Impeachment probe into US President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine goes public
November 13, 2019, 2:57 pm

Impeachment probe into US President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine goes public

House Democrats began impeachment proceedings against US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with the first two witnesses testifying publicly in the House of Representatives inquiry into Trump’s dealings with Ukraine.

The public impeachment hearings will investigate whether the president and his allies attempted to prod Ukraine to investigate Democrats by using US military aid as leverage. Previous hearings related to the impeachment have been held behind closed doors.

The Democrats will try to make the case that the president attempted to extort a foreign nation, Ukraine, to investigate a political rival, former US Vice President Joe Biden, who is one of the 2020 Democratic candidates for president.

The top Republican in the proceedings, congressman Devin Nunes, blasted the inquiry and the hearing itself as a “carefully orchestrated media smear campaign,” a staged televised drama that is “an “impeachment process in search of a crime.”

In his testimony, first witness and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State George Kent said he did not believe the US should ask other countries to engage in “selective politically associated investigations or prosecutions against opponents in power.”

A whistleblower’s complaint about Trump’s July 25 telephone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy ignited the impeachment investigation.

During the 30-minute call, Zelenskiy invoked blocked US military aid to his country. Trump responded, “I would like you to do us a favor though.”

Trump subsequently asked Zelenskiy to look into the investigation of natural gas firm Burisma Holdings, where former US Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter sat on the board.

“There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution, so if you can look into it, it sounds horrible to me,” Trump said according to a White House memorandum of the phone call.

While serving as vice president, Joe Biden urged Ukraine to fire the top prosecutor in the Burisma investigation. Trump has repeatedly accused the Bidens of corruption, though Biden maintains corruption concerns about the investigation prompted his intervention.

Kent said on Wednesday that he raised concern that Hunter Biden’s work for Burisma created a “perception of a conflict of interest,” but that he did not witness any US efforts to shield Burisma from scrutiny.

He said the US believes Ukrainian prosecutors accepted bribes to close a case into Burisma’s founder and that US officials “consistently advocated” restarting the probe.

Devin Nunes, the senior Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, which is holding impeachment hearings, said Burisma reportedly paid Hunter Biden $50,000 a month to sit on its board.

Democrats say the exchange shows Trump used his office to pressure a foreign government to help him politically. US election law prohibits candidates from accepting foreign help in an election.

Democrats also charge that the supposed conditioning of US aid on whether Ukraine goes after Biden’s son Hunter sounds like “bribery.” Republicans deny that, saying Trump did not explicitly offer aid for the Biden probe.

President Trump has defended his summer phone call with Ukraine’s leader, which is at the heart of the inquiry, as “perfect” while deriding the impeachment effort as a conspiracy among Democrats and the “deep state.” He has called on the whistleblower to come forward.

He said the inquiry is not really an impeachment, but “it is a COUP, intended to take away the Power of the People,” in a tweet on October 2.

If the Democrat-controlled House ultimately votes to impeach Trump, few expect the impeachment to be approved by the Republican-controlled Senate, to eventually remove Trump from office. The biggest impact of the impeachment inquiry will likely be its influence on how the president and political parties will be viewed by US voters in the upcoming 2020 election.

The inquiry marks only the fourth time in American history that Congress has launched impeachment proceedings against a sitting president.

Trump is scheduled to hold a noon meeting Wednesday with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and then a joint afternoon news conference with the Turkish leader. The presser will give Trump a chance to address what is said in the hearings.

Egyptian President arrives in UAE for official state visit Huawei can supply its products without US components: Chairman

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.