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Walter Soriano

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Walter Soriano
Born24 December, 1967
Argentina
NationalityBritish-Israeli
OccupationBusinessman & philanthropist

Walter Zvi Soriano (born December 24, 1967) is a British-Israeli businessman and philanthropist based in London.[1] He is CEO and owner of USG Security Ltd., a UK-based firm specializing in crisis management and litigation support, and WSLM, a real estate management company.[2][3][4]

Biography

Soriano was born in Argentina and immigrated to Israel as a young man. He served in the Israel Defense Forces as an intelligence officer, and later moved to London. [5]

On October 3, 2002, Soriano with his partners, set up an international security company called the Universe Security Group, based in London. The company's board of directors also included Nahum Admoni, who served as the Director-General of the Mossad from 1982 to 1989, and Uri Sagi, former head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, and Albert Raes, Former Director of the Belgian State Security Service (VSSE) from 1977-1990.[6]

In 2004, Universe Security Group was appointed by the AMP (Panama Maritime Association) as a RSO (Recognized Security Organization) to certify ship security plans in accordance with the ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) code.[7]

In 2007, Soriano and Universe Security Group were involved in a trade deal to sell three Bell 212 helicopters, which served the Spanish Fire Department, to the Georgian Ministry of Defense through the mediation of Gal Hirsch, a former Israeli brigadier general, while Hirsch served as an adviser to the Georgian Defense Minister.[8]

Between 2008 and 2011, Soriano was hired by billionaire entrepreneur Ruth Parasol and her then-husband Russ DeLeon to help resolve a criminal investigation that took place against them in the United States, for violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. Following Soriano's involvement, Parasol's company, PartyGaming, eventually entered a non-prosecution agreement with the Justice Department.[4] Parasol and DeLeon were never indicted.[9]

In 2010, Soriano set up a new company called USG Security, which replaced Universe Security Group. The company "provides security, litigation support, intelligence and investigation services to private and corporate clients in the UK and around the world", according to its website.[3]

In 2013, Soriano founded WS London Management Limited (WSLM), a real estate company based in London.[10][11]

Soriano owns or co-owns other companies, including "Tov 7", "Tov 77", "Crossroads Property 2" and "London Western Ranch", companies that are engaged in real estate development and management in the UK.[12][13][14] He was also previously the owner of "Football Universe Limited" and acted as Diego Maradona's official European representative.[15]

In June 2019, it was reported that Soriano was asked to participate voluntarily in a closed-door hearing by the United States Senate on Russia's interference in the 2016 US presidential election.[16][17] However, the Senate's intelligence committee's report eventually concluded that Soriano introduced Russian businessmen Oleg Deripaska and Dmitri Rybolovlev to Israeli company Psy Group for private projects, and found no connection to the US elections.[18]

In March 2020, Soriano founded the Anti-Cyberbullying Association in the UK.[19] According to its website, the association is "working (together) to end cyberbullying" through legislation and regulation.[20]

In May 2020, Soriano joined the board of directors of PAVOCAT, a company that provides anti-corruption services to companies and governments.[21][22]

Soriano has a personal relationship with former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his family. In 2000, Soriano was one of the founders of an association commemorating the name and memory of Jonathan Netanyahu, brother of Benjamin Netanyahu, who was killed in Operation Entebbe.[4] That same year, Soriano produced "Yoni", a film about Jonathan Netanyahu's life, directed by Semion Vinokur. The film incorporated archived materials from various sources, including the IDF video archives, the IDF spokesman archives, and the Netanyahu family.[23]

After Netanyahu lost the elections to Ehud Barak in 1999, he temporarily retired from politics and went into private business. During that time, according to Yediot Ahronoth, he worked with Netanyahu on a number of high-tech ventures in the United States.[24]

In early 2018, Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh was interviewed by Israeli journalist Ilana Dayan. In the interview, Alsheikh said, among other things, that private investigators are gathering information against Lahav 433 officers involved in investigating Netanyahu's cases. Media reports, starting with Raviv Drucker on Israeli Army Radio, raised the possibility that Walter Soriano was behind this activity, which both Soriano and Netanyahu denied. Netanyahu added that he has not met Soriano or talked to him since 2010. No proof of Soriano’s involvement was ever published.[4]

Defamation suits

In February 2018, Soriano filed a ILS500,000 defamation claim against Israeli Journalist Raviv Drucker, and in May 2019 filed a second claim for ILS580,000 against Drucker, together with the website HaAyin HaShevi'it, journalist Oren Persico and editor Shuki Tausig, claiming all four have been coordinating to publish stories to harm his reputation.[25]

