LIBERAL DEMOCRATS’ BIGGEST DONOR ARRESTED IN THE CARIBBEAN H eRAJEEV l l o L u cSYAL i a , a/GUARDIAN.CO.UK n d w e l c o m e t o t h e h a s h ta g t i m e s , t h e w o r l d s f i r s t n e w s p a p e r ta i l o r e d t o s u i t yo u r The Liberal Democrats’ biggest donor, who has been on the run for three years after being convicted of a multimillion pound theft, has been arrested by police in the Dominican Republic, the Guardian can disclose.
p e r s o n a l i n t e r e s tThesdevelopment , A l l could i nlead f oto r m at i o n p u b l i s h e d renewed legal efforts by his victims to seek compensation from the Lib Dems and Brown through the British courts.
h as b e e n co m p i l e d f r o m so c i a l m e d i a n e t wo r ks A City of London police spokesman
yo u h av e s i g n e d uconfirmed p t Brown’s o, Farrest. a c “We e bareo o k , T w i t t e r , a n d
Michael Brown, who bankrolled the party with £2.4m of stolen money, was detained near the resort of Punta Cana on the easternmost tip of the Caribbean island this week. Interpol has been informed.
pleased to hear that Michael Brown has been detained by authorities in the Dominican Republic, and are currently establishing contact with them to find out further details about his arrest.
g o o g l e P L U S . w e h av e a l s o i n c l u d e d i n f o r m at i o n f r o m g o o g l e m a p s t o g i v e yo u t h e hentered o t the t eisland s tunder N ea w falses
Named by City of London police as one of Britain’s most wanted fraudsters,
“Clearly, at some stage we will look for his return to the UK, so he can serve the sentence for the fraud offences for which he has been convicted in this country,” he said.
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Brown, 45, disappeared while on bail for a £40m fraud and was sentenced in his absence to seven years in prison.
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“If someone comes to the Dominican Republic on false documents he is breaking our laws and we do not want him here. That person can be deported,” he said.
NE WS , JOURNALISM, FASHION
His arrest signals the end to an international hunt that has involved five law enforcement agencies across three continents, and could lead to his return to Britain to serve his sentence.
Earlier a diplomatic source said British authorities were informed of Brown’s arrest on Thursday. “There has been considerable co-operation between the two countries. There is a belief that Brown should be returned to Britain but there are still hurdles to overcome,” the source said.
It will mean further embarrassment for Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister. The Lib Dems have refused to compensate Brown’s victims, whose money went into the party’s coffers to finance the 2005 election campaign. #01 1/01/MMXII
There is no extradition treaty between Britain and the Dominican Republic. However, a Dominican government official indicated Brown could be deported without an extradition process. Brown is believed to have
& M U S I C i n t h e l a s t 2 4 h o u r s a n d l ay
out the
Brown, originally from Glasgow, appeared from nowhere when he approached the Lib Dems in November PROVE YOU 2004 with an offer of money for Charles Kennedy’s impending election ARE HUMAN: campaign. The brash, ponytailed Brown lived in Majorca and claimed to be an offshore trader. He said his clients were vetted by US embassy officials. Despite not being a party member, not being registered to vote, and living abroad, he was welcomed with open
arms by the party’s grandees. Within months Brown was flying Kennedy across Britain in a private jet and was being invited to dinners in Mayfair. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school, St Andrew’s University and his connections with royalty. The truth was that he had failed his maths O-level at his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud. The party received the donation through his company, 5th Avenue Partners. It remains the biggest
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS’ BIGGEST DONOR ARRESTED IN THE CARIBBEAN RAJEEV SYAL /GUARDIAN.CO.UK The Liberal Democrats’ biggest donor, who has been on the run for three years after being convicted of a multimillion pound theft, has been arrested by police in the Dominican Republic, the Guardian can disclose. Michael Brown, who bankrolled the party with £2.4m of stolen money, was detained near the resort of Punta Cana on the easternmost tip of the Caribbean island this week. Interpol has been informed. Named by City of London police as one of Britain’s most wanted fraudsters, Brown, 45, disappeared while on bail for a £40m fraud and was sentenced in his absence to seven years in prison.
