WOW! Riza Aziz’s Secret Beverly Hills Mansion HOLLYWOOD EXCLUSIVE |
| WOW! Riza Aziz’s Secret Beverly Hills Mansion HOLLYWOOD EXCLUSIVE Posted: 21 Jan 2014 12:34 AM PST   How it was advertised – a huge open plan property Instant movie mogul, Red Granite's Riza Aziz, has purchased a secret Hollywood mansion in the most expensive part of Beverly Hills overlooking LA. Sarawak Report has established that 36 year old Mr Aziz, who earlier spent some three years working in London for HSBC, purchased 912 N Hillcrest Road for $17.5million in September 2010. The property sprawls over 11,500 square feet and has 5 bedrooms and 10 bathrooms. It looks out over an enormous swimming pool and views of West Hollywood. It is is flanked by gracious avenues and neighbouring vast residences, mostly belonging to big names in the movie business.  Red Granite HQ is on 7th floor Tour buses swing by at regular intervals, packed with star-spotters from all over the world and expensive cars purr past in an area where nobody walks. 912 North Hillcrest Road is also just a step away (were anyone to consider walking) from Red Granite Pictures' exceedingly plush office address on Sunset Boulevard. This is also not a premises that the company cares to make public. However, Sarawak Report visited the large 7th floor suite and established that it is top spec and covers half an entire floor of the building with stunning ocean views across Los Angeles. The space rents out for $3.75 a square foot with each floor providing some 11,600 sq ft, indicating a monthly rental of over $20,000 for the up and coming movie financing company.  We found Red Granite's prime location and office space 912 North Hillcrest Road  Let's pull down this brand new place and build it again – 912 N Hillcrest at present! The Aziz mansion is registered not under the name of its owner, who is the stepson of the Malaysian Prime Minister and son of Rosmah Mansor, but a company called 912 North Hillcrest Road (BH) LLC, registered in Delaware, which is a well-known corporate tax haven. However, the company which performs a private business and wealth management role for Mr Aziz, Nigro Karlin Segal Feldstein & Boino (NKSFB) confirmed the property was his. And when we visited last week we discovered that it has just been completely demolished and is being totally rebuilt. The advertisement photographs (above) are of the previous house, which neighbours told us had already been comprehensively refurbished in advance of the sale to Mr Aziz back in 2010:
 The spacious rooms are being entirely re-built with an open plan theme The lower floor, which is under construction by the builders Winters Schram is completely covered in tarpaulin to protect the wood walls and ceilings, which are currently being installed. We learnt that there will be an entirely new, "very large" pool, which we saw being dug out at the front of the house. There are a bevy of workmen both on the site and tending the landscaped garden. However Sarawak Report was able to gain access to the uninhabited property for a look at what is being remodelled. We found a series of huge rooms based on a open plan design, connecting into each other, in what is clearly being developed as the ultimate modern Hollywood style.  Airy and spacious Reliable insiders have confirmed that the rebuilding will cost several millions more dollars than the original asking price, bringing the cost of the property up towards the sort of price that Mr Aziz recently paid for the $33.5million property that we revealed he bought in New York in 2012. Property news outlets had reported that Mr Aziz's purchase of the apartment at Park Laurel 15 West 63rd Street was one of the most expensive ever in the capital. It matched the record breaking purchase by his friend, the controversial young Malaysian businessman Jho Low, of the penthouse in the Trump Tower, also for $33.5 million.  Major works Questions about so much money Malaysians reacted in astonishment over Christmas when Mr Aziz's multi-million dollar New York property was brought to public attention. Perhaps now they will be less surprised to learn that the youthful Malaysian, who is seeking to invest in the movies, has sought to make his main base in Hollywood with an even grander accommodation there? However, once again, there is the valid question as to how he came by such enormous sums of money? It is one thing to claim that you have persuaded 3rd party investors to risk hundreds of millions of dollars on films, but quite another to be purchasing personal properties. As a politically exposed person in Malaysia Mr Aziz and his family are currently being pressed to explain how he or his family were able to finance such an extremely expensive series of homes, quite apart from raising hundreds of millions to bankroll movies like Wolf of Wall Street? The law firm Loeb & Loeb, which incorporated Red Granite back in 2010, is in an informed position to advise Mr Aziz on appropriate transparency.  Supervising the case – Mr Channing Johnson is the husband of NKSFB Director Debra Johnson, who manages Riza Aziz's business affairs. A Loeb&Loeb partner, Channing Johson, to whom a letter threatening Sarawak Report with legal action was copied last month, is married to the director at NKSFB, who we have been reliably informed, directly manages Mr Aziz's financial affairs, Debra Johnson. The law firm assured Sarawak Report that:
