The special adviser to Home Affairs Minister Mangosuthu Buthelezi, Dr Mario Oriano-Ambrosini, said today that there was nothing inappropriate about his relationship with Cape Town millionaire businessman Cyril Kern.
This follows reports that he had been offered a cut — by his friend Kern — in a diamond deal in Sierra Leone on the West Coast of Africa.
Kern has been linked to a $1,5-million loan to Israeli Premier Ariel Sharon. The loan is being investigated by South African authorities on request by the Israeli authorities. The money was allegedly used for paying another loan used to fund Sharon’s election campaign as (the now ruling) Likud party leader — and was reportedly paid by Kern to Sharon’s sons.
Oriano-Ambrosini, an Italian-American who has been Buthelezi’s special adviser since the KwaZulu politician became Home Affairs Minister in 1994, said that he had not received “a cent” from the deal, which he said had never materialised. He had only provided legal advice to Kern.
Oriano-Ambrosini felt there was “constant twisting” of the Kern story which was being written by the Israeli and South African media in the middle of an Israeli election. He said the story was also being manipulated by (Israeli) politicians.
He said the interest in Sierra Leone had involved a diamond mining concession. It did not involve the sale of uncut diamonds and had nothing to do with discounted diamonds. He noted too that the era of so-called conflict diamonds in that territory had ended in 1999. Kern would have been the financier of the project.
Oriani-Ambrosini noted that he had advised on a “couple of transactions” with Kern. “I did not do it on expectation of (receiving) anything”.
“The important thing is there is nothing improper on my side. I have a contractual obligation to the minister but as long as I put in the hours I can conduct myself as a lawyer,” said Oriani-Ambrosini. – I-Net Bridge