The development could lead to renewed legal efforts by his victims to seek compensation from the Lib Dems and Brown through the British courts. A City of London police spokesman confirmed Brown’s arrest. “We are pleased to hear that Michael Brown has been detained by authorities in the Dominican Republic, and are currently establishing contact with them to find out further details about his arrest. “Clearly, at some stage we will look for his return to the UK, so he can serve the sentence for the fraud offences for which he has been convicted in this country,” he said.
His arrest signals the end to an international hunt that has involved five law enforcement agencies across three continents, and could lead to his return to Britain to serve his sentence.
Earlier a diplomatic source said British authorities were informed of Brown’s arrest on Thursday. “There has been considerable co-operation between the two countries. There is a belief that Brown should be returned to Britain but there are still hurdles to overcome,” the source said.
It will mean further embarrassment for Nick Clegg, the deputy prime minister. The Lib Dems have refused to compensate Brown’s victims, whose money went into the party’s coffers to finance the 2005 election campaign.
There is no extradition treaty between Britain and the Dominican Republic. However, a Dominican government official indicated Brown could be deported without an extradition process. Brown is believed to have
entered the island under a false identity, which is a breach of Dominican law, he said. “If someone comes to the Dominican Republic on false documents he is breaking our laws and we do not want him here. That person can be deported,” he said. Brown, originally from Glasgow, appeared from nowhere when he approached the Lib Dems in November 2004 with an offer of money for Charles Kennedy’s impending election campaign. The brash, ponytailed Brown lived in Majorca and claimed to be an offshore trader. He said his clients were vetted by US embassy officials. Despite not being a party member, not being registered to vote, and living abroad, he was welcomed with open
arms by the party’s grandees. Within months Brown was flying Kennedy across Britain in a private jet and was being invited to dinners in Mayfair. Former Lib Dem insiders say he dazzled them with stories of Gordonstoun public school, St Andrew’s University and his connections with royalty. The truth was that he had failed his maths O-level at his local school and completed a City and Guilds in catering at Glasgow College of Food Technology. He had no US government links – although he was wanted in Florida for cheque fraud. The party received the donation through his company, 5th Avenue Partners. It remains the biggest
//CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE
ever received by the party from an individual. In the general election the party increased its share of the vote by nearly 4% after his cash was spent on posters and advertising. Brown was arrested in late 2005 after four former clients said he had duped them out of more than £40m in a high-yield fraud. His victims included Martin Edwards, the former Manchester United chairman, who had invested £8m with 5th Avenue Partners. The court would later be told that 5th Avenue Partners was wholly fraudulent and that Brown had given money to the Lib Dems to give himself an air of respectability whilst duping his victims. In June 2008, while awaiting trial for theft, false accounting and perverting the course of justice, Brown fled and a warrant was issued for his arrest. In the weeks before he disappeared from his Hampstead bail address in north London, he changed his name
on the electoral roll to CampbellBrown and allowed his hair to turn grey. City of London detectives have worked with Interpol, the FBI, and police in Spain, Switzerland and the Dominican Republic to trace his whereabouts. Brown is believed to have been arrested because he had been living in the Dominican Republic on false documents, diplomatic sources said. The Guardian has obtained copies of Brown’s false identity papers and passports using the name Darren Patrick Nally. The fugitive enjoyed a millionaire’s lifestyle while on the run. He lived in gated communities yards from some of the most pristine beaches in the Caribbean, drove a series of 4x4 vehicles and was a regular at exclusive golf courses. In Punta Cana he could often be seen walking his dog – named Charles,
after the former Lib Dem leader. Since 2008 Brown has used the name Nally to embark on a series of ventures that included a real estate business which has opened a subsidiary in the Bahamas. Last February he was investigated in the Dominican Republic over an oil deal after being accused of failing to honour a contract for 4,820 tonnes. He was ordered to be held in custody for three months. If Brown is returned to Britain it will launch renewed high court claims for the Lib Dems to return his stolen money. Tony Brown, managing partner at law firm Bivonas which represents US attorney Robert Mann who lost more than $5m (£3m), said that Brown would be asked to give evidence as part of his client’s claim against the Lib Dems.
