father, businessman and honorary consul I am today.”

Ali Saade

APPOINTED BY GUINEA TO SERVE IN LEBANON

Ali Saade, a prominent businessman in Guinea, founded Sonit Group, a frozen-fish company that has entered the coffee and cacao industries. Saade, whose family is from Lebanon, was appointed honorary consul there by Guinea. He divides his time between the two countries.

In March, the U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Saade and another prominent businessman, Ibrahim Taher, alleging that they operate in Guinea as key financiers of Hezbollah, a political party and militant group that the U.S. and other countries have designated a terrorist organization. Saade helped initiate money transfers from Guinea to Hezbollah, the Treasury Department said. Taher is also an honorary consul, according to the department, and used his status “to travel in and out of Guinea with minimal scrutiny.”

In an interview, Saade said he acted honorably as consul and denied financing Hezbollah. Saade said he is not serving as honorary consul while the Guinea government investigates the U.S. allegations. Taher did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously denied accusations by the U.S. government and said he is not an honorary consul.

Aziz Nassour

APPOINTED BY LEBANON TO SERVE IN ANGOLA

Aziz Ibrahim Nassour, born in Sierra Leone, comes from a family of diamond merchants. In the mid-1990s, Nassour served as Lebanon’s honorary consul in Angola, where he reportedly imported food during the country’s civil war.

A Belgian intelligence report in 2000 said that Nassour and his family-owned company had been tied to the financing of Middle Eastern terrorist organizations through the sale of illegal African diamonds. Nassour was sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council in 2004. He was convicted in Belgium that year of trafficking in blood diamonds.

Nassour did not respond to requests for comment but has previously denied any ties to radical Islamic organizations and involvement in any criminal activity. The U.N. lifted sanctions in 2015. The company, which could not be reached for comment, has previously denied wrongdoing.

Boro Djukic

APPOINTED BY RUSSIA TO SERVE IN MONTENEGRO

Boro Djukic served as Russia’s honorary consul in Montenegro, occupying the inaugural post from 2014 to 2018. He was previously Ukraine’s honorary consul in Montenegro.

Djukic, a former Montenegrin bureaucrat, helped found in 2017 a populist political party opposed to the country’s bid for NATO membership. The Montenegrin government later withdrew its consent for Djukic’s honorary consul appointment. In 2020, the country’s chief prosecutor said Djukic was under investigation for attempting to import forged Russian police badges into Montenegro. Djukic subsequently went to Russia, according to news reports.

Djukic did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously said, “I am not a Russian citizen, but as a person who loves Russia, I represented it in the best possible way.” Djukic has also said the police badges were made in Serbia and were cheaper than those in Russia. He said that the badges were taken from him because of “increased control.” ProPublica and ICIJ could not determine the status of that investigation.

Jean Laprade

APPOINTED BY CANADA TO SERVE IN GUINEA

Canadian businessman Jean Laprade was a director of a gold mining company in Guinea. He served as Canada’s honorary consul in Guinea from 2006 to 2015.

Authorities in Guinea say Laprade, while serving as an honorary consul in 2015, raped a 12-year-old girl at his consular residence. Believing that Laprade was a consul general — a position with more diplomatic privileges than honorary consul — authorities did not arrest him, enabling him to leave Guinea for Canada, according to reporting by Africaguinee. In 2017, Laprade was convicted in absentia in Guinea and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Laprade did not respond to requests for comment. He has previously denied wrongdoing.

José Luis López Fernández

APPOINTED BY MALI TO SERVE IN SPAIN

José Luis López Fernández served as Mali’s honorary consul in Barcelona, Spain, for about eight years. His position ended this year.

As part of a wider drug trafficking probe, Spanish authorities are currently investigating López Fernández and two other honorary consuls suspected of money laundering. In a report, investigators complained that consuls act “completely autonomously and are not controlled by the State they represent.” No charges have been filed against López Fernández.

An attorney for López Fernández said his client is innocent and only tangentially involved in the wider investigation. “My client is a prestigious businessman and has presented in court all the supporting documents of the legality of his investments,” the attorney said, adding that police had misunderstood the privileges and activities of honorary consuls in Spain. “He is not a public figure but an honest businessman whose integrity and innocence have been unfairly questioned,” the attorney said.

Karl Burkhadt

APPOINTED BY EL SALVADOR TO SERVE IN SWITZERLAND

Karl Burkhardt, a Swiss financier, was an honorary consul in Switzerland from 1993 to 1996.