In October 2019, Soriano sued Twitter in Dublin for defamation in order to "stop false and malicious allegations about him online".[26] In an article from the Daily Telegraph in 2020, he stated that he plans to sue Google.[27]

In October 2020, Soriano filed a lawsuit in the UK against US based website “Forensic News” for libel and other claims.[28]

Personal life

Soriano became an observant Orthodox Jew. Between 2000 and 2004, he lived in Jerusalem and studied Torah with Rabbi Moshe Shapira. He then returned to live in the Golders Green neighborhood of London. His wife, Aviva, made contributions to the Jewish preacher Yemima Mizrahi and the Hidabrut organization in London.[27]

Soriano gives over $1 million to charity every year, supporting orphans, widows and wounded soldiers in Israel, as well as synagogues in Israel and in the UK and cancer research institutes. In London, he opened a synagogue named after Rabbi Shapira and in his memory.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b "Secretive British philanthropist revealed to be global security expert Wa". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  2. ^ "Walter Soriano, CEO of USG Security, shares expert insights into tackling COVID-19 business challenges". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  3. ^ a b "USG Security - About Us". USG SECURITY. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  4. ^ a b c d מענית, חן; שניידר, טל (2018-02-12). "חידת סוריאנו: מי האיש ששמו נקשר בסכסוך בין המפכ"ל לרה"מ" [The Soriano Mystery: Who is the man whose name was tied to the conflict between the chief of police and the prime minister]. Globes (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2020-10-11.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ Mendick, Robert (2020-01-26). "I'm being smeared, says Diego Maradona's ex-agent in row over Senate inquiry into Russian election interference". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  6. ^ "Walter Soriano - companies registration". Retrieved 2020-10-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Panama acts to avoid bottleneck". www.mundomaritimo.cl. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  8. ^ Megiddo, Gur (2019-08-12). "עסקת המסוקים, החילוץ והמייל לנתניהו: הקשר בין גל הירש לאיש הסוד של ראש הממשלה" [The helicopter deal, the rescue and the email to Netanyahu: the connection between Gal Hirsch and the prime minister's secret man]. TheMarker (in Hebrew).
  9. ^ "Convicted Former Online Poker Billionaire Avoids Jail". Forbes. Nathan Vardi. Retrieved Dec 16, 2010.
  10. ^ "WS LONDON MANAGEMENT LIMITED". Companies House Gov UK. Retrieved 2020-09-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. ^ "About Us". Walter Soriano London Management. Retrieved 2020-09-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Companies House Gov UK". Retrieved 2020-10-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ "Walter Soriano - companies registration". Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  14. ^ "WS London Management website". Retrieved 2020-09-12.
  15. ^ Wollaston, Steve (2016-06-04). "Diego Maradona on what Roberto Di Matteo will bring to Aston Villa". BirminghamLive. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  16. ^ Bertr, Natasha. "Senate Intelligence Committee summons mysterious British security consultant". POLITICO. Retrieved 2020-10-11.
  17. ^ "Report: US Senate asks to interview Israeli-Brit in connection with Russia probe". The Times of Israel. 2019-06-19.
  18. ^ "REPORT ON RUSSIAN ACTIVE MEASURES, CAMPAIGNS AND INTERFERENCE IN THE 2016 U.S. ELECTION, VOLUME 5" (PDF). U.S. Senate Select Committee of Intelligencce. 2019-07-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Businessman Walter Soriano Announces New UK Anti-Cyberbullying Initiative". in.style.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2020-09-21.
  20. ^ "About Us". The Anti-Cybrebullying Association.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "Walter Soriano joins PAVOCATs board of directors". International Business Times. 2020-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "WALTER SORIANO Investigation And Litigation Support Expert". PAVOCAT Group. Retrieved 2020-09-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  23. ^ "Walter Soriano Productions" produced a film about Jonathan Netanyahu. see:
    "Yoni: The Life of Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Netanyahu". YouTube. 2014-01-13.
  24. ^ Betito, Merav; Yehezkeli, Zadok (2010-03-09). "Million Shekel BiBI". Yedioth Ahronoth (in Hebrew).
  25. ^ Medido, Gur (2019-12-17). "וולטר סוריאנו תבע כדי להישאר אלמוני - והשיג בדיוק את ההפך" [Walter Soriano sued to remain anonymous - and achieved the opposite]. TheMarker (in Hebrew).
  26. ^ Tighe, Mark (2019-10-06). "Security expert Walter Soriano sues Twitter in Dublin for defamation". The Times.
  27. ^ a b Mendick, Robert (2020-01-25). "I'm being smeared, says Diego Maradona's ex-agent in row over Senate inquiry into Russian election interference". The Daily Telegraph.
  28. ^ "Lawsuit against Forensic News". BAILII. Retrieved Jan 15, 2021.
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