he will be able to assist our client Robert Mann resurrect his claim in the High Court against the Liberal Democrats for the return of his stolen money,” he said. Mann’s legal team was forced last year to drop a high court claim against the Lib Dems for the return of around $600,000 after running out of funds. A Lib Dem spokesman declined to comment on any future high court action, but added that the donation was accepted in good faith and was cleared by an Electoral Commission inquiry. “There is no indication that the Electoral Commission will revise its opinion in this matter but any arrest abroad should lead to his [Brown’s] extradition to the UK,” he said.
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A spokesman for the Dominican Republic embassy in London declined to comment. Edwards also declined to comment.
“We hope on Michael Brown’s return
EUROPE’S BIGGEST FREE WI-FI ZONE SET FOR LONDON BBC NEWS /
#LONDON WIFI
The service will be rolled out across the boroughs of Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea in 2012. It will be powered by a system installed on street furniture. O2 said the deal, which will have no cost to the taxpayer, will enable visitors to “make the most of what London has to offer”. Councillor Philippa Roe, cabinet member for strategic finance at Westminster City Council, said: “Westminster welcomes over a million tourists a day, is home to 250,000 residents, employs over half a million people and sees 4,000 business starts-ups each year. “Visitors to London will easily be able to share their pictures and updates of the Olympic events across social networking sites.” O2 will begin installing the Metro wireless network across Westminster this month, initially being available in limited areas before being rolled out across both boroughs. ‘High quality connectivity’ London is catching up with other major cities. In Paris, several hundred individual wi-fi zones offer free connections in public parks and municipal spaces. New York also offers free wi-fi in parks and last year began to install
WHAT TWEETERS HAVE SAID /
wireless internet access at several of its subway stations. London’s service will be powered by equipment attached to lamp-posts and other existing structures on London’s streets, and should be completed by March.
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“This ground-breaking deal... will see us deliver high-quality connectivity across London in time for London 2012,” said Derek McManus, chief operating officer for O2. John Hunt, from independent broadband review site thinkbroadband.com, said the service would be very popular, particularly for overseas tourists worried about expensive mobile costs. Wi-fi is ‘wireless fidelity’ or ‘wireless network’ - that allows you to connect to the internet without using wires A hotspot is a physical location that offers internet access wirelessly IEEE 802.11 is a set of standards for wireless communications Wi-fi can be free or you can pay to go online by the hour, day or month The City of London has 95% public wi-fi coverage Swindon is the UK’s first wi-fi covered town In 2005, Sunnyvale, California became the first city in the United States to offer city-wide free wi-fi “Obviously, free wireless is a good thing. It allows people to get online cheaper,” he told the BBC.
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OMG I LOVE THIS TATOO!!!!!<3<3<3<3 GermanMonstGaga: “Whether it will be able to handle the Olympics is going to be their main issue.” Underground trial Mr Hunt added that London is becoming a well-connected city for residents and tourists desperate to be online while on the move. “There are other networks as well, such as The Cloud and BT Openzone, and a lot more places like coffee shops are getting people online,” he said. However, he said residents living in the free wi-fi areas should not be considering ditching their home connection. “The problem you will have is that
the wireless may not be fast enough to support everything you want to do. “I don’t think it will necessarily replace home broadband - it’s more a complementing service.” In November 2010, Charing Cross became the first Underground station to offer wireless connectivity as part of a six-month trial. Another trial, sponsored by Finnish firm Nokia, involved 26 free wi-fi hotspots in locations across the city. The firm said it planned to make it a fully-fledged service in 2012.