Burkhardt was arrested in 1996 after he accepted a suitcase with $2 million from an undercover U.S. agent posing as a drug dealer. According to the criminal complaint, Burkhardt had promised to launder the money and had provided the agent a phone number for a consulate in Switzerland. “Burkhardt told me that the telephone line could be used safely,” the agent recalled in court records. “He said that it was a consulate telephone line so even if someone is listening, the information could not be used.” Burkhardt pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced in 1997 to prison.

Burkhardt could not be reached for comment. At his 1997 sentencing hearing, he said, “I made a big mistake last year and I regret that I did it.”

Ladislav Otakar Skakal

APPOINTED BY ITALY TO SERVE IN EGYPT

Ladislav Otakar Skakal served as Italy’s honorary consul in Egypt until 2014. He also worked as a boat manager for a tourism company in Luxor, according to local media.

Though no longer an honorary consul, Skakal in 2017 sent more than 21,000 Egyptian antiquities, including coins, pots and a wooden coffin, in a diplomatic container to the Italian port city of Salerno, according to court records. Italian authorities searched the container and discovered the relics only after a paperwork mistake. In 2020, Egyptian authorities sentenced Skakal in absentia to 15 years in prison for attempting to smuggle antiquities, according to media reports. Skakal is believed to be in Italy.

He could not be reached for comment.

Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi

APPOINTED BY GAMBIA TO SERVE IN LEBANON

In 2005, businessman Mohammad Ibrahim Bazzi was appointed honorary consul in Lebanon under the regime of then-Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, according to court records. In 2017, the Gambian government terminated Bazzi’s appointment.

The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned Bazzi in 2018, declaring that he was a Hezbollah financier who had channeled millions of dollars to the militant group through his business activities. The department also said he was a “close associate” of Jammeh, who has been accused of corruption and human rights abuses. A government corruption panel in Gambia in 2019 found, among other things, that one of Bazzi’s companies had stolen public money and that he had paid bribes to Jammeh. Bazzi was declared persona non grata.

An attorney for Bazzi declined to respond to questions. In 2019, Bazzi sought to overturn the U.S. sanction. In court records, he said the government had failed to provide evidence that he had financed Hezbollah. He also said he ended his relationship with Jammeh in 2016 after a series of threats. The sanction is still in place. Jammeh has denied wrongdoing.

Robert Shumake

APPOINTED BY BOTSWANA AND TANZANIA TO SERVE IN THE UNITED STATES

Robert Shumake, a Detroit-area businessman, was honorary consul for Botswana from 2012 to 2015 and for Tanzania from 2013 to 2015.

In 2016, after Shumake’s tenure as honorary consul ended, airport authorities in Charlotte, North Carolina, seized more than $250,000 from the carry-on bag of one of his associates. The bag tested positive for cocaine, according to documents from the civil forfeiture case. Shumake told authorities that the cash was obtained as part of a legitimate fundraising event and denied the allegations related to drugs. Shumake also said he was representing an international nonprofit and had diplomatic immunity. The case was later settled.

In an unrelated case, Shumake pleaded guilty in late 2017 to misdemeanor violations after his mortgage auditing company was accused of improperly taking fees from distressed homeowners. Last year, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission sued Shumake and others, alleging that they had set up a fraudulent crowdfunding scheme that promised investors profits from the cannabis industry.

David Michael, Shumake’s attorney in the cash seizure case, said that “there was no guilt associated with that money” and that the donations were collected for legitimate purposes. “The government has been on a rampage to seize any cash that anybody has,” Michael said. The SEC case is ongoing. In court documents, Shumake denied wrongdoing, saying he only served as a consultant and bears no liability.

Sergej Samsonenko

APPOINTED BY RUSSIA TO SERVE IN NORTH MACEDONIA

Sergej Samsonenko launched a sports betting business in Russia and later parlayed it into an international sports gambling empire. Samsonenko served as Russia’s honorary consul in North Macedonia from 2016 until August.

In 2014, before he was appointed honorary consul, Samsonenko appeared in a promotional video for a pro-Kremlin political party in North Macedonia. In 2017, a leaked report by North Macedonia’s intelligence service accused honorary consulates overseen by Samsonenko and another consul in the country of being “intelligence bases” and of being used by Russia to interfere with North Macedonia’s bid to join NATO. North Macedonia ended Samsonenko’s honorary consul appointment without explanation in August.

