This is part 4 of a 4-part series.
Beny Steinmetz, 64, is no doubt in the midst of fighting the hardest battle of his life. After a Geneva court sentenced him in January to five years in prison for bribery, the Franco-Israeli tycoon now spends the better part of his days perfecting a legal strategy as part of various efforts to disprove the accusations levied against him and clear his name.
In London, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Geneva, his associates are working overtime to win cases, while the former diamond magnate patiently waits in his villa with a view of the Mediterranean. Surrounded by legal experts and PR specialists, he has kicked his network of contacts into high gear so as to salvage his reputation and business empire.
The protector
The leading Swiss lawyer is the strategist and architect behind Steinmetz’s legal actions, and the pair have been acquainted for four decades.
There's more to this story
Get unlimited access to our exclusive journalism and features today. Our award-winning team of correspondents and editors report from over 54 African countries, from Cape Town to Cairo, from Abidjan to Abuja to Addis Ababa. Africa. Unlocked.
cancel anytime
Already a a subscriber Sign In