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By Matthew Russell Lee, Exclusive Patreon
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SDNY COURTHOUSE, Feb 15 –  As Inner City Press covered the OneCoin trial in late 2019, a number of names of indicted co-conspirators emerged on which we continue to follow up.

  One of them was Amer Abdulaziz Salman. As Inner City Press exclusively reported on November 6, surprise cooperating witness Konstantin Ignatov brought up Amer Abdulaziz as a money launderer in Dubai and the UK during his testimony, live-tweeted @InnerCityPress, and see here. Also raised at trial: HSBC.

  On February 14, 2020 at 10:15 am, the US Attorney's office made a filing once again seeking to move back the sentencing of convicted Mark Scott, this time to May.

  Later on February 14, after 4 pm, Judge Ramos' deputy entered an order scheduled a review of bond hearing on Scott for February 25 - seemingly, that he might be remanded. Enough is enough? We'll see - Inner City Press will be there. But where are the exhibits?

  Earlier in February, Mark Scott's lawyer Arlo Devlin-Brown has made filing seeking acquittal or a new trial, including that "The Government recently disclosed – well after trial was over – that the Government apparently permitted Ignatov to use OneCoin-derived funds to pay over USD-equivalent $1.8 million in legal expenses, giving him added incentive to shade his testimony. See Declaration in Support of Post-Trial Motions by Arlo Devlin-Brown (“Devlin-Brown Declaration”), Ex. A (letter dated Jan. 21, 2020 from Government to defense counsel)." That's Exhibit A. So the US Attorney's Office let Konstantin Ignatov use OneCoin derived funds for his legal defense - and since then, no exhibits (even as there is now a court order, following Inner City Press in-the-docket advocacy, for them to release exhibits in the US v. Schulte CIA leaks case). The FOIA request continues to pend. We'll have more on this. More on Patreon here.

, with Mark Scott scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, his lawyers have asked to be given accept to his passport to review the stamps in it. For a sentencing submission or appeal? From the request: "We write on behalf of our client, Mark Scott, who was convicted on November 21, 2019 in the above-referenced matter on two counts, conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Mr. Scott is currently scheduled to be sentenced on April 22, 2020.   In connection with our defense of Mr. Scott, we seek to review and obtain copies of entries in his United States passport, currently being held by Pretrial Services. Pretrial Services has indicated that it can make the passport available only pursuant to the Court’s order. Counsel would either rely on Pretrial Services to provide copies of the passport directly, or would take it to copy and then promptly return it thereafter.  The Government has no objection to this request."

And Judge Ramos granting it: "ENDORSED LETTER as to Mark S. Scott addressed to Judge Edgardo Ramos from Arlo Devlin-Brown dated 1/22/2020 re: We seek to review and obtain copies of entries in his US passport, currently being held by Pretrial Services... ENDORSEMENT: The application is granted. (Signed by Judge Edgardo Ramos on 1/22/20)(jw)."

   The US Attorney's Office still inexplicably withholding even the exhibits it showed the jurors - from whom Inner City Press has unilaterally received contact expressing outrage at where things stand. Despite even Inner City Press' Freedom of Information Act request, nothing. We are asking more politely in 2020. But we are still asking, and will not cease.

  On November 24 Inner City Press' exclusive live-tweets were used without any credit in a derivative article by the Racing Post's Peter Scargill - apparently dodginess pervades this part of the industry.

  Inner City Press has been contacted from Dubai of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, from Amer Abdulaziz's native Bahrain and elsewhere by whistleblowers in the horse racing industry, with extensive information about Amer Abdulaziz's previous schemes and sudden windfall with OneCoin money. Inner City Press received another contact from OneCoin victims in Dubai on December 6. It will not rest - including on getting the exhibits released. It has submitted a FOIA request, acknowledged by DOJ in Washington. And still, nothing.

   While some say he is going into hiding, it would seem that the US FBI or its overseas partners could easily bring him in.   So why haven't they? This is an Inner City Press series. More on Patreon here.

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