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> a sightholder in De Beers
“Cosa Nostra Diamonds” - Sicilian mafia – Part 3
https://mafiainafrica.investigativecenters.org/2015/04/16/cosa-nostra-diamonds.html
Apr 16, 2015
Below are excerpts
The Colonisation
Liebenberg contacted two governors he knew from the Kasai-Occidental and Kasai-Oriental provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the best diamonds in the country are located. He had been trading with the politicians since 2007, buying diamonds and exporting them to India.
He organised a meeting with a key character in Johannesburg: Marius De Kock, son of the former governor of the South African Reserve Bank [Gerhard de Kock (sixth Governor of the South African Reserve Bank); 1981-1989 during Apartheid. Coincidentally, his father Dr. Michiel H. de Kock was the third Governor of the South African Reserve Bank, 1945-1962 (from British rule into Apartheid rule)], and a sight-holder for De Beers, one of the world’s leading diamond producers. Sight-holders are authorised to bulk-buy rough diamonds on behalf of De Beers [Mail & Guardian failed to mention this!]. And the Ferrantes were very interested in the kind of deals they could make through him.
--Marius De Kock proved to be a well-greased hinge on the door to Angola for the Ferrantes. Back in Springs, while the Ferrantes and Liebenberg made plans to grow their trade, talks took place in the sumptuous home of steel magnate, Franco D’Arrigo.--
D’Arrigo is a close friend to Salvatore Ferrante Sr. “His father and Pina’s father where very good friends,” said Liebenberg. “They came to South Africa together. D’arrigo is also friends with Isabela Dos Santos, the Angolan president’s daughter”.
--Liebenberg had an idea. “I sent Marius De Kock to Angola, so that the Ferrante and D’Arrigo could be linked to De Beers there”, he told us. This information could not be corroborated by a second source as D’Arrigo did not reply to a request for comment and Marius De Kock could not be reached.--
--But Marius De Kock was also instrumental in the push into Zimbabwe.--
Liebenberg made preliminary deals with the Zimbabwean government: “I made deals for 50.000 carats a month,” said Liebenberg. “My partners there were Billy Tanhira and Doctor Baatzi who introduced me to the Director General of the mining in the Marange province.” Marange is the most important diamond mining area of Zimbabwe, and Liebenberg had just struck a hell of a deal, for the Ferrante.
But Ferrante Jr wanted his hands in the deal. “Salvatore said he wanted to go and meet [Tanhira and Baatzi] and cement the deals, and so I asked Marius De Kock to take them to Zimbabwe.”
--In late 2010, De Kock travelled to Zimbabwe with a large delegation of investors from Italy and Europe, put together by Salvatore jr, who now divided his time between South Africa and Italy.--
--Salvatore seems accomplished at finding investors in Europe. While his uncle, the nameless dentist of Palermo, was collecting Cosa Nostra’s money, Salvatore hooked a group of shady Swiss, German and Bulgarian investors, demonstrating how a single venture could unite clean South African entrepreneurs, dubious European sponsors and the Italian mafia.--
According to Liebenberg, another investor scouted by Salvatore Jr. is Lorenzo Palazzo, from Bari, Italy. Palazzo is an active mining entrepreneur in Ghana, and offered to not only pour two million dollars into the Zimbabwe Diamond Opportunity, but also collaborate with the Ferrante in Ghana’s own gem mines. Palazzo refused to answer questions from journalists.