The Yemeni Billionaire Who Used Epstein as a Back-Channel

On May 20, 2012, Jeffrey Epstein emailed Sultan Bin Sulayem: "I met with boreh and abdul shaher from yemen. ( little strange)" (EFTA01883174-0). Sultan replied the next day with a profile: "Shaher is the richest Yemeni he owns oil concessions in Sudan as well as 50% of the mobile co in Sudan he is also the largest wholesaler in Yemen for rice sugar tea veg oil. And yes he is a strange man" (EFTA01881965-0). Within two weeks, Epstein was advising on Shaher's son Farouk's criminal case in London, a matter that had generated international press. Farouk Abdulhak had fled the UK in 2008 after a Norwegian student was found dead in his flat. Yemen refused extradition.

Epstein moved fast. By June 1, he and Shaher were exchanging views on extradition law. "I am also very well experienced in as you know of ,malicious prosecutions, however i am also aware of renditions and extra judicial actions that are rationalized by those who have many means at their disposal," Epstein wrote. "I have no camel in this battle." Shaher reported his son and lawyer were "adamant" the case be heard in Yemeni courts. Epstein pushed back: "it is too clever. not appreciated, and will cause more harm than good" (EFTA01880088-0). Within five days, Shaher forwarded an email from Lord Ken Macdonald QC, the former Director of Public Prosecutions for England and Wales, confirming he would take the case (EFTA02020265-1). Macdonald's clerks quoted a fee of 20,000 pounds sterling for a Paris meeting (vol00009-efta00936440-pdf-0). That same day, Shaher had already told Epstein what he really needed: "Inshallah,waiting for evacuation door through your good selves sir" (EFTA01880558-0).

Epstein relayed Macdonald's legal assessment to Shaher: "i talked to him, he said rough sex cases, not unusual, autopsy would be a factor but not a big one. drugs are not a defense, he thought he woudl get bail. reduced charge." Macdonald "held the positon of head of prosecutions, the exact same postion that he would be dealing with" (vol00009-efta00936493-pdf-1). Two months later, Shaher wrote back: "The cause may be was rough sex,too much alcohol,and may be drugs at least one of them" (EFTA02021096-0). In the same thread where he forwarded the legal fee quote, Epstein added three words: "I hate them all" (vol00009-efta00936440-pdf-0). In January 2014, Shaher sent Epstein a Gulf News article about Yemen's president refusing to extradite a citizen sought by the United States. The subject line was blank. The implication was not (vol00009-efta01140105-pdf-0).

Business ran parallel to the legal work from the start. On June 9, 2012, three days after the Macdonald fee quote, Shaher pitched Epstein on khat juice. "In Yemen over thirty percent of agricultural land and large part of our water reserves..is planted with the cursed kat plant," he wrote. He imagined it bottled "like VIMTO, RED BULL" for bars, discos, and taxi drivers, with a concentrate plant in Yemen or Ethiopia. "You will be part of it investing in this part of the world sir" (EFTA01878795-0). Epstein declined the equity: "I will make the intro.. I greatly respect friendship. and need no economic incentive or participation. ( maybe im really not Jewish)" (EFTA01879141-0).

By August 2013, Shaher was in Somaliland. "Today my dear cousin am in somaliland Finished alhamdulilah a good exploration concession for oil Need 50 million towards three exploration blocks of about 30,000 kilometres area ,good prospect, When my cousin coming to Europe" (vol00009-efta00967890-pdf-0). Epstein replied: "end of sept." Shaher wanted sooner. Epstein offered to meet him in St. Barts. In April 2015, Shaher shifted to Ethiopia. "Need 20 $ mill we are short to pay for my ethiopian cigarettes for 360 days" (EFTA01744617-4). The company was National Tobacco Enterprise Ethiopia, the country's sole cigarette factory, incorporated in 1946 as the Imperial Tobacco Factory. Shaher held 60 percent through a Cayman entity called Sheba Investment Company, the Ethiopian government held the rest. Production was five billion sticks a year with plans to double (EFTA01744617-5). He valued his stake at $270 million and offered to repay within 270 days (EFTA01744617-6).

Epstein engaged: "i would very much like to be helpful. what is the cash flow, income and balance sheet look like" (EFTA01744617-10). Shaher explained the difficulty. Gulf lenders considered tobacco financing "Makrooh," religiously discouraged, "though they all smoke (hypocrisy)" (EFTA01744617-9). He said the joint venture netted $12 million the previous year and projected $500-600 million by end of 2017. The archive contains no confirmation that Epstein provided the funds. In March 2016, Epstein asked Shaher about a Paris apartment: "did you do anything with the apt on my floor in paris?" The reference was 22 Avenue Foch, Epstein's Paris address (vol00009-efta00830806-pdf-0). Shaher had just landed from Sudan.

Three months later, the Saudi-led coalition bombed Shaher's Coca-Cola plant in Sanaa. "The Allied forces led by saudi bombed and completely demolished our Coca-Cola plant in Sanaa few months Ago," Shaher wrote. He wanted a lawyer "who can kick there ass and put it strongly For them to settle immediately" (vol00009-efta00825580-pdf-0). Epstein responded within nine minutes: "interesting question. soverighn immunity precludes it, but as you know the us might allow suits against saudi re 9-11" (vol00009-efta00825587-pdf-0). The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act passed the Senate that same month.

In March 2017, Shaher proposed what he called a "Sadat initiative." Yemen would accept Yemeni Jewish visitors from Israel. Israel would intervene to stop the Saudi-led bombing. "This aggression being assisted by the three western nations member of the security council, benefiting from the sale of Arms to the allied nations forces," he wrote (EFTA02654167-1). Two months later Epstein replied with a five-point peace framework: "1. both sides need to feel no hope to win, 2. they need to be exhausted 3. graduality, dynamic change over time. 4 declare a cease fire though it will be broken many times. 5. FACE SAVINGS for both sides" (vol00009-efta01045163-pdf-0). Epstein forwarded Shaher a New York Times article about a Navy SEAL raid in Yemen that killed seven militants and warned: "bringing peace to the region will be difficult if yemen is harboring al queda" (vol00009-efta01045342-pdf-0).

Shaher asked Epstein to help replace the UN special envoy to Yemen. "They will be happy to receive Mr Terre Rod-Larsen instead," he wrote, referring to Terje Rod-Larsen, the Norwegian diplomat who helped broker the Oslo Accords (vol00009-efta01045342-pdf-1). Epstein facilitated. Shaher proposed changing the meeting location to Dubai "to enable your good selves if required meet also two VIPs from sanaA who are residing in emirates" (EFTA02648425-2). The meeting happened. "The meeting with our friend was very fruitful," Shaher reported back. "The man who presented to you with the Holy black Qabaa Dress holds all the strings in his hands certainly with WASHINGTON." He asked for a follow-up: "it will be good if another meeting is arranged if possible with the inner circle in Washing with our friend, myself and one or two others from my side in Paris. shalom" (vol00009-efta00658903-pdf-1). Epstein had written earlier: "hopefully my friend can move part of the way" (vol00009-efta01045361-pdf-0).

On April 26, 2018, Epstein made one more introduction. He emailed Steve Bannon and Shaher a two-line message: "Steve Shaher. Shaher/Steve." Bannon replied: "Thanks Jeffrey." Shaher, correcting an autocorrect, wrote back: "Sony. Hello Not hell" (vol00009-efta00826127-pdf-0). It was the last Shaher email in the archive.