Ziad Takieddine was born on 14 June 1950 in Baakline, Lebanon into a Druze family.[5] His uncle Saiid Takieddine was Lebanese Ambassador in London, and his father was Ambassador in various countries.[5] He was educated at the American University in Beirut and the University of Reading in England.[5]
He later facilitated arms dealing between France and Middle East countries, including Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Libya.[1][2] He was condemned to a five-year prison sentence by the French Court of Justice of the Republic in June 2020 for using some of those funds to finance the unsuccessful presidential campaign of former French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur in the context of the Karachi affair.[3][4][6]
On 4 December 2020, he was detained in Lebanon due to allegations of covert financing to Sarkozy's presidential campaign.[8] On 8 December, Lebanon ordered his release, but also imposed a travel ban on him.[9]
Personal life
His ex-wife, Nicola Johnson, is British-born.[1][3] She has accused him of tax evasion in France.[3] Takieddine owned Warwick House in London's Holland Park district via a company in the tax haven of the British Virgin Islands.[10] It was sold to neighbour Brian May for £12 million following the divorce settlement. In 2013 Takieddine was denied entry to the United Kingdom following an "allegation of fraud" and was forced by British police to return to France.[11] Takieddine is the first cousin, once removed of lawyer and activist Amal Clooney, as the first cousin of Clooney's father.[12]
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