Samsonenko declined to comment, calling reports about him “lies and slander.” He has previously denied using his diplomatic status to advance Russia’s interests and said he did not use his office as a “spy center.” “I am not a political person, I am an honorary consul of Russia and I should support the politics of my home country,” Samsonenko told the Macedonidan news outlet Fokus in 2019.

Schucry Kafie

APPOINTED BY JORDAN TO SERVE IN HONDURAS

Schucry Kafie has served as Jordan’s honorary consul in Honduras since 1984. His influential family has many companies, including the medical supply firm Distribuidora Metropolitana SA, or DIMESA.

In 2015, prosecutors accused DIMESA of selling medical equipment at inflated prices to the Honduran government, in what authorities alleged was a “mega-fraud.” Kafie was among those arrested on charges that DIMESA had overbilled the government on a $118 million contract. In 2016, a Honduran court opted not to prohibit Kafie from leaving the country, noting that he was an honorary consul who sometimes needed to travel. The charges were later dismissed.

Kafie said that he was appointed as consul after the death of his father, who had held the position for 20 years. “There is no benefit,” Kafie said. “It is an honorable job.”

He said that the criminal charges were politically motivated and that the company did not overcharge the government. He added that the court allowed him to leave the country for health reasons and not because of his consular status.

A 2017 DIMESA statement said that that there was no corruption, that the contract was obtained through a transparent process and that the company complied with its terms.

Waseem Ramli

APPOINTED BY SYRIA TO SERVE IN CANADA

Syria appointed businessman Waseem Ramli as honorary consul in Montreal in 2019.

Ramli’s appointment concerned members of the Syrian diaspora in Canada because of his public support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Since 2011, Assad’s regime has killed more than 200,000 civilians, the Syrian Network for Human Rights reported. Ramli’s red Hummer displayed a photo of the president, and Ramli has defended Assad in social media posts. In 2019, Canada rescinded its approval of Ramli’s consular appointment before his term began. Canada’s then-foreign minister called Ramli’s views “shocking and unacceptable,” and the government launched a review of Canada’s honorary consul system.

Ramli could not be reached for comment. At the time of his nomination, he said he would represent Syrians regardless of their political views.

by ProPublica

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

“Shadow Diplomats” is a first-of-its-kind investigation of a largely unregulated and under-the-radar system of international diplomacy that allows volunteer diplomats working from their home countries to represent the interests of other nations.

Media outlets and governments around the world have for years described isolated incidents of criminal behavior and other misconduct among so-called honorary consuls. ProPublica and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists exposed the scale of misuse and exploitation by rogue consuls, examined the absence of even cursory monitoring by governments and documented how a system meant to create helpful alliances between countries has in some cases harmed vulnerable communities from Eastern Europe to Central America.

The investigation identified at least 500 current and former honorary consuls who have been accused of crimes or embroiled in controversy.

• Criminal consuls: Some consuls were accused of serious crimes, including drug and weapons trafficking, murder and fraud. At least 57 were convicted of crimes while they held their honorary consul positions.

• Abuse of status: Some consuls abused their positions to enrich themselves, evade law enforcement or advance political agendas. Consuls have stood accused of hiding cash and contraband in their offices and pouches. They’ve invoked diplomatic credentials to avoid searches, arrest and imprisonment and to facilitate travel.

• Links to terrorist groups: Nine honorary consuls identified by ProPublica and ICIJ have been linked to terrorist groups by law enforcement and governments. Most were tied to Hezbollah, a political party, social services provider and militant group in Lebanon. Former U.S. officials who have investigated Hezbollah’s financial network said the use of honorary consul status by the terrorist group is well-organized and threatens national and international security.

• Defenders of Putin: Some consuls have drawn public criticism or were removed from their posts for having supported and defended Russian President Vladimir Putin, and in several cases they have been accused of acting as agents of the Kremlin. Moscow’s honorary consuls have remained active in some countries even as the U.S. and its allies levied sanctions amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

• Pay to play: An online industry of consultants offers to help deliver honorary consul appointments for tens of thousands of dollars in fees. “Travel through diplomatic channels as a VIP-person” one company boasts online.

