Previous reports had it at a paltry £17bn but that’s only the first installment, says Lord James, who insists he’s not a doddering old coot who fell victim to a scam.
He’s says it can’t be tainted money because has experience money laundering cash from criminal groups and knows what the deal is. (He says the Bank of England had him clean up businesses infiltrated by the IRA)
“I’m not a money launderer, I was on the side of the angels,” he added
Did a not-obviously-insane member of the government — a corporate troubleshooter and Conservative life peer — really just stand up in the House of Lords and announce that a shadowy Foundation (that might or might not represent the Vatican) was offering the British government an investment of umpty-billion pounds in order to reboot the economy — free, gratis, with no strings attached?
Or am I just imagining the “no strings attached” clause?
The Vatican Bank is currently embroiled in a money-laundering scandal of its own, so we’re really going into the rabbit hole of conspiracy thories here, aren’t we?
(PS. I do hope the good Lord didn’t advance Foundation X a few million in advance of them sending the billions. Just saying… But clearly, he is not a nutcase.)