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| Factory owner's '£250m fraud' | Factory owner's '£250m fraud' |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A cheese factory owner was convicted of fraud in Kuwait a year before receiving a £1.6m Welsh Assembly Government grant, a BBC investigation has found. | A cheese factory owner was convicted of fraud in Kuwait a year before receiving a £1.6m Welsh Assembly Government grant, a BBC investigation has found. |
| Mohamed Ali Soliman, owner of Dansco in Newcastle Emlyn, Carmarthenshire, was sentenced in Kuwait in his absence in 2002 for a fraud estimated at £250m. | |
| Kuwait's Public Prosecution Office said 35 jail terms were passed but there was no extradition treaty with the UK. | Kuwait's Public Prosecution Office said 35 jail terms were passed but there was no extradition treaty with the UK. |
| Mr Soliman did not respond to requests from BBC Wales for an interview. | Mr Soliman did not respond to requests from BBC Wales for an interview. |
| Lawyers in Kuwait told the BBC's Welsh-language current affairs programme Manylu that Mr Soliman's previous company Hebatco Trading and Contracting Company in Kuwait closed in 2002, leaving hundreds of shareholders out of pocket in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. | Lawyers in Kuwait told the BBC's Welsh-language current affairs programme Manylu that Mr Soliman's previous company Hebatco Trading and Contracting Company in Kuwait closed in 2002, leaving hundreds of shareholders out of pocket in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. |
| The same year, Mr Soliman's UK-based Hebatco International General Trading Ltd bought the Dansco cheese-processing factory in Newcastle Emlyn, which employs 130 staff and is one of Britain's largest mozzarella production plants. | The same year, Mr Soliman's UK-based Hebatco International General Trading Ltd bought the Dansco cheese-processing factory in Newcastle Emlyn, which employs 130 staff and is one of Britain's largest mozzarella production plants. |
| All the necessary financial and technical checks were carried out in Dansco's application for processing and marketing grants Welsh Assembly Government | All the necessary financial and technical checks were carried out in Dansco's application for processing and marketing grants Welsh Assembly Government |
| More than 30 local farmers recently stopped supplying milk to the company in a dispute over late payments. | More than 30 local farmers recently stopped supplying milk to the company in a dispute over late payments. |
| Another group of Dansco milk suppliers formed a co-operative last week in order to strengthen their position with the company. | Another group of Dansco milk suppliers formed a co-operative last week in order to strengthen their position with the company. |
| Dansco was allocated a £1.6m processing and marketing grant from the assembly government, with half of the funds from European grant aid and the rest in match-funding from the assembly government. | Dansco was allocated a £1.6m processing and marketing grant from the assembly government, with half of the funds from European grant aid and the rest in match-funding from the assembly government. |
| 'Scrutiny' | 'Scrutiny' |
| Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas said the news of Mr Soliman's criminal history would increase the uncertainty surrounding the present financial situation at Dansco. | Carmarthen East and Dinefwr Plaid Cymru AM Rhodri Glyn Thomas said the news of Mr Soliman's criminal history would increase the uncertainty surrounding the present financial situation at Dansco. |
| According to Mr Thomas, Mr Soliman's convictions raised serious questions about the process of allocating public money to companies. | According to Mr Thomas, Mr Soliman's convictions raised serious questions about the process of allocating public money to companies. |
| On Wednesday, Mr Thomas asked Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies what checks were carried out into the previous history of company directors whose companies applied for grant aid in Wales. | On Wednesday, Mr Thomas asked Economic Development Minister Andrew Davies what checks were carried out into the previous history of company directors whose companies applied for grant aid in Wales. |
| According to the assembly government, all "necessary financial and technical checks" were carried out over Dansco's grant application. | According to the assembly government, all "necessary financial and technical checks" were carried out over Dansco's grant application. |
| It said in a statement: "This involved scrutiny of audited accounts, a Companies House check and monitoring of the project to ensure that the funding was used as set out in the application and according to the processing and marketing grant (PMG) scheme criteria. | It said in a statement: "This involved scrutiny of audited accounts, a Companies House check and monitoring of the project to ensure that the funding was used as set out in the application and according to the processing and marketing grant (PMG) scheme criteria. |
| "The project has been successfully completed. The Welsh Assembly Government is satisfied to date that Dansco has met all the conditions of the PMG grant. | "The project has been successfully completed. The Welsh Assembly Government is satisfied to date that Dansco has met all the conditions of the PMG grant. |
| "Welsh Assembly Government officials are in touch with the company and supplier farmers. It is important that the company remains in operation, providing benefits to business and the community in the area." | "Welsh Assembly Government officials are in touch with the company and supplier farmers. It is important that the company remains in operation, providing benefits to business and the community in the area." |
| According to the Kuwaiti Public Prosecution Office, efforts are still being made to detain Mr Soliman, who lives in London, but have been hampered by the lack of an extradition treaty between the UK and Kuwait. | According to the Kuwaiti Public Prosecution Office, efforts are still being made to detain Mr Soliman, who lives in London, but have been hampered by the lack of an extradition treaty between the UK and Kuwait. |
| Manylu is on Radio Cymru at 1800 GMT on Thursday and repeated at 1800 GMT on Sunday. | Manylu is on Radio Cymru at 1800 GMT on Thursday and repeated at 1800 GMT on Sunday. |