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2012 begins with LOVE HATE at Egg! EGG NIGHTCLUB 22 jan 22:00 until 07:00
We got a hot line up for you all !!
U.K
Pete Jordan (Spectrum) Skinny Macho (Work It) Antepop (Inverted Audio) Senor Floss (LoveHate) Pocket Dukes(Downstairs) HORATIObLOOD (Hauswerx) ADHDJS Loose Synths Dj’s SBAS Dj’s Richard Aki Knife & Fork
VOTE SHAKKA MTV'S BRAND NEW UNSIGNED for 2012 - 2 DAYS TO GO! Right. So I entered myself for “MTV Brand New: For 2012” competition for Unsigned Artists. And I think that everyone should vote for me, primarily because I’m a bahd man.
FREE SAVAGE NOMADS SHOW @ NOTTING HILL ARTS CLUB, 9:30, BRING ID! ROLL UP, ROLL UP FOR THE NOMADIC MYSTERY TOUR yeah baby, the 2nd show of our steamy residency
VOTE FOR A BRUDDA!!! - MTV BRAND NEW FOR 2012 -
IT’S FREE AND THE OTHER BANDS ARE GREAT (from 9) BUT BRING ID REGARDLESS OF YOUR AGE OR THEY WILL LAUGH AND TURN AWAY. AND THEN HIT YOU WHEN YOU PLEAD SANITY.
Vote HERE VIA QR CODE:
HERE’S WHAT THE HACKS SAY:
I joke. If I win, I may get on TV and break the concert stage in two.
‘This year’s best debut album from a British band’ Artrocker magazine ‘Veering from disco to dub: the most un-English sounding band, honing in everything from ATDI to The Libertines’ NME magazine ‘This year’s best new band’ Loud Horizon ‘British guitar music MUST be saved by these guys’ Sucking Lemons
BUY TICKETS HERE
Friday, 20 January 2012 at 21:30 until Sunday, 22 January 2012 at 00:30
UNION @ BUGGED OUT WEEKENDER After being named Mixmag’s Clubnight of the Year, UNION has rampaged across the country these past 12 months... destroying dance floors and hosting stages at some the worlds biggest dance festivals! The insanity continues in January 2012 as they join forces with the legendary BUGGED OUT for 3 days of carnage featuring the biggest electronic acts ON THE PLANET... You’ll stay on the resort in either your own exclusive apartment or hotel room and with facilities like a SUB TROPICAL SPLASH WATERWORLD, CINEMA, FUNFAIR and even a HEALTH SPA, this really takes festival ‘GLAMPING’ to another level... Wet your appetite with a line up of SPECTACULAR PROPORTIONS... FRIDAY
//EVENTS YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED TO
JACK BEATS MS DYNAMITE DJ ZINC UNION SATURDAY
Triple Shoreditch Exclusive: Jojo Moyes, John Crace and Patrick Gale! Event for Shoreditch House Literary Salon Hold on to your hats for the next Salon on 14th March!
**UNION ARENA** CHASE & STATUS - DJ SET SUB FOCUS & MC ID FRICTION 16 BIT UNION **DALSTON SUPERSTORE IN THE PUB** SEVERINO (HORSE MEAT DISCO) HANNAH HOLLAND DAN BEAUMONT
La Vie Parisienne Southgate Opera - 8-11 February 2012
Southgate Opera presents Offenbach’s comic operetta, La Vie Parisienne. A tangled tale of flirtation and romantic intrigue. The story recounts the amorous adventures and misadventures of a Swedish Baron and Baroness on their Parisian holiday. Expect irrepressible, vivacious music, dancing (including the famous can-can), wonderful costumes and scenes of rapturous hilarity in this glittering version of life in Gay Paree. Performances are 7.30pm each evening 8-11 February, plus a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm.
