Intimidation and scare tactics won't work on us: we will continue to demand real action to bring greater transparency to DRC's mining sector

Global Witness asserts that its investigation into Dan Gertler's use of a suspected international money laundering network to evade US sanctions is based on rigorous evidence. The organization reports that prior to and following publication, it and its partner, the Platform for the Protection of Whistleblowers in Africa (PPLAAF), faced intimidation tactics, including a criminal complaint filed by Afriland First Bank in Paris and coordinated social media smear campaigns. Global Witness maintains that these actions are intended to protect the status quo of the DRC mining sector and calls on Congolese, US, and EU authorities to investigate the findings.

• Global Witness investigated allegations that mining magnate Dan Gertler used an international money laundering network spanning the Democratic Republic of Congo, Europe, and Israel to bypass US sanctions imposed in 2017, allegedly utilizing Afriland First Bank in the DRC to move millions of dollars abroad.
• Prior to the report's release, Global Witness and PPLAAF faced attempts to block publication, including letters from the law firm Carter-Ruck accusing them of breaching ethical standards and using criminal methods, as well as direct threats to PPLAAF's founder, William Bourdon, involving a recording intended to compromise him.
• Following publication, Global Witness reports a coordinated smear campaign involving social media posts and videos containing false allegations against staff and global conspiracy theories, alongside a criminal complaint filed by Afriland First Bank in Paris against Global Witness and PPLAAF.
• The investigation was conducted over a year in collaboration with PPLAAF, utilizing thousands of pages of corporate and bank records from whistleblowers, and was cross-referenced by reporting from Bloomberg, Le Monde, and Haaretz.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Intimidation and scare tactics won't work on us: we will continue to demand real action to bring greater transparency to DRC's mining sector. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/intimidation-and-scare-tactics-wont-work-on-us-we-will-continue-to-demand-real-action-to-bring-greater-transparency-to-drcs-mining-sector/

Chicago

Global Witness. Intimidation and scare tactics won't work on us: we will continue to demand real action to bring greater transparency to DRC's mining sector. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/intimidation-and-scare-tactics-wont-work-on-us-we-will-continue-to-demand-real-action-to-bring-greater-transparency-to-drcs-mining-sector/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=Intimidation and scare tactics won't work on us: we will continue to demand real action to bring greater transparency to DRC's mining sector |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/intimidation-and-scare-tactics-wont-work-on-us-we-will-continue-to-demand-real-action-to-bring-greater-transparency-to-drcs-mining-sector/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndintimidation, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Intimidation and scare tactics won't work on us: we will continue to demand real action to bring greater transparency to DRC's mining sector}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/corruption-and-money-laundering/intimidation-and-scare-tactics-wont-work-on-us-we-will-continue-to-demand-real-action-to-bring-greater-transparency-to-drcs-mining-sector/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }