Corruption, Crime and a Chimpanzee Called Juba
Words: Barry Faudemer, Chief Executive, Baker & Partners Regulatory Team
Baker & Partners is no stranger to complexity. Founded in Jersey and with offices in London, the BVI and the Cayman Islands, this law firm has built a reputation for taking on the toughest of disputes from global asset recovery for governments and sovereign states; high-stakes corporate and criminal litigation; and trust advice to prevent tomorrow’s issues. The Baker Regulatory team tackles an array of tough compliance, risk, corporate governance and financial crime issues for clients.
Now the firm is taking its problem-solving skills out of the courtroom and into the wild and shining a light on corruption and wildlife crime at large.
2 men, 1 chimp, 9 hours on a plane
The best collaborations often begin by chance. Barry Faudemer, Chief Executive of Baker Regulatory, boarded his flight home after delivering financial investigation training to Kenyan Law Enforcement and Prosecutors. Sitting next to him on the plane was the award-winning wildlife director of photography, Justin Purefoy. Justin was returning from South Sudan, where he had been researching for his latest documentary on the journey to find trafficked chimpanzee Juba he met 20 years ago. Over the nine-hour flight they discussed everything from their passion for wildlife to the underlying desperation that often drives people to crime. Crime that starts with a supply chain of illegally procured wildlife, facilitated by corruption and ends with billions in profit for those at the top.
Barry has spent his career unravelling crime and corruption and training others to prevent it. Barry was mobilised to make sure that Jersey, as an International Finance Centre, could and would play its part to help prevent wildlife crime. The story of one chimp, as Justin hoped it would, inspired Barry to take action.
“Stories like Juba’s touch your heart and they make you want to act. I think it’s incredible that from our desks in Jersey we can contribute to saving species in the wild such as chimpanzees, pangolins, tigers and more. The challenge is that in comparison to crimes like drugs and human trafficking, wildlife crime is massively underreported and the penalties can be considerably lower. A lack of awareness and understanding of wildlife trafficking means it’s easier for the proceeds of this crime to slip through the cracks, especially in a legal and regulatory system that was never designed to catch them.
The launch of Jersey’s Sustainable Finance Action Plan sets out plans for greater reporting powers for environmental crime, reinforcing the tools necessary for identification and reporting. It’s a good time to be a part of raising awareness and addressing Jersey’s potential exposure to this global issue.”
Does wildlife crime affect Jersey?
Evidently, wildlife crime isn’t occurring in Jersey. But as a leading international finance centre, Jersey’s exposure to illegal wildlife crime lies where associated funds could be laundered through the island.
The money could be hidden within company structures ultimately owned in Jersey, especially those with underlying high-risk or vulnerable foreign businesses. It could be unknowingly held by banks and wealth managers handling high-value transactions where the rationale, or source of wealth, is opaque. It might be hidden by seemingly legitimate clients that have a footprint in vulnerable regions where wildlife is sourced or sold as well as in transport hubs.
By applying careful oversight, particularly for transactions or businesses connected to regions vulnerable to wildlife crime, Jersey can help identify and seize illicit assets. In short, whilst Jersey isn’t part of the problem, it has the expertise, frameworks and commitment to be part of the solution.
Can Jersey make a difference?
Here in Jersey, it might feel like the plight of chimps like Juba is a world away, but even from Jersey, action matters. Reporting the suspicion of a wildlife crime might be what sparks an investigation or starts the detangling of an organised crime group.
Practical ways to help
If you work in the financial services sector, as roughly 1/5 of Jersey’s workforce does, clients with the following connections, may pose a higher risk to your business:
Wildlife-linked industries (uncertified and illegal zoos, safari parks, exotic pet shops and breeders).
International trade sectors (timber, plastics, frozen food, transportation, pharmaceuticals).
Transportation businesses, especially on known trading routes.
PEPs and government officials in forestry, customs, or environmental roles.
Did you know
Most ‘know your client’ online checks do not incorporate wildlife crime data. If you see something that correlates with one of the above and your system hasn’t flagged it, make sure you raise it.
Uniting across industries to create real change
After Barry’s chance encounter with Justin, Baker & Partners invited Justin Purefoy and executive producer Jackie Savery at Maramedia to present at a Combatting Wildlife Crime event at Jersey Zoo. Speaking to a cross-section of finance professionals, conservationists, legal professionals and law enforcement, Managing Director of Baker Regulatory, Zoe Dixon-Smith, galvanised Jersey’s finance industry to stand up for wildlife. Justin brought the event to life by sharing how he’s creating a film retracing Juba’s journey across Africa. Working with wildlife crime investigators, Justin is following both the emotional journey and the money to highlight the true impact of wildlife trafficking. (Watch this space as the filmmakers will be announcing the film shortly and Justin has promised to return to Jersey for a special screening of the documentary once complete!)
The inaugural combatting wildlife crime event in numbers:
15 staff from Baker & Partners involved in the event
2 filmmakers from the UK speaking
1 internationally renowned wildlife trafficking investigator
1 zoological director from Durrell
70+ registrants from the compliance and financial services industry
1 chimp called Juba who stole the show
Wildlife Crime: The Numbers
4,000 species of plants and animals were trafficked between 2015 – 2021
Between 2015 – 2021 illegal wildlife seizures occurred in 162 countries confiscating 13 million items
Nature generates $44 trillion annually to the global economy
Environmental crime, which includes illegal logging, waste trafficking, illicit mining, unregulated fishing, the illegal wildlife trade and more, is worth between $275 billion and $481 billion annually
Illegal wildlife trade alone is worth over $23 billion annually
The natural world needs us as its protectors.
If you’d like to learn more about how your team can spot and report the proceeds of wildlife crime and save more animals like Juba, reach out to Zoe Dixon-Smith zoedixonsmith@bakerregulatory.com
