Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05AMMAN6435
2005-08-10 14:07:00
SECRET
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

FURTHER COMMENTS ON APPLICATION FOR OPIC FINANCING

Tags:  EINV KTFN ETTC IZ JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
S E C R E T AMMAN 006435 

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO OPIC FOR S. LEMPRES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2015
TAGS: EINV KTFN ETTC IZ JO
SUBJECT: FURTHER COMMENTS ON APPLICATION FOR OPIC FINANCING
- MIDDLE EAST FROZEN FOODS

REF: A. AMMAN 6143


B. STATE 136058

C. (C) CIOC SPECIAL ANALYSIS PAPER - H. MAHMOUD
BUNNIA AND SONS GROUP (NOTAL)

Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B & D)

S E C R E T AMMAN 006435

SIPDIS

PLEASE PASS TO OPIC FOR S. LEMPRES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/10/2015
TAGS: EINV KTFN ETTC IZ JO
SUBJECT: FURTHER COMMENTS ON APPLICATION FOR OPIC FINANCING
- MIDDLE EAST FROZEN FOODS

REF: A. AMMAN 6143


B. STATE 136058

C. (C) CIOC SPECIAL ANALYSIS PAPER - H. MAHMOUD
BUNNIA AND SONS GROUP (NOTAL)

Classified By: CDA DAVID HALE, FOR REASONS 1.4 (B & D)


1. (SBU) Ref (A) provided information relating to the
history and commercial stature and activities of the firm of

H. Mahmood J. Al-Bunnia & Sons Company regional office in
Jordan, and noted that the Embassy has no derogatory
financial information on this company. The information was
provided in response to an OPIC request for Embassy Amman,s
recommendation on proposed OPIC financing in support of an
Iraq investment by the Middle East Frozen Foods (MEFF)
company. It appears (ref B) that the majority partner in
MEFF is prominent Jordanian resident Mustafa al-Bunnia, who
is reportedly the dominant figure in the firm of H. Mahmood

J. al-Bunnia & Sons Company (Dubai). (Note: We believe
verification of this point can only be obtained via
examination of the registration certificate and "Authorized
Persons" certificate which we believe is on file with the
official registration office in Dubai. End Note).


2. (S) Ref (C),received subsequent to transmission of ref
(A),includes derogatory allegations concerning Khalil and
Sa,ad al-Bunnia, who are prominent businessmen primarily
active in Iraq, and are cousins of Mustafa al-Bunnia. These
allegations include claims that Khalil and Sa,ad have links
to fund-raising for insurgents. However, several major Iraqi
business figures in Jordan, who are not affiliated with the
al-Bunnias, tell us that Khalil and Mustafa al-Bunnia have
poor personal relations and are not known to cooperate in
their various business ventures. In addition, we note that
to date we have received no/no substantive derogatory
information concerning Mustafa al-Bunnia.


3. (SBU) Despite the continued existence of a separate
holding company called H. Mahmood J. al-Bunnia and Sons
(founded in 1910 and based in Iraq),we understand that much
of the original al-Bunnia conglomerate broke up some years
ago and many of the al-Bunnias now operate independently,
albeit under the shared rubric of "H. Mahmood J. al-Bunnia
and Sons".
HALE