Prince Andrew hosted Tunisian dictator's son-in-law at palace

[alp227]

Source: The Guardian

The government's special trade representative, Prince Andrew, entertained a leading member of the deposed Tunisian dictatorship at Buckingham Palace just three months before the regime collapsed, the Guardian has learned.

Sakher el-Materi, the 29-year-old son-in-law of Tunisia's deposed president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, attended a lunch given for him by the Duke of York. They were joined by more than a dozen executives from British multinationals hoping to win business in Tunisia. Materi has since fled the north African country and is under investigation for money laundering.

The meeting took place as part of the duke's government-appointed role to help broker deals for British businesses overseas, and its emergence will intensify calls for him to step down because of his contacts with controversial figures in the Middle East.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/mar/04/prince-andrew-tunisian-sakher-el-materi

[DURHAM D]

1. Was Sarah there?

That is the important question that Oprah will want answered.

[VermeerLives]

8. LOL! (n/t)

[no_hypocrisy]

10. + 1

[gateley]

2. Politics. At least it wasn't AFTER the truth became known world-wide. nt

[Kurmudgeon]

3. Yeah, cause everyone loves their in-laws, right? n/m

[Boudica the Lyoness]

5. Yes

I do love the Queen. :)

And there are a few more like me....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUTeRGigUjU

[valerief]

4. Birds of a feather.

[IamK]

6. Nick Lachey's cousin was once at a party I had...

I think he pee'd in the pool but I could not prove it...

[Citizen Worker]

7. No surprise here. They're members of the same class, the ruling class, doing the business of the

multi-national corporations.

[Darth_Kitten]

9. Not the swiftest dude out there.

n/t

[provis99]

11. the British royal family have no choice in who they meet.

That's the one and only way I feel sorry for them; they have to meet with a lot of scummy people, because the government tells them to for protocol reasons.