“Exactly. Ignacio went on to say that independent accountants from Pricewaterhouse have already audited the bank’s financial statements for the last three quarters. The board was convened simply as an informational courtesy to assure Congress that there is transparency at Banurbano. He reiterated that the accountants are quite content with the books and that our role is not to question them.”
“My. I am surprised that they were audited. I’m certain he didn’t produce any Pricewaterhouse documents to prove compliance. Cooked would have been the more appropriate term.”
Ibrahim sticks his finger at Guillermo and wiggles it in his face. “Touché, my friend, touché. I wasted no time in saying, I may be seventy-four years old and a bit forgetful, but I have never rubber-stamped anything in my life. I am an honest man, an honorable man. When I was asked to serve on the board, I told Ignacio it was with the understanding that we would be independent of management and that we would be able to question or address anything that seemed controversial or unseemly. That is, we could challenge and even overturn any unusual loans the government was making to private businesses or nongovernmental agencies. Since I joined the board I have also challenged the president’s wife’s policy of giving monthly cash payments to the poor. First of all, she was not elected to office to oversee these expenditures, and secondly, I have never believed in a social welfare state. There is no way to know who is getting the bulk of this money, nor if it is being used to buy votes for her run for the presidency. . But never mind, with this we were talking about expenditures of ten or eleven million quetzales a month, but when I saw monthly transfers on the level of forty to fifty million quetzales. . that’s why I hired you. Can the government be involved in a money-laundering scheme? Are they using strange maneuvers to deposit money in overseas accounts or are they simply placing money in national dollar accounts they secretly control? This is what you and I have been looking into.”
Guillermo nodded. “And what happened next?”
“I was told not to worry. You and I saw the same kinds of ledger manipulations last time we met. But I can show you what they did last month, only with smaller quantities, and in a less apparent way. Balicar and the board secretary both laughed at me and said we needn’t worry about such small transactions when the Guatemalan government has a budget of nearly a billion dollars. There you have it, Guillermo.”
“But why are you telling me this? Is there something you want me to do?”
“First the threats, then the garbled phone calls, and now I think I’m also being followed.”
“Oh shit.”
“Yes, merde alors.”
“This is dangerous.”
“It is. In Lebanon we say, Yellah!”
“Which means?”
“It’s time to go. We have to do something.”
Guillermo scratches his chin. “You need around-the-clock protection. I will get it for you.”
“I am sorry, but I prefer to die than to live like that,” Ibrahim responds.
“This isn’t some kind of joke. These people are serious.”
“Sorry, Guillermo, but that is out of the question. I already have more protection in the office and factory than I need.” He rubs his very wrinkled face with his hands. “Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned anything to you. We should get back to discussing the possibility of moving the accounting and budget personnel of the textile factory to another country with lower taxes—”
“Don’t be silly. You have others who can advise you on that. On the contrary, Ibrahim, as your principal lawyer I must know everything that is going on in your life. You need someone on staff who sees the big picture.”
“I have given you complete access to both my thoughts and my files.”
“I want to have a security team check out the safety systems in your car, home, and factory to make sure there are no possible leaks. I want them to check your phones and your complete phone records.” Guillermo sees an opportunity. “And I want them to inspect Maryam’s car and apartment as well. In fact, I want you to give me Maryam’s home and cell numbers right now so that I can be in touch with her.”
“But what for?”
“To determine if her phones are tapped. My chief concern is for you and your daughter. I want to make sure I can contact either one of you whenever I need to. I’ll also need Samir’s cell phone.”
“Why Samir’s? He’s not involved in any of this.”
“Yes, but he’s also a likely target whether you like him or not. I’m going to use my connections at Guatel and the Ministry of Defense to see if I can figure out what’s going on.”
Ibrahim writes the numbers down on a small card. After that, the two men get back to business.
“You won’t believe what’s happened at Banurbano since our last meeting.”
Guillermo raises his eyebrows.
“Take a look at this.” Ibrahim gives him a folder with the latest Banurbano transactions. For the first time, everything seems more or less in order, as if someone were trying to clean things up. New deposits appear cancelling the withdrawals. The financial payments are smaller, and mostly directed to NGOs with rigorous financial oversight. Clearly their inquires have produced greater caution and scrutiny, but probably also great anxiety. No one likes to have the cash spigot turned off. Something will have to give.
The two men agree they should see the Pricewaterhouse audits, to make sure Ignacio’s telling the truth.
“Ibrahim, is there any chance these threats have to do with your own company?”
Ibrahim coughs. “What do you mean?”
“All along we have assumed that the threats you’ve received have to do with your appointment to the board. But what about your textile factory? Has anyone tried to shake you down here? A disgruntled employee?”
“I treat my workers as family. There is absolutely no union activity. Ask them. They love me,” Ibrahim says, somewhat offended.
“What about suppliers?”
Ibrahim closes his eyes, then puts a hand over his tightening mouth. “Well, actually,” he says, before hesitating. “No, never. There are crooks everywhere, certainly in the textile business. People who want to offer me Italian cloth that they have somehow gotten into the country without paying import taxes, or that is actuality manufactured in Singapore or China. You know that I believe we are entitled to pursue wealth without government interference, but I won’t break the law to become richer. I don’t need to do that. That’s not how my parents educated me. And if you think I would do something illegal to prosper, Guillermo, then you really don’t know me.”
Juancho used to say the same thing. “I was only asking. I believe you, completely, but I need to make sure I am not missing any viable source to these threats. I want to be absolutely sure these calls are the result of your work on the board.”
“You can be absolutely sure of that.”
“And what about Samir or anyone else in the Lebanese community?”
Ibrahim smiles. “Maryam’s husband is an ass. And the others, well, they admire me.”
Several minutes later, Ibrahim’s secretary comes in to say that his daughter has just driven up and will wait at the first-floor gate to take them home for lunch.
Ibrahim stands up and motions to Guillermo that it’s time to go.
“I am going to have to take a rain check on this lunch.”
Ibrahim looks disappointed.
“I promised to go with Rosa Esther to talk to my daughter’s teachers.”
Ibrahim shrugs.
“Please convey my regrets to Maryam.” Guillermo is a bit disappointed that he will not see her, but at the same time he thinks that a cooling of his interest in her might be for the better. He doesn’t want to lose the upper hand in his courtship. Besides, he has some serious research to do. He doesn’t really know how he would go about improving Ibrahim and Maryam’s security systems. He has promised Ibrahim he’ll look into it, but he doesn’t have any strong connections with the security apparatus or the telephone company. Still, it shouldn’t be too complicated.