One troubling document that crossed our desk indicates that another company Banks owned recently has had major judgments against it, totaling more than $100,000. Asked by phone at press time to explain just who he is and what he is up to in West Africa, Banks said most of his work in this part of the world, up until recently, has been with national parks people in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast. Most of the funds for this work came from donor organizations, he says. Then, several years ago, he became involved in a rice exporting business in Sierra Leone. That business failed with the outbreak of war. Seems the guerrillas took over the capital, opened the prisons and stormed the port. They stole whole shipping containers of rice that were sitting at the dock, Banks says, effectively bankrupting his company. That's where the big judgments come from.
As for Burkina Faso, he says his plan there was to create a multi-purpose tourist camp that could accommodate game viewers, hunters and even balloonists. That plan failed as well, if for no other reason because it was too grandiose. Just........(continued)