• Oversight breakdowns: Governments have appointed thousands of honorary consuls, but no one has a reliable count. Seventy-eight countries do not publicly identify their honorary consuls, a lack of transparency that can impede law enforcement. Despite reports of problems, few countries have publicly announced reviews or reforms of the system.

by ProPublica

ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as they’re published.

“Shadow Diplomats” marks the first collaboration between ProPublica and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. One hundred and sixty journalists from 46 countries joined the reporting.

The investigation shines light on one of the least-examined roles in international diplomacy: the honorary consul. These volunteer diplomats work from their home countries to promote the interests of foreign governments, typically in places without an embassy or consulate.

Many honorary consuls provide valuable services. But the system, intended to leverage the experience and connections of upstanding citizens, has empowered unscrupulous operators and imperiled vulnerable communities around the world.

ProPublica, ICIJ and media partners identified at least 500 current and former honorary consuls who were accused of crimes or embroiled in controversy. Some were convicted of serious offenses or caught exploiting their status for personal gain; others drew criticism for their support of authoritarian regimes.

Consuls have stood accused of hiding cash and contraband in their offices and pouches. They’ve invoked diplomatic credentials to avoid searches and arrests. They’ve denounced sanctions against Russia and publicly supported the invasion of Ukraine.

The numbers are almost certainly an undercount. Seventy-eight countries do not make public the names of their honorary consuls. The lack of transparency and accountability fuel the controversies at the heart of this investigation.

Before the investigation was published, questions from reporters working on the project prompted impact in two countries. Germany and Austria announced the dismissal of one consul in Brazil. Another consul in Switzerland announced his resignation.

How the Reporting Started

Scattered references to honorary consuls have surfaced for years in leaked documents at the center of multiple investigations by ICIJ and its partners into the world of offshore wealth.

ProPublica reporter Debbie Cenziper and ICIJ reporter Will Fitzgibbon began pulling together narratives and case studies chronicling the abuses perpetrated by honorary consuls. Media partners around the world, as well as student journalists from Northwestern University’s Medill Investigative Lab, led by Cenziper, were instrumental to this effort.

The names of consuls — or sometimes simply their titles — came up in news clips, government investigations, sanctions lists and other reports. Reporters searched court databases in Brazil, France, Ukraine, Spain and Germany, and they submitted public information requests in Croatia, Finland, El Salvador and Honduras, among other countries.

Patterns started to emerge. The team identified consuls who have been linked by law enforcement and governments to the terrorist group Hezbollah — reporting featured prominently in ProPublica and ICIJ’s lead story.

The team also identified consuls sanctioned by the United States and other governments, including members of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle. Those findings will feature in a forthcoming story that examines Russia’s use of the honorary consul system.

Transparency Challenges

There is no international database of honorary consuls, and many countries maintain poor records or release no information at all. ICIJ’s data team contacted the foreign ministries of countries that failed to make the names of their consuls public. Reporters requested the names of their consuls and other information about them; most ministries failed to reply.

Using information from public records requests and lists of consuls published online, the team created an index to assess the transparency of countries and their honorary consul appointments.

The findings will be part of a forthcoming story about how governments have failed to oversee the troubled system of international diplomacy.

ProPublica contributors: Debbie Cenziper, Ziva Branstetter, Matt Orr, Lisa Larson-Walker, Boyzell Hosey, Diego Sorbara, Lena Groeger, Alexis Stephens, Tracy Weber and Steve Engelberg.

ICIJ contributors: Will Fitzgibbon, Delphine Reuter, Ben Hallman, Emilia Díaz-Struck, Nicole Sadek, Dean Starkman, Margot Williams, Richard H.P. Sia, Hamish Boland-Rudder, Asraa Mustufa, Antonio Cucho Gamboa, Joe Hillhouse, Pierre Romera, Jelena Cosic, Fergus Shiel and Gerard Ryle.

See a complete list of ICIJ international partners.

Northwestern University’s Medill Investigative Lab students: Eva Herscowitz, Emily Anderson Stern, Jordan Anderson, Hannah Feuer, Michael Korsh, Michelle Liu, Grace Wu, Linus Hoeller, Dhivya Sridar, Quinn Clark, Henry Roach, Evan Robinson-Johnson, Susanti Sarkar, Margaret Fleming, Julian Andreone and Sela Breen.

Additional contributors: Belinda Lichty Clarke from the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications and independent journalist Héctor Silva Ávalos.

by Matthew Orr; Debbie Cenziper, ProPublica; and Will Fitzgibbon, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists

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