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UPDATE – Berliner Tageszeitung: Criminal complaint in Berlin, Germany, against Elon Musk and Twitter for possible fraud to the detriment of users

BERLIN, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG reports today that a criminal complaint has been filed against Elon Musk with the Berlin public prosecutor's office, file number: 253 UJs 1012/23, alleging that Musk charged Twitter users' credit cards but suspended verified Twitter accounts without giving any reason.

Source: https://www.BerlinerTageszeitung.de/wirtschaft/269895–criminal–complaint–in–berlin–germany–against–elon–musk–and–twitter–for–possible–fraud–to–the–detriment–of–twitter–users.html

“Blocking user accounts is a daily occurrence at Twitter, but the fact that they then continuously charge money to users' credit cards makes the matter explosive and is currently occupying the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office (Federal Republic of Germany). In any case, the question arises as to how much power a medium like Twitter can be granted at all and when the regulatory authorities should intervene to protect Twitter users.”

Incidentally, this is not the first time Elon Musk has been investigated, as there is also currently an investor lawsuit against Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The lawsuit is about Musk's tweets in August 2018 with the premature announcement that he wanted to take the electric car company off the stock market and had secured the financing to do so. It later emerged that there were no firm commitments from investors.

“Elon Musk lied,” said a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

US Judge Edward Chen (Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California) had already found in the 2022 trial that Musk's statements in the tweets had not been true.

“We will continue to monitor the case closely and report further developments as new information becomes available. It remains to be seen how the criminal charges against Elon Musk and Twitter will develop and what the consequences might be.”

From a factual point of view, it should be noted that according to Article 48 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the presumption of innocence applies to defendants and accused persons, which must also apply in the case of the criminal charges against Elon Musk for “suspected fraud to the detriment of Twitter users”.

META KEYS: Elon Musk, Elon Musk Twitter, Elon Musk Strafanzeige, Twitter accounts, Thierry Breton, Thierry Breton Twitter, Berlin public prosecutor's office against Elon Musk, Twitter users, BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG, verified Twitter accounts

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3c50532–be3a–4bad–8e85–7253731d594c


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8849934)

Berliner Tageszeitung: Criminal complaint in Berlin, Germany, against Elon Musk and Twitter for possible fraud to the detriment of users

BERLIN, May 31, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG reports today that a criminal complaint has been filed with the Berlin public prosecutor's office against Elon Musk, file number: 253 UJs 1012/23, alleging that Musk charged Twitter users on their credit cards but blocked them without giving any reason.

Source: https://www.BerlinerTageszeitung.de/wirtschaft/269895–criminal–complaint–in–berlin–germany–against–elon–musk–and–twitter–for–possible–fraud–to–the–detriment–of–twitter–users.html

“Blocking user accounts is a daily occurrence at Twitter, but the fact that they then continuously charge money to users' credit cards makes the matter explosive and is currently occupying the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office (Federal Republic of Germany). In any case, the question arises as to how much power a medium like Twitter can be granted at all and when the regulatory authorities should intervene to protect Twitter users.”

Incidentally, this is not the first time Elon Musk has been investigated, as there is also currently an investor lawsuit against Tesla CEO Elon Musk. The lawsuit is about Musk's tweets in August 2018 with the premature announcement that he wanted to take the electric car company off the stock market and had secured the financing to do so. It later emerged that there were no firm commitments from investors.

“Elon Musk lied,” said a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

US Judge Edward Chen (Judge of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California) had already found in the 2022 trial that Musk's statements in the tweets had not been true.

“We will continue to monitor the case closely and report further developments as new information becomes available. It remains to be seen how the criminal charges against Elon Musk and Twitter will develop and what the consequences might be.

From a factual point of view, it should be noted that according to Article 48 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, the presumption of innocence applies to defendants and accused persons, which must also apply in the case of the criminal charges against Elon Musk for “suspected fraud to the detriment of Twitter users”.

META KEYS: Elon Musk, Elon Musk Twitter, Elon Musk Strafanzeige, Twitter accounts, Thierry Breton, Thierry Breton Twitter, Berlin public prosecutor's office against Elon Musk, Twitter users, BERLINER TAGESZEITUNG, verified Twitter accounts

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f3c50532–be3a–4bad–8e85–7253731d594c


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8849854)

Preqin Publishes New Territory Guide: Real Estate in Saudi Arabia 2023

LONDON, Feb. 13, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Preqin, the global leader in alternative assets data, tools, and insights, published its Real Estate in Saudi Arabia 2023: Preqin Territory Guide. The report shows that while fundraising for closed end real estate funds in Saudi Arabia has been slowing in recent years, there may be an increase in activity this year with a number of funds currently open to investment.

The Preqin Territory Guide series gives alternatives investors data–driven insight on the opportunities in a particular market or region.

Monumental investments in real estate planned in Saudi Arabia

Real estate is at the heart of Saudi Arabia's vision of its future. The Kingdom is rich in oil revenues, but is also cultivating private finance and expertise from both domestic and international sources to deliver its Vision 2030 ambitions. Furthermore, there are developing plans for monumental investments in real estate, such as the $500bn Neom desert city project. While the asset class has long been a core component of investor portfolios in Saudi Arabia, it's not a fully institutionalized market. Investors have plenty of options to gain exposure to the region, with access routes including real estate investment trusts (REITs), separately managed accounts (SMAs), club and direct deals, and small but ambitious private fund managers.