 Director at NKSFB who handles the Riza Aziz account. We request, therefore, that Mr Johnson of Loeb & Loeb with the assistance of Mr Aziz and Mrs Johnson, furnish more details about these sources of funding. Firstly, because there would appear no need to keep them secret and secondly because Mr Aziz and his family, like the President of America, are politically exposed persons. Mr Obama publishes his annual finances and many Malaysians would like to see their own politicians do the same or at least have the right to ask for similar transparency, without being threatened with legal ruin. We would also like to take the opportunity to request an explanation as to why Mr Low was given his own credit of "special thanks" in the movie Wolf of Wall Street, since Loeb & Loeb have confirmed he was not involved in the financing of the film in any way? Was it for treating a thirsty production team to copious champagne or some other reason, since the credit is widely noted for being a highly unusual gesture in the film business? Most expensive rental property in Hollywood  $40,000 a month at 8500 Burton Way Meanwhile, records indicate that Mr Aziz has been treating himself to some very elegant accommodation, while he waits for the completion of his Hollywood Mansion. He has been occupying the penthouse floor of what has been described as Hollywoods most expensive ever rental apartments at 8500 Burton Way. We visited the brand new, plush building, which advertises itself as Hollywood's most sought after address. The apartments come with full concierge service and expensive cars are lined up by the valet service outside. The Wall Street Journal featured the building, which was developed in 2012 by Rick Caruso a major financierr:
 Roof top gardens and pools distinguish the down town property The article continues:
 As smart as it gets. Penthouse exterior at 8500 Burton By now Malaysians will not be surprised to learn that the unaccountably wealthy son of Rosmah Mansor has been living it up on the 7th floor of this acme of LA luxury buildings. Only the very best and most expensive of accommodation seems contemplatable for Mr Aziz.  |
| Sarawak Oil Palm Owners Show True Colours – And Let Taib’s Cat Out Of The Bag! Posted: 20 Jan 2014 11:48 AM PST   Taib's ubiquitous proxy, cousin Hamed Sepawi chairs SOPPOA The Sarawak oil palm industry has shown its true colours with its recent vitriolic attack on the Indonesian company Wilmar, which has announced that it intends to reform practices that have been destructive to the environment. It is clear from the press release that they issued at the end of last week that nothing matters to the Sarawak Oil Palm Plantation Owners Association (SOPPOA) except their own profits, despite various attempts at greenwash over the years. After all, like every money-making enterprise in Sarawak this outfit is tightly controlled by Abdul Taib Mahmud and it represents his attitudes. The SOPPOA Chairman is none other than Taib's ubiquitous cousin, Hamed Sepawi, who also of course runs Sarawak Energy, Naim Cendara, Ta Ann, Sarawak Plantations and formerly the Timber Industry Development Corporation as well, plus numerous private concerns and plantations. So when SOPPOA makes pronouncements we can take it that the opinion is Taib's and his fury that Wilmar is seeking to clean up its act seems to know no bounds:
But, in the process SOPPOA seems to have let a great big cat out of the bag, revealing that Taib is planning to tear down even more of Sarawak's jungle than he has previously let on. A third more to be precise! Taib plans to treble Sarawak's oil palm plantations?  Taib includes oil palm plantations in his definition of forest to get his figures that Sarawak remains 'forested'. Sarawak has already covered a million hectares in oil palm, while the Chief Minister at the same time has laughably claimed that the country remains over 80% virgin forest. Taib and his side-kick, Land Development Minister James Masing, have further announced that they intend to double that huge area to 2 million hectares by 2015. The opportunity to fill politically well-connected pockets from yet more logging and plantation concessions are beguiling indeed. However this latest intemperate outburst against any move towards more responsible and environmentally friendly practices, for example avoiding ploughing up more peat jungle (the biggest single contributor to global warming) has apparently revealed Taib's real plans.  Attacking environmental responsibility on grounds of National Security! SOPPOA have told us that the actual plan is to plant 3 million hectares of oil palm and to ignore all the basic international guidelines in the process. Sarawak remains the only state in the world that has not banned the further destruction of peat jungle. Such is the destructive and greedy arrogance of Abdul Taib Mahmud, who considers himself above all laws and restraints, particularly when it comes to making money. This is the man who dares posture as a leader with environmental credentials and to promote "eco-tourism" in his family owned hotels on land snatched from the native people. His unbelievably greedy and destructive practices have become a stunning embarrassment to the country of Malaysia, which is now attempting to sign free trade agreements with the European Union that exclude Sarawak. This is purely because Taib refuses to adopt basic responsible practices towards state lands and the Borneo Rainforest. His hangers on and lackeys in SOPPOA of course are singing his tune and earning their irresponsible livings in a way that damages the planet for each and every person living on it, but most particularly harms the poor native people of Sarawak, who have lost their jungles to an industry that benefits only the wealthy political families in charge. Defying scientific evidence What SOPPOA goes on to say is this:
So SOPPOA have taken their place amongst the climate change deniers and those scientifically ignorant businessmen, who always know better than the scientists when it comes to anything that affects their profits. Without doubt the Malaysian 'scientific study' funded by the likes of SOPPOA will conclude there is no problem with felling and burning of peat jungle and they will demand we all believe them. SOPPOA gained membership of the Round Table On Sustainable Palm Oil back in 2008, apparently. Isn't it time they were chucked out?  I know what's best for me. Taib and his obedient circle of plantation owners. |
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