Monaco’s ruler Prince Albert II on Monday named a new chief of staff in the wake of unverified claims that first emerged in 2021 of a money-laundering scheme that have rocked the tiny and ultra-rich Mediterranean principality.
Christophe Steiner, until now ambassador of Monaco to Paris, will take up his hugely powerful post on September 4, a statement from the palace said.
His appointment comes two months after his predecessor Laurent Anselmi was forced to step down in the wake of the allegations published on the internet which also saw the ousting of another key figure, the crown assets chief administrator Claude Palmero.
Monaco has been shaken since the end of 2021 by anonymous denunciations orchestrated by a website “Les Dossiers du Rocher” (“The Rock Files”).
The site accused several figures close to Prince Albert including Anselmi and Palmero and Didier Linotte, president of the Supreme Court, of being in cahoots in a money laundering scheme based on corruption in property deals.
The site’s accusations were based on the hacking of the mailboxes of those named, who have all filed a complaint and deny having set up any system of collusion for their benefit.
An investigation into the hacking of their emails was opened by the French and Monaco courts after their complaints.
The victims of the “Dossiers du Rocher” suspect the Pastor group, led by powerful entrepreneur Patrice Pastor, of being behind a destabilisation operation, as groups tussle for slices of the flourishing local construction market.
Pastor fiercely denies any involvement.
In January, Moneyval, the Council of Europe’s anti-money laundering body, called on Monaco to intensify its efforts in the investigation and prosecution of money laundering.
In a statement, Prince Albert II hailed the “in-depth knowledge of public affairs and economic and financial issues” of his new chief of staff Steiner, saying they were “a major asset in responding to the current challenges” of Monaco.
Albert is the son of Prince Rainier III and American film star Grace Kelly, who died in a car accident in 1982.
He married his wife Princess Charlene, a former South African Olympic swimmer, in 2011.
Long known as a playground for the rich and famous, Monaco attracts moneyed residents due to an extremely favourable tax regime which include an absence of income and wealth taxes. — Agence France-Presse