Offering enhanced insights into the region, Preqin is now tracking 35 real estate fund managers in Saudi Arabia. Data shows assets under management (AUM) in closed–end funds at Saudi Arabia–based managers stand at $3.2bn at the end of June 2022, with dry powder of $537mn, the majority of which is in core strategies.

The pace of fundraising might be slowing, but an increase could be on the horizon

The fundraising market in the region has slowed in recent years, with the number of private real estate funds closing annually from a peak of 11 in 2017. However, there may be an increase in activity this year, with 9 Saudi Arabia–based real estate funds currently open to investment. The largest managers in the region, as measured by funds raised over the past 10 years, are Blominvest Saudi Arabia ($1.0bn), the Investor for Securities Company ($903bn), and Jadwa Investment ($747mn), followed by Alkhabeer Capital ($375mn), Al Rajhi Capital ($336mn), Tharwat For Financial Securities ($317mn), and Albilad Capital ($304mn).

Furthermore, in terms of the prospects for international investors, with its Public Investment Fund (PIF), Saudi Arabia has an entity that can pull expertise and capital into the country. The $620bn AUM sovereign wealth fund, already one of the world's largest investors in alternative assets, has a strategic goal to provide access to capital from the private sector and its other strategic partners, also with a view to gain exposure to international domain expertise associated with such capital.

However, while Preqin analysts believe a reversal in fundraising trends might be a possibility, it must be noted that this is a particularly opaque corner of the alternatives market and many funds that have closed in the past few years did not disclose the amount of capital they had raised.

David Lowery, SVP, Head of Research Insights, says, "We see strong fundamentals for real estate in Saudi Arabia. This is illustrated by the country's GDP which was estimated to have increased by 8.6% in the year to Q3 2022, with inflation running at a relatively low rate of 2.5%. While real estate deal activity across all segments is constrained by a lack of supply, the hospitality sector is enjoying a post–COVID–19 boom, underpinned by the recovery in religious tourism and continued growth in entertainment and conferences."

Key Preqin Real Estate in Saudi Arabia 2023 facts:

  • AUM: Closed–end funds' AUM at Saudi Arabia–based managers reached $3.2bn by the end of June 2022
  • Funds: 9 Saudi Arabia–based real estate funds tracked by Preqin are currently raising capital
  • Dry powder: Preqin data shows $537mn in dry powder in closed–end real estate funds in Saudi Arabia

For more information, and to receive a full copy of the report, contact Dawn Bowles, Senior Marketing Manager, Regional Marketing, Growth Markets, at dawn.bowles@preqin.com

– Preqin Pro data covers unlisted closed–end real estate funds. The charts and tables in the report are for this segment of the real estate market in Saudi Arabia only

– All reference to "$' is USD

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About Preqin

Preqin, the Home of Alternatives, empowers financial professionals who invest in or allocate to alternatives with essential data and insight to make confident decisions. It supports them throughout the entire investment lifecycle with critical information and leading analytics solutions. The company has pioneered rigorous methods of collecting private data for 20 years, enabling more than 200,000 professionals globally to streamline how they raise capital, source deals and investments, understand performance, and stay informed. For more information visit www.preqin.com.


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 1000782087)

The International Action Centre issues the following statement on: CAPE VERDE TAKES ON THE UNITED NATIONS

PRAIA, Cape Verde, June 30, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a decision on interim measures dated June 8, the United Nations Human Rights Committee called on Cape Verde to "refrain from extraditing Mr. Alex Saab to the United States of America" and to "take all necessary measures to ensure access to appropriate health care ["] by independent and specialized physicians of his choice". This decision ordering interim measures is the first urgent step resulting from the registration of a complaint filed by Alex Saab before United Nations Human Rights Committee.

In an interview on June 29, 2021, the Cape Verdean Prosecutor General, Mr Jose Luis Landim, makes a frontal attack on the United Nations, claiming that the UN Human Rights Committee does not have the competence to impose the suspension of the extradition of Alex Saab from Cape Verde to the United States of America.

Such a position is alarming and is a legal, strategic and ethical mistake.

First, this position is completely wrong in law. We would like to remind Mr Landim that Cape Verde has chosen to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since August 6, 1993 and the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights since May 19, 2000. It must therefore comply with its international obligations in good faith and fully respect the decisions of the expert body responsible for interpreting the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Human Rights Committee. Saying that the Committee does not have the power to request the suspension of an extradition that may expose someone to risks of irreparable harms and of violations of the right to life and right of physical integrity, is an unforgivable legal error totally incompatible with the rule of law.

Second, such a position is a frontal attack on the United Nations and the human rights that are at the heart of the values that the Organization defends. It sends a clear message to the world that Cape Verde can exercise its sovereignty to violate human rights while ignoring the norms of international human rights law to which it has subscribed and ignoring international decisions. In doing so, Cape Verde, after defying the ECOWAS Court of Justice which ordered it to release the arbitrarily detained Alex Saab, after violating Alex Saab's diplomatic immunity as a Special Envoy and an Ambassador to the African Union, is taking a hostile stance towards the United Nations and placing itself on the outside of the international community.

Third, such a position is a mistake in terms of fundamental ethical values. By requesting the suspension of Alex Saab's extradition pending the examination of the merits of the case, the Human Rights Committee was inviting Cape Verde to show humanity and common sense by considering that the extradition would be detrimental to the physical integrity and life of Alex Saab. The Committee did not take a political position, but a purely humanitarian one.

MEDIA Contact:
Sara Flounders
International Action Center
Https://www.iacenter.org
E–mail: iacenter@iacenter.org
Tel: +1 212–633–6646


GLOBENEWSWIRE (Distribution ID 8273384)