Belgian gold trader Alain Goetz has questioned the rationale used in imposing sanctions on him and his African Gold Refinery Ltd., one of the continent’s biggest processors of the metal.
Goetz took to twitter on Tuesday morning wondering how the US could base its actions on the reports of what he called “mafia NGOs.”
In March, the United States imposed sanctions on Goetz and a network of companies tied to him that it accused of being allegedly involved in the illicit movement of gold from Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Today, let’s talk about sanctions. What evidence do international institutions have before issuing sanctions? Fabricated reports from NGOs like The Sentry?” he wondered.
The Sentry prides itself as an investigative and policy organization that seeks to disable multinational predatory networks that benefit from violent conflict. It had previously raised concerns around the gold trade activities of Goetz, the refinery, and linked companies, calling for targeted sanctions to be considered.
However, Goetz says organisations like it have no moral authority to author reports considering they are cited in fraud cases.
“Fight Impunity, an NGO facing corruption charges in Europe, is an example of the dirty work of NGOs such as The Sentry,” he said.
Goetz added, “No credible institution should put its reputation on the line by depending on sham reports written by organisations such as The Sentry. By all accounts, The Sentry acts like a mafia NGO that is a PR machinery tool for Hollywood actors pretending to care for Africa.”
When the sanctions were announced, Goetz said his inclusion on the U.S. sanctions list “seems to be based on misinformation”. He said he has not been to Congo in more than 20 years and has not kept any active contacts within Congo.
The Treasury said a network of armed groups, smugglers and companies generate illicit revenue from the gold industry through forced labor, smuggling or other means. It said the illicit movement of gold provides revenue to armed groups that threaten peace and security in Congo.
Goetz said he was asked to set up East Africa’s first gold refinery in 2014, adding that “nothing has made me prouder than to see the impact that African Gold Refinery has had on the gold industry in the Great Lakes region”.
