His bait cast, Campbell watched to see whether it would be taken. He had further to go yet though. Even if Asquith did bite, he still had to reel him in.
‘Over the course of around the last eighteen months, three companies have been quietly purchasing stock in three specific firms,’ Campbell began. ‘This is perfectly normal since they are investment companies and the purchases have been so arranged that they were spread out over time and transacted through a number of different dealers. The use of more than one investment firm to do this and the process of layering the investments helps to disguise the true nature of what is happening. But the upshot is that these three investment houses now collectively represent the majority shareholders of each of the companies in which they are investing, holding in total just short of 30 per cent of each firm. The shares that they have been buying up are in construction and engineering firms Mr Asquith, firms who are now awaiting the results of the tender process for the Malaysian Dam project that is being in large part funded by the British Government’s Department for International Development. The contracts for the design, construction and implementation of the project are worth many tens of millions of pounds and will, naturally, bolster both the coffers and the share price of the firms that win those contracts. You of course are perfectly familiar with what I am telling you since it is you that is due, tomorrow, to announce who the successful tenders have been and which firms will win those contracts.’
‘If you are threatening me…’ Asquith began but his tone was uneven and Campbell had the feeling that the Minister for International Development had yet to decide which side of the fence he was on. He had obviously not figured out whether this was just another part of the blackmail plot, if Campbell was one of the conspirators or whether he were not involved at all, as he had asserted.
‘I’m not threatening you in the slightest. On the contrary; the real danger so far has been to me, not from me.’ Campbell said and with that he walked slowly from the shadows across the room toward Geoffrey Asquith and into the light where the other man could see the colourful array of bruising and swelling on his face.
‘Believe me Mr Asquith when I say that I’m here to help. Help us both.’
‘That remains to be seen,’ Asquith replied. He was still being abrupt but that was hardly surprising as far as Campbell could see. What was more significant was that he was still listening.
‘The Dam project has been referred to in various quarters save the very highest and most official, as a white elephant. The hydroelectric plant will produce energy for a region that already has an energy surplus. Already some 10,000 people have been displaced from their homes — land owned by their ancestors for generations — and moved to smaller, inferior plots where the land is of poorer quality and in places largely infertile. The fabric of these communities has been torn; alcoholism and violent crime already on the increase. The environmental assessments are widely acknowledged to be deeply flawed and accusations of suppression and even falsification of information are common. An area the size of a large town will be flooded by the dam, threatening the habitat of a diverse range of plants and animals and the costs of the entire project are said to be significantly higher than comparable examples in the developed world.’
‘There have been a number of in-depth studies conducted both by the Malaysian government and our own agencies. We could exchange stories all evening about whose sources are the more credible or politically motivated,’ Asquith replied defensively.
‘Of course we could but only one of us would then be a liar Mr Asquith. This is all a matter of public record anyway and there’s no point me trying to argue with you. I have no doubt you are far more extensively read on this subject than myself. Indeed, that is why you are here.’
‘So you are one of them?’ he said but his tone lacked conviction. Campbell wanted him uncertain though because if he was intrigued then maybe he would keep listening.
‘The British Government, amongst most other western countries, regularly earmark funds for the purposes of overseas development.’ Campbell raised his forefingers in a quote-unquote gesture that was intended to convey sarcasm. ‘It used to be referred simply as overseas aid but political correctness soon saw that off didn’t it? No longer helping out the poor, useless old Third World, now we’re promoting International Development. Assisting the forward progress of those capable but unfortunate people in less privileged countries. Very noble. Makes you proud to be British eh?
‘The point is Mr Asquith, that it’s all smoke and mirrors isn’t it? Aid, Development. Progress? It’s none of those things is it? Not really. Not in the way it’s made to sound. Not unless you consider the recipients of course. And I don’t mean the indigenous populations. I’m talking about the large corporations that always seem to be called upon when there are highly controversial or large contracts to hand out. How nice of them to step in where local firms might find it all a bit too tricky. How oddly convenient that so many millions of UN sanctioned foreign assistance pounds end up back on the balance sheets of British companies.’
‘Well, well. Read a little Chomsky have we? We aren’t in the business of handing out hundreds of millions of pounds to build some bridge in the middle of nowhere, some mining operation on an ancient temple. You think these things are just handed out arbitrarily to keep the UK economy looking rosy and the fat cats well fed? You think we don’t actually carry out endless feasibility studies, environmental, economic, geological, topographic surveys before any of these things even get out of the planning department?’
Campbell felt reprimanded and slightly patronised.
‘That’s not exactly what I think no but you aren’t too wide of the mark. But we digress, or at least I do. You see Mr Asquith, I genuinely believe that you are a good man. Albeit doing the work of less reputable souls. I would sooner have someone like you in the position you are in than half the other snakes in your party. Or the others.’
‘I’m honoured, no doubt.’
‘I’m sure you will be if you play your cards right but that’s beside the point.’
‘Ah yes, the point. You do have one I take it?’
‘Money.’
‘Isn’t it always?’ If Asquith had decided that Campbell was one of the blackmailers he seemed almost resigned to it now.
‘You have been told by certain anonymous but undoubtedly serious people that you must award these three contracts, these glittering prizes, to the three companies least deserving of them. It does not take an investment wunderkind to work out that since these three firms have got the weakest tenders for the work that they are highly likely to fail. Their share-price will therefore be depressed and represent, for those with foresight or an eye for a bargain, a significantly good buy. Indeed, for those who have accumulated enormous tranches of stock in each of these three rank outsiders already, the potential to reap considerable rewards — should the unthinkable happen and they actually win those contracts — is enormous. Imagine what the share price would do.’
‘You aren’t exactly telling me anything I hadn’t figured out for myself.’
‘Perhaps not. You’re a highly intelligent man. Of course you’d have seen what their purpose was, seen it a mile off.’
‘And you too apparently.’
‘Not really, it was more of a necessity with me than anything else. Self preservation.’
‘Do you know something? I would really, very much like to know who you are and what you want.’ The older man sounded angry now, irritated at Campbell’s persistent effort to evade the question.
‘My name is Daniel Campbell. I work for an investment analyst in the City and I live in a one bed flat in Fulham. Cuts and bruises aside I have no distinguishing features, nothing that would make me stand out. I do, however, know who is actually behind all this. So do you as it happens.’