Panama Papers billionaire honoured at York U despite bribery case

Dr. Did-n-t-do-it

A Canadian billionaire involved in a $400-million global bribery scheme encouraged students to be "good citizens" Monday as he received an honorary doctorate in Toronto from York University, which has remained steadfastly silent about what it knew of his past when it decided to give him the degree.

Dressed in purple and red academic robes, British-Canadian metals magnate Victor Dahdaleh received the honorary degree in front of hundreds of students at a graduation ceremony, where he referred obliquely to his legal troubles in recent years. He did not, however, mention the revelation, first reported by CBC and the Toronto Star last month, that his name and those of offshore corporations belonging to him come up dozens of times in the Panama Papers.

"Try your best to be a good citizen," Dahdaleh said in his acceptance speech. "As I learned through personal experience in recent years, tough times will not last but tough people do... In times of adversity you always find out who your true friends are."

As reported by CBC and the Star, the Panama Papers confirm, as long suspected, that Dahdaleh is the mystery middleman known as "Consultant A" in a series of U.S. court documents that lay out a decades-long kickback scheme involving global aluminum giant Alcoa and government officials in Bahrain.  (more...)

Panama Papers billionaire honoured at York U despite bribery case