Trader used 'link to Vatican' to defraud shipping firm of €100m, court told

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Here’s a bizarre one: yesterday saw the start of what is expected to be an eight-week trial of a UK-based businessman accused of defrauding Dutch shipping company Allseas Group out of $100m it was looking to invest. It is alleged that pretending to be an international financier, 49-year old Luis Nobre was “one of a gang of fraudsters who convinced Allseas Group it would receive €1.2bn within three years if the firm invested €100m in the scheme”. The court was told the gang managed to dupe the company’s executives into believing that it also had Vatican investors lined up. [Interestingly, the case is being heard at Southwark Crown Court, on The Loadstar’s doorstep, the scene of the recent convictions of Australian pseudo-polymath Rolf (“is there no end to his talents”) Harris and PR guru (and purportedly proud possessor of a peanut-sized penis) Max Clifford, both for indecent assault.

We’ll say one thing about Mr Nobre – his hair is the stuff of legend. [Seriously, it’s the sort of barnet Barbra Streisand would kill for.]