***GET YOUR TICKETS HERE***
EVENTS YOU ATTENDED: NYE LONDON FIREWORKS
About the event: London will once again mark midnight on New Year’s Eve with a fireworks display at the London Eye. Best Fireworks in London this New Year’s Eve The event, organised by the Mayor of London, promises to be one of the best fireworks displays in Europe. Join in the oohs and ahhs as amazing fireworks are launched from the 135-metre (442ft) London Eye, projecting beautiful colours and lights across the capital in celebration of the New Year. Getting a Good View on New Year’s Eve in London The popularity of the New Year’s Eve fireworks display means it gets very crowded near the London Eye. You
won’t be allowed to enter the viewing area once it’s full. The best views of the fireworks are from Victoria Embankment, the South Bank, and Westminster and Waterloo Bridges. Hungerford Bridge and Westminster Bridge will be closed from 8pm. Alternative Places to Watch the Show If you can’t watch the fireworks from along the banks of the Thames, head to high ground like Hampstead Heath for some spectacular views. Alternatively, persuade any mates you have with high balconies or roof gardens to host a New Year’s Eve party, and experience the fireworks from the comfort of their home! The fireworks will also be televised live on BBC1.
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LAWRENCE PEASE, GREAT NIGHT, MERRY NEW YEAR EVERYONE.
PIERS HAUSMAN: I THINK I LEFT MY KEYS IN 2011.
@NYLONMAGCALIFORNIA WRAP. PAC SUN JOINS THE MANICURE GAME. HTTP://WWW.NYLONMAG.COM/
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Getting your skate deck and your nail polish from the same place might seem a little weird, but since Pac Sun is basically a supermarket of youth culture, it’s now possible to score both from the store. This week, Pac Sun introduces nail wraps from Black Poppy, the in-house label that also makes the shop’s cult $30 fringe purses. Right now, they’re available in a glittery mosaic pattern and in a solid lemon-lime neon; each costs $6.50 but if you buy one, you can get the second for $3.25.
THE POLAR BEAR STAR WHO HAS FAME LICKED AFTER HIS INTERNET VIDEO GOES VIRAL
Just because you’re furry and impossibly cute, doesn’t necessarily mean you can get away with being rude. But try telling that to Siku the baby polar bear. The cub won thousands of fans when video of him stretching and wriggling in delight as he was tickled by keepers was released on the internet before Christmas.
Super-cute: Siku is being hand-reared in Denmark after his mother failed to produce milk to feed him.
The cub will have to be looked after for a year by a team of three carers because his mother was unable to produce enough milk to feed him.
(And if you’re in the mood for DIY, the day-glo ones can be illustrated with cats, flowers, stars, or the classic L-O-V-E H-A-T-E with a thin-tipped Sharpie.)
Polar star: Siku became an internet hit after his video went viral Siku, which means ‘ice’ in an Inuit dialect, is being hand-reared until he is a year old at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Denmark, after his mother was unable to produce enough milk to feed him. His online fame resembles that enjoyed by polar bear Knut, who became a celebrity at Berlin zoo after his mother rejected him in 2007. Happy to play: Tiny Siku has paws in the air as he’s lying on a table Knut died on March 19 in front of hundreds of visitors to Berlin zoo after collapsing and falling into the water in his enclosure. The four-year-old polar bear was suffering from encephalitis - swelling of the brain - and drowned after he fell into the pool.
Pac Sun nail wraps, $6.50 for one pack, $9.75 for two packs, available in stores and online.
@FEMALES GO SO HARD 24 HOURS OF TWEETS @femalesgosohard Chicago, IL Females Derserve to be recognized for all their hard work and efforts! We #Salute women that Go Hard!
TIPS FOR MEN: GO AHEAD (normal eyebrows) This means “I give up” or “do what you want because I don’t care”. she will talk to u when she’s not mad GO AHEAD (with raised eyebrows) This is a dare. One that will result in a woman getting upset and will end with the word “Fine”. A “LOUD SIGH” is very misunderstood by men, she’s thinking ur an idiot & her time is waisted standing there arguing with u over”Nothing”. “Soft Sighs” are one of the few things that some men actually understand.
ur best bet is to not move or breathe and she will stay content. 89% of guys want YOU to make the 1st move I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine marriage and a career Girls are fragile. Even if you’re play fighting/wrestling, be very gentle. No one can make you feel inferior without your consent. “When you are in Love you can’t fall asleep because reality is better than your dreams.”
Can’t see me: Siku the polar bear cub has his eyes squeezed shut at the Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Denmark.
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#1DAYIWANTTO WHAT WILL YOU DO ONE DAY? KattWilliams#1DayIWantTo jump in a taxi and shout “FOLLOW THAT CAR”
U.K
# #CBB
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER Frank_Butcher Frank Butcher Natasha Giggs is entering the big brother house tonightThat’s a nice change as it’s usually a big brother entering her! #CBB
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#TAKEMEOUT TAKE ME OUT ITV2
Antslesulk BrilliANT This guy actually tucked the front of his t shirt in to show the Westwood belt loooool #Takemeout
KathNeilCrew #1DayIWantTo line up all the corrupt, arrogant, evil people and make African+Palestinian kids throw rocks from a distance at them!
TVpsychologist Jo Hemmings Jeez - this quiz shows what a seriously shabby low life bunch of celebs reside in that house... #cbb
itv2 itv2 Let the battle see the ship? #takemeout
Jarret#1dayIwantto make my parents wake up knowing everything is paid for
NiallersPerfect Gemmaaaaaah I hate how Natasha thinks her affair is hilarious and she’s not even embarrassed -_- #cbb
RyanJL Ryan Love He’s in the Navy. They call him a “pretty boy”. This stuff just writes itself. #takemeout
xDearDominique#1DayIWantTo have a camera follow me around... Just so ppl can see what I go thru and what the REAL WORLD ( @RealWorldmtv ) is really like
EMILYDAVIESxo EMILY DAVIES Sounds like such a hard life honestly girls -.- give them a real job where they have to work for hours a day not shop and play #cbb
xSophieReadex Ahh noo light off! He has no dress sense what so ever and he’s wearing v westwood *handacrossface*
MR Marchard#1DayIWantTo see hot DEx on my screen
ZaynJMalikFTW Austin Mahone “I was sliding all over the bed and all sorts” #cbb
Alex_T_Smith Alex T Smith Looks like a shoplifter. #takemeout #justsayin
amazingbrit#1DayIWantTo never have tu work again
heatworld heat & heatworld When we write our autobiography who wants to help #cbb
laurajeansansom LauraJean Sansom Tucking your t-shirt into your jeans so everyone can see your viv westwood belt!#takemeout
Gabs50Zakuani Gabriel Zakuani Laughing about an affair with your brother in law on national television, to make it worse you have kids who may see footage. #CBB #EpicFail
Grazia_Live Grazia_Live Joe Swashbuckling joins The Wanted #takemeout PF
//TRENDY TOPICS IN THE UK Caughthereye#1DayIWantTo get this relationship thing right
y o u write
your T O P your T O P
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the day y o u tweet t h e most is
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3.9
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40 tweets per month
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BIRTHDAYS
Vauxhall is now as vibrant a part of the city as anywhere else and there are numerous clubs in Vauxhall that have popped up due to the growth of modern residential and office blocks in the area. In recent years, a number of Portuguese restaurants and gay bars and clubs have arrived in the area due to the adoption of Vauxhall by both communities. Check out our list of clubs in Vauxhall if you wish to sample a different London vibe.
night life