Epstein's
'massage girl' in Turkey: DP World chief resigns and story of alleged links to
notorious sex offender
The head of
global ports operator DP World has left the company amid mounting pressure over
his links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Sultan Ahmed
bin Salem’s resignation as chairman and chief executive comes after newly
released files revealed the Emirati business tycoon exchanged hundreds of
emails with Epstein over a decade.
The mention
in the files does not indicate any wrongdoing, but the BBC has contacted Sultan
Ahmed bin Salem for comment.
DP World
announced his resignation on Friday, saying it was “effective immediately”. The
company has named Isa Kazim as chairman and Yuvraj Narine as chief executive.
Sultan Ahmed bin Salem’s image has also been removed from the company’s
website.
Dubai-based
DP World is the world's largest logistics firm, operating port terminals on six
continents and playing a key role in global trade infrastructure.
But the
Epstein files have come under pressure as DP World's business with other
companies has been hit.
Earlier this
week, the UK's Development Finance Agency and Canada's second-largest pension
fund Lawcase said they were cancelling new investments in the firm.
The Prince
of Wales' Earthshot project, which also receives funding from DP World, has
reported the matter to the UK Charity Commission after it was named in the
files.
‘Trusted
friend’
A BBC Arabic
analysis shows that Salim had been in contact with Epstein since 2007.
The emails
show a close friendship between the two, who regularly exchanged travel plans,
business ideas and contacts, as well as news and jokes.
Epstein
described Salim in an email from June 2013 as ‘one of his most trusted
friends’. The two discussed business ideas around the world, including plans to
launch an ‘Islamic’ digital currency in Dubai.
Emails over
the years show that Salim also sought Epstein’s advice on health issues,
including his daughter’s and his family’s and friends’ health.
The emails
show that Salim remained in contact with Epstein until 2017, two years before
his death in 2019. Although he was in contact with Epstein during his first
conviction in 2008 for soliciting a person under 18 for prostitution, he
remained in contact with her.
Emails
about women
The emails
show that Salim and Epstein exchanged numerous messages about girls and women
around them.
The context
of these emails is not always clear.
In one email
from 2013, the two compare the beauty of two women, describing a Moldovan woman
as less beautiful than a Ukrainian woman.
Emails from
four years later show that Sultan Ahmed bin Salim arranged for Jeffrey Epstein
to train a “private masseuse” at a Turkish hotel in “all kinds of treatments”.
The hotel’s contact also confirmed that the woman was asked to undergo “an
extensive and complete training program” at the time.
The email
trail shows that the woman confirmed that she had a Russian passport.
In an email
from 2015, Salem told Epstein that he thought the most beautiful women were in
Russia.
Two separate
emails, apparently from Salem, revealed that he had an Irish and an Uzbek
girlfriend.
In an email
from 2017, he apparently wrote with a woman’s passport, “This is my 22-year-old
new Uzbek friend.” In a reply, Epstein corrected, “According to her passport,
she is 23.”
On one
occasion, Salem also sent his friend sexist and racist jokes.
Salem’s
correspondence with Epstein over the years shows that he was married and at one
point had two wives.
‘Treat
the Sultan Well’
It appears
that Sultan Selim used Epstein to lobby the British government. Epstein had
contacted British politician Lord Mandelson, with the aim of trying to get
Selim’s company a contract to run the London Gateway Port.
The
relationship between Epstein and Lord Peter Mandelson was particularly
controversial in the UK, where Mandelson was eventually dismissed as the UK
ambassador to the US in September.
Documents
released by Congress show that Lord Mandelson maintained contact with Epstein
until late 2016.
The email
chain also shows that Selim and Lord Mandelson met weeks ago to persuade the UK
government to support the DP World deal.
The
documents also show that Epstein helped Selim draft a letter to Lord Mandelson
and shared the personal email address of the Business Secretary.
It is not
clear from the documents whether Epstein's intervention played any role in the
final approval of the project. But the exchanges suggest that Epstein was
acting as an informal intermediary between Salem and senior political figures.
There has
been no suggestion of wrongdoing by Lord Mendelsohn in the matter. The BBC has
contacted him for comment.
In March
2016, Salem told Epstein that he had welcomed Prince William at the London
Gateway and attended an event with him at Buckingham Palace the following day.
The emails show that Epstein replied with the word 'fun'.
Introductions
to a range of figures
The
documents include emails showing Epstein introducing Salem to international
figures in politics and business via email, including former Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud Barak and former Donald Trump adviser Steve Bannon.
Subsequent
correspondence shows Salem and the figures communicating directly via email,
copying Epstein or forwarding messages to him.
In an email
sent by Salem in 2015, Epstein is asked if he had mentioned his “proposition”
to Elon Musk.
Epstein also
offered to introduce Salem to the presidents of Kenya, Senegal, Gabon and
Congo. It is not clear from documents seen by the BBC whether the offer was
accepted.
Salem also
sought Epstein’s advice on inviting him to Trump’s presidential inauguration in
2017. In the correspondence, Sultan asked, “Should I accept the invitation,
would it be possible to shake hands with Trump?”
Several
emails show Salim discussing plans to visit Epstein’s home in New York or his
island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. They regularly updated each other on their
international travel